Early Head Start - Health & Wellness Specialist

Description:HEALTH AND WELLNESS SPECIALISTEARLY HEAD STARTCompetitive Benefits PackageHELPING PEOPLE LIVE INDEPENDENT LIVESAre you looking for more than a job?

Are you the healthcare champion we’ve been looking for?

AWARE is looking for the right person to join the Early Head Start team as a Health and Wellness Specialist.

If you embrace new ideas with a heart full of energy, we invite you to join a caring, compassionate, and fully engaged team that isn’t afraid to get vulnerable with one another. We have gritty, but respectful conversations that drive the needle forward on what it means to provide the highest quality of care for our clients. At AWARE, our strength lies in our culture of care. AWARE’s Unconditional Care Principles inspire the services we provide to each person who comes to us for care and these principles lead how we treat ourselves and our clients; with hope, compassion and focus on the next right step. When you join the AWARE team, you will become part of an organization that has a rich history (over 45 years!) helping Montanans with mental health and/or developmental disabilities. AWARE strives to provide the highest quality of care, every single day. When you join the AWARE team, you will be joining a team that believes that building on strengths is the key to success, that prides itself in taking on and sticking with the hardest challenges, believes we are agents of change, that everything is normal until proven otherwise, and that families are our most important resource. Working for our organization means that regardless of your role, we’ll support you so you can support others. AWARE seeks to provide opportunities for employees to grow professionally through its tuition advancement program, professional development opportunities and in-house trainings.

Principal Duties & Responsibilities:

• Responsible for the organization and implementation of the health component of the program including medical, dental, disabilities, and nutritional services.
• Provides referrals and follow up to families in need of medical, dental, nutritional and disability services. Tracks well-child and immunization records and assists families in establishing a medical home.
• Completes child developmental screening upon family enrollment and discharge. Provides health education opportunities to children, families and staff.
• Develops and implements a process of ongoing monitoring to assure each enrolled infant or toddler receives required developmental screenings, immunizations and wellness checks according to Head Start Performance Standards and EPSDT.
• Coordinates on-site and community developmental screening opportunities, providing transportation if necessary.
• Assists the EHS Family Home Visitor with assessing the specific needs of each pregnant woman served in the program.
• Assesses, in collaboration with families and healthcare providers, nutrition, growth and development of enrolled infants and toddlers.
• Identifies children with special health needs and develops individualized health plans as necessary.
• Provides health education opportunities for children and staff, within childcare classrooms, including tooth brushing, hand washing, and nutrition activities.
• Provides resources and supports to enhance parent/child relationships and parent’s knowledge of hygiene, nutrition, child development, guidance, and safety.
• Assists with and provides family education opportunities, utilizing a variety of approaches, curriculum, and teaching methods.

Requirements:

Required Skills, Abilities & Education:

• Requires a BS/BA Degree in Health Education, Human Services, Early Childhood Education or a related field, in addition to direct employment related experience.
• Requires at least two (2) years of employment experience working with children aged 0 – 5 and families in an educational setting with a demonstrated knowledge of program planning, early childhood assessment and family systems.
• Requires good oral and written communication skills and an ability to form professional relationships with a diverse group of people.

To learn more please visit www.aware-inc.org.

Benefits:

AWARE proudly offers an excellent benefits package, uniquely designed to support you and your family in staying well, professional growth, and achieving financial security. AWARE’s benefits include:

• Annual raises
• Tuition Reimbursement
• Health Insurance
• Dental/Vision Insurance
• 401(k) with company match
• Life Insurance
• Wellness programs
• Generous paid time off

AWARE is proud to be an equal opportunity employer