CHANCES Inc.
by CHANCES Inc.
Job Summary:
Job Description:
PURPOSE OF THE POSITION:
The Best Start Worker works to deliver a culturally-based proactive, outreach-oriented, and strengths-based program focused on family support, education and community engagement for families with young children who are experiencing additional life challenges.
The Best Start Worker ‘s role is also to build upon the strengths of the family, and to support parents to ensure healthy child growth and development. The Best Start worker establishes an individual family support plan with the family identifying goals, objectives and activities to meet the family’s needs and to strengthen the family unit. This is a term position for approximately 3 – 6 months.
1. Assesses, documents, and reports.
- Completes an in-depth Family Assessment upon the family’s entry to the program.
- Utilizes the information from the completed Family Assessment to focus opportunities for parent development with targeted Best Start Curriculum.
- Conducts and documents additional standardized assessments as required such as the Ages and Stages Assessment questionnaire 2; Peabody Picture Vocabulary Test; Early Years Evaluation; etc.
- Establishes and documents specific goals that will guide in-home visits.
- Ensures the Best Start database is kept updated with all essential infantfamily related information, Family Assessments, the established family related goals, home visit notes, as well as contacts made with families and other involved agencies.
- Collects and documents information/data as required to support the evaluation of the Best Start Program.
2. Provides family-led one-to-one supports to families with children 0-3 years in order to promote; responsive parenting/caregiving, healthy child development; support family wellbeing, access to healthcare, and connection to community and culture.
- Uses strengths-based and relationship-based approaches and facilitates family centered assessment, goal and service planning with families to understand family strengths, culture and priorities.
- Applies working knowledge of parent-child interaction and child development to help clients improve their parenting skills, reduce family stress, and increase parental knowledge of age-appropriate activities for their children.
- Assists parents in learning problem-solving and coping skills by teaching and modeling these skills and/or by referring them to appropriate agencies.
- Establishes an individual family support plan with the family, identifying goals, objectives, and activities to help meet the family’s needs.
- Uses strengths-based and family-centered approaches to support growth and to communicate concerns to parents.
3. Integration and Community Collaboration.
- Works cooperatively and collaboratively as a member of the Best Start Team as well as a member of the broader CHANCES staffing unit.
- Supports the Best Start team and contributing to a healthy work environment through the exchange of ideas, knowledge, skills and experiences.
- Contributes to ongoing program quality improvement by offering positive feedback and suggestions to improve services offered to infants and families participating in Best Start.
- Builds and maintains strong working relationships with other service providers and partnering agencies involved in providing support to families.
- Represents the Best Start program in an ethical and professional manner.
QUALIFICATIONS:
- Completion of a recognized post-secondary degree in Social Sciences or Human Services: or diploma from a recognized college in Human Services or related field or similar program supplemented with considerable experience working with similar client group.
ADDITIONAL REQUIREMENTS:
- Proof of immunization in keeping with current public health practices and CHANCES vaccination policy is required. Valid Class 5 driver’s license and access to a reliable vehicle is required.
- Ability to work flexible hours (evenings may be required).