Home Visitor at Casa Central – Chicago, Illinois

Position Summary:

The Creciendo Juntos project offers home visiting for families beginning during pregnancy and continuing for several years. The model calls for families to be visited regularly from pregnancy through to school entry when the child is 5 years old. In addition to the regular home visits, families are also offered opportunities to participate in group sessions focusing on parenting as well as receive developmental toys, books, and other materials.

Babies begin learning before birth, and the skills they develop in the earliest years form the foundation on which they can build throughout their lives. To support Chicago families in making the most of this window for early development, and to advance the science on learning and skill development, the Center of Economics and Human Development (CEHD), Preparing for Life (PFL), and Casa Central (Casa) have established the Creciendo Juntos project

The Creciendo Juntos project is an initiative focused on three goals. Firstly, to establish and implement an effective home visiting program using the Preparing for Life curriculum and approach. Next, to collaborate with families and communities to co-create the program, maximizing benefits for all. Lastly, to evaluate many aspects of this project through a joint research study.

This project relies on the knowledge and experience of each of the partners. The curriculum, designed and supported by PFL, enhances children’s early development and promotes school readiness by strengthening parent-child relationships and focusing on caregivers’ strengths. The implementation partner - Casa Central - will run the program, bringing a direct connection to the community and an understanding of its needs and mechanisms for incorporating the community’s voice. CEHD researchers, who have previous experience studying early childhood programs, will analyze the program’s impact on interactions and children’s skill development.

Include the following, other duties as assigned:

The Home Visitor and home visiting team will work from a clearly outlined program manual with the expectation of delivering the following outcomes for the targeted children, their parents and families to achieve:

• Year on year improvements in children's physical, psychological and emotional health, and in their educational, speech and motor skills.
• Year on year improvements in parent's psychological health, aspirations for their child, and their parenting skills.

• Improved school readiness.
• Supported confidence in parenting and enjoyment of parenting

Home Visitors will deliver these objectives by:

• Enabling families towards self-reliance in meeting their own needs
• Enabling families to meet the development needs of their child.
• Ensuring families have access to information on available services and are enabled to utilize these services in an effective and timely fashion.

General:

• Work with families in their homes on a regular basis according to the Program Manual for Preparing for Life
• Participate in the planning, delivery and evaluation of program implementation
• Participate in team training, supervision and appraisals
• Carry out various housekeeping duties, such as calendar management, team and system updates, to ensure the smooth running of the team
• Work occasionally (1-2 days per month) on the weekend, with flexible hours

Family Support:

• Develop quality relationships with families based on mutual respect, clear communication, integrity, honesty and confidentiality
• Work with a caseload of families as directed by the Home Visiting Coordinator. This work will take place both in the family home and also in various other locations in the community
• Support parents/families to develop their confidence and self-sufficiency in child rearing through positive feedback, role modeling, ongoing constructive discussion, and one on one mentoring
• Assess the family needs and systems of support to identify areas of support delivery.
• Partner with families to co-create and reinforce shared ground rules and expectations that support mutual respect and effective engagement throughout home visits.
• Support parents/children to access appointments with various specialists as appropriate and accompany parents/children at these appointments where necessary.

Case Management:

• Maintain case files for each family and complete reports as required by the program maintaining HIPAA guidelines. Home Visitors will record all required data on the database designed for the program.
• Liaise and collaborate with other project personnel and personnel from other departments within Casa or outside agencies as appropriate.
• Participate and contribute in case study workshops and team meetings.
• Aid in the recruiting of families for the program.

Research:

• Liaise and collaborate with members of the Preparing for Life and University of Chicago teams
• Participate in workshops and trainings on data collection and other aspects related to the research project
• Maintain confidentiality with regards to sensitive information regarding participants and their status in the program
• Participate in regular interviews and surveys with the research team regarding various aspects of the work, including work style, supervision practices, family satisfaction, job satisfaction and other work-related topics

• Administer surveys to families and manage other enrollment documentation
• Regularly record self and family during home visits for supervisory and continuous quality improvement purposes

Sensitivity to cultural diversity is required. Will be subject to drug and alcohol screening, as well as aptitude and skills testing. To perform this job successfully, an individual must be able to perform each essential duty satisfactorily. The requirements listed below are representative of the knowledge, skill, and/or ability required. Reasonable accommodation may be made to perform the essential functions.

Required qualifications:

• Bachelor’s or Associate’s degree in Early Childhood Education, Child Development, Social

Work or related (nursing, psychology, education, etc.)

• Minimum of three (3) years' experience working with young children, parents and/or families of young children

Essential Experience/Knowledge:

• Demonstrated knowledge of and experience with child development
• Demonstrated knowledge of and experience with supporting clients through a mentoring and coaching approach.
• Demonstrated knowledge of and experience working with families in a range of settings, including homes, particularly in an area of economic disadvantage/disinvestment.
• Demonstrated knowledge of child welfare and other systems with which children and families might interact

Desirable Experience / Knowledge:

• Knowledge of existing social services in and around the catchment area of 60609 60629, and 60632.
• Experience managing a caseload and maintaining appropriate documentation.

Personal Skills

• The ideal candidate will be a self-starter, have initiative, be highly motivated, be well organized, be a good team player, and have flexibility regarding his/her hours at work so as to meet families’ needs.
• Good communication skills and an ability to build good relations and liaise effectively with other agencies.
• They will have the capacity to reflect on his/her practice and accept his/her limitations.
• They will be open to accepting feedback and coaching support on an ongoing basis.
• They will have the ability to adhere to the program manual.
• They will have the ability to set reasonable goals and the capacity to identify and build on positive changes, however small.
• They will demonstrate an ability to work in a non-judgmental way with all families regardless of their family circumstances.

Bilingual in Spanish required.

Word processing; spreadsheets; internet skills; data entry skills, and in managing Microsoft applications to facilitate communication. Preferred experience with database systems.

Basic mathematical skills are required.

Ability to work within an interdisciplinary team as a cooperative and supportive team member. Ability to establish relationships with families from diverse backgrounds. Must understand the scope of community resources and how they can meet the needs of children and families served. Knowledge of community resources and capacity to develop community cooperation to ensure families receive comprehensive services.

Ability to solve practical problems and deal with a variety of concrete variables in situations where only limited standardization exists. Ability to interpret a variety of instructions furnished in written, oral, or scheduled form and convey needed information with stakeholders in a manner which improves the early learning experience for children/families.

Ability to utilize reflective practices to provide support to volunteers, interns, and team members.

The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions. While performing the duties of this job, the employee is regularly required to sit, talk, and listen. Employees frequently are required to use their hands. Must be able to lift and carry 25lbs.

The work environment characteristics described here are representative of those an employee encounters while performing the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions. The noise level in the work environment is usually moderate.

Must have a valid driver’s license; car and insurance. Reliable personal transportation is essential for conducting home visits and community-based work (mileage reimbursement provided by the agency). Must have a cell phone with the capability to add applications to communicate with participants and agency staff (monthly cell phone stipend provided by the agency).

The statements herein are intended to describe the general nature and level of work being performed by the employee in this position. The content of this job description is not intended to be constructed as an exhaustive list of all responsibilities, duties, and skills required of a person in this position.