Parent Child Interaction Specialist

Organization Background:

The Center for African Immigrants and Refugees (CAIRO)’s mission is dedicated to enhancing social justice and achieving parity for the diverse African immigrants and refugee communities in Oregon and Central Minnesota through community organizing, collaborative leadership, and service advocacy. To accomplish our goals we offer a wide variety of services, including pre-K education, K-12 student support & counseling, community health, and job training.

Position Summary:

Parent Child Interaction Program Provides parent-Child Interaction services focused on direct coaching of the parent to positively influence the parent interactions with the child and as a result positively influence the child’s behaviors and bonding between the parent and child. The Parent Child Interaction Specialist with with 25 0-3 year olds and provides home visits using the Parents as Teachers (PAT) curriculum with a wrap-around framework that incorporates Somali/East African cultures to provide the information, support and encouragement parents need to help their children develop optimally during the crucial early years of life.

Essential Duties & Responsibilities:

• Serve identified families with children 0-3 years.
• Visit parents and caregivers in their homes to implement the Parents As Teachers
• Maintain protocol with appropriate evaluation and screening delivery.
• Make telephone calls or emails to schedule home visits, group, and cultural meetings, maintain a calendar of scheduled visits, and place reminder calls just prior to visits.
• Conducts ASQ questionnaires and supports families with vision, hearing and developmental screening for children as required.
• Develop goals for individual child plans and family service plans based on assessments
• Establish meaningful, respectful, cooperative relationships with families and all staff, taking responsibility for the success of achieving the goals.
• Track, input and maintain data on visits, screening, and family management.
• Document every visit on appropriate forms as required.
• Organize, assist, and attend the group and cultural meetings/events including responsibilities in childcare, location prep, program, and coordination.
• Plans and Hosts Socialization events twice a month in various locations
• Maintain confidentiality with family and agency information.
• Navigate and connect families to resources
• Travels between sites or in the community as needed
• Complete all other duties as assigned.

Skills & Abilities:

• • Strong listening skills with the ability to explain unfamiliar ideas clearly and respectfully.
  • Ability to build trust and a sense of teamwork with families.
  • Must have ability to react quickly and safely response when working with children and families
  • Working knowledge of computer software programs such as Microsoft
  • Ability and willingness to work collaboratively with the Early Learning Team
  • Must have valid driver’s license and insurance
  • Bilingual in English and fluent in one of the following languages preferred: Somali or Swahili

Qualification:

• Some college coursework.
• 1-2 years of Early Childhood experience required
• Or Home-based Child Development Associate (CDA) credential or comparable credential or equivalent coursework as part of an Associate’s or Bachelor’s degree
• Food handler's card, must be obtained within 30 days of hire date;
• Infant/child first aid/CPR, must be obtained within 60 days of hire date
• Recognizing and Reporting Child Abuse & Neglect training must be completed within 30 days of hire date

Work Environment:

• Frequent use of keyboard, monitor, mouse, telephone and/or headset
• P-3 Child and Family Specialist will periodically deliver materials to the households

Benefits

CAIRO offers the following benefits for this position:

• 16 days of Paid Time Off.
• 16 paid company holidays.
• 100% employer-covered medical and dental premiums for employee coverage; vision insurance.
• 401(k) plan with an up to 3% employer match.