Doula
: Job Details :

We are excited to announce a new opportunity at the DuPage County Health Department. We have a full time grant funded opening to work as a Doula. In this role you will be responsible for providing comprehensive home visiting and doula services and support to enrolled participants and participants' families, during the perinatal period. This is a full-time position, with hours that are generally from 8:00 am until 4:30 pm with some evenings and weekends, also available 24/7 on-call Responsibilities: Identifies, recruits, and enrolls pregnant clients into the Doula component of the Healthy Families home visiting program. Maintains a full caseload of clients per department productivity standards throughout the program year and ensures caseload vacancies are filled; builds and maintains trusting relationships with participant families. Meets with clients in their homes and in the community primarily throughout DuPage County and maintains communication with clients via phone, text, and video visits. Completes assessments and screenings including a parent interview about the family's story and screening for depression and substance use. Provides referrals to appropriate resources. Supports, adapts, or delivers services in a manner that ensures understanding and inclusion of diverse client populations. Listens to clients and helps them to know and trust their own bodies and to advocate for themselves. Helps families to overcome barriers to accessing quality care including providing linkage to transportation resources and insurance. Provides 24/7 on-call coverage and availability to support program needs. Provides community outreach; engages in marketing efforts, targeting local hospitals, community resources, and medical offices/staff. Provides evidence-based information, education, and resources to prepare families for pregnancy and the birth process, and the postpartum period. Facilitates individual and group perinatal education. Co-creates goals including a birth plan with the family. Attends and provides direct support to the pregnant client, their family, and/or support person(s) throughout the labor and delivery process. Partners with home visitor (case manager) in connecting with and supporting the family and provides overlapping home visiting to ensure a seamless transition between doula and home visiting services. Provides doula support to the client when they reach 25-28 weeks of pregnancy through 4-8 weeks of postpartum period, providing weekly visits. Completes documentation of all activities, contacts with families, and the full birth story. Helps the family create their own birth story; attends health care and other client appointments as needed. Educates and supports families with infant feeding, breastfeeding, and basic infant care postpartum. Facilitates activities to initiate and strengthen the parent-child relationship during pregnancy and during the postpartum period. Participates in weekly reflective supervision with Lead Doula/Case Manager, Intensive Services Supervisor or designee. Attends both medical consultation and infant mental health consultation individually and in a group setting at least monthly. Demonstrates reflective capacity, including awareness of feelings and reactions between self and other. Participates in all staff meetings, in-services or other agency meetings/events and in continuing education opportunities. Participates in emergency response activities as required; maintains confidentiality of privileged information and adheres to patient privacy laws. Demonstrates sensitivity and understanding of other ethnic groups and cultures. Adheres to department guidelines for attendance and punctuality. Comprehends, processes, and applies both verbal and written skills appropriate to the job responsibilities. KNOWLEDGEAND SKILLS : An ability to establish trusting relationships; acceptance of individual differences; experience and humility to work with the culturally diverse families; knowledge of infant and child development; willingness to engage in building reflective capacity (i.e. capacity for introspection, communicating awareness of self in relation to others, recognizing value of supervision, etc.). Considerable skill communicating information to clients and community partners in a clear and concise format; considerable skill listening to and documenting client needs; considerable skill in organizing work tasks to meet established deadlines; working skill in developing and maintaining positive and professional relationships with internal and external customers; working skill operating a personal computer, applicable software and peripheral equipment; strong working skill in written and verbal communication; working skill in maintaining up to date and accurate records; strong organizational skills to manage caseload, calendar, documentation, prenatal groups and multiple, complex responsibilities. Knowledge of Healthy Families America Best Practice Standards and Doula code of ethics and experience and knowledge of Visit Tracker data management systems preferred. Knowledge of pregnancy and childbirth and of supporting the early parent-child relationship preferred. Requirements: The preferred candidate will have a bachelor's degree in human service-related fields such as social work, early childhood education, psychology, or other healthcare related programming and one year of experience working with the maternal and child health population and/or home visiting. Please visit our website to apply directly on line Prior birth Doula, childbirth education, and/or home visiting or relevant life experience is preferred for candidates with a bachelor's degree in a human services field. Prior birth Doula, childbirth education, and/or home visiting or relevant life experience is required for candidates with a minimum high school diploma or equivalent. DONA Birth Doula and Childbirth education training is required within 6 months (and certification within 3 years); Healthy Families America Foundations and Frog training will be required and provided as part of employment. Prior training in Healthy Families America model and Infant and early childhood mental health credential is preferred. Experience working with culturally and linguistically diverse families and a bilingual, Spanish speaking candidate is strongly preferred ADDITIONALREQUIREMENTS : Must have dependable transportation, valid driver's license, proof of auto insurance, and ability to drive to multiple locations primarily in DuPage County, with travel outside of the County as needed. Must be willing to work flexible work hours including some evenings, weekends, and holidays. Will be available 24/7 to Doula participant families for labor and delivery support. Provides back-up assistance or coverage for other doulas. On-call for attendance at labor and delivery and the ability to be flexible and available for visits based on the parent's schedule. Ability to lift and carry up to 20 pounds. Ability to push/pull up to 10 pounds. This job may require long hours of standing, being on your feet and bending and shifting your position. The position performs essential on-site functions and is eligible for a hybrid/remote arrangement. Employment Type: Full Time Bonus/Commission: No