Location: Baltimore,MD, USA
POSITION SUMMARY:
This position serves as a Health and Nutrition Specialist for Y Head Start/Early Head Start. The Health and Nutrition Specialist is responsible for the overall management of Health and Nutrition services and outcomes for every enrolled Head Start child. The Health and Nutrition Specialist is responsible for planning and collaborating with other service area directors and associates in the Head Start program to ensure the health and wellbeing of all children in the Head Start program.
ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS:
Planning
* Responsible for the overall planning, administration, and implementation of the medical, nutrition and dental service areas.
* Ensure the program is in compliance with all aspects of CACFP.
* Act as the liaison between the food vendor and program.
* Serve as health planner; prepare written health plan, health budget and written reports .
* Facilitate the organization of the Health Service Advisory Committee and utilizes the committee in the planning, implementation and evaluation of the health services.
* Identify and utilize state and local resources for the health program.
* Develop the approach to the delivery of health services to Head Start children, including implementation of daily health checks and active supervision.
* Ensure mechanisms are in place that support communication among staff, parents, and community providers to assure follow up services are received.
* Establish effective health emergency procedures, including methods for handling suspected or known child abuse; conditions for short-term exclusion and admittance; medication administration procedures; injury prevention measures; and hygiene procedures.
* Facilitate and participate in team meetings, as requested
Ongoing Monitoring and Recordkeeping
* Provide statistical data to the Senior Executive Director, Head Start as requested.
* Ensure menus are in compliance with CACFP requirements.
* Participate in the program's quarterly self-assessment, community assessment, and prepare input for PIR.
* Ensures that all children have an ongoing source of continuous accessible care.
* Within 90 days, determine whether or not children are up to date for both medical and oral health care.
* Collaborate with Data Manager to compile and analyze data on the effectiveness of the health service area.
* Use the database system to monitor the provision of all child health, nutrition and developmental services and ensure that follow-up services are received in a timely manner.
* Collaborate with Director of Family Services and Family Services Advocates to ensure the receipt of required medical documentation for timely entrance of children to the Head Start program
* Ensure all 45 day screenings are completed on time( hearing, vision, developmental).
* Ensure all EPSDT mandates are met within 90 days of a child's enrollment.
* Ensure all confidentiality requirements are met and those who need information can access it.
* Respond to requests (phone, e-mail, efax and written) from associates, medical professionals and partners, related to child health needs/concerns.
* Use developmental screening results to plan and meet the health needs of children
* Monitor the Health and Nutrition services of all enrolled children, along with Nutritionist and Nurse to ensure effective tracking of child health and nutrition services.
* Develop timeline for 45 day Nutritional intake and review of child files and coordination of individualized parent consultations with Nutrition Consultant.
Parent Engagement
* Promote, in conjunction with other Head Start associates, active parent engagement in Head Start Health services; for example, parent as members of the Health Advisory Committee.
* Assist the family in assuming the primary responsibility for their own health care.
* Assist Family Services Advocates in linking the child/ family into an ongoing health system. Ensure that parents are involved as full partners in prevention and early intervention.
* Ensure that children and families are linked to an ongoing source of continuous, accessible health care; ( Medical Home ) children are kept up to date on a schedule of well-child care that includes immunizations, and all time frames are met.
* Work with families, Family Services Advocates, and health care professionals to ensure all known health issues are in treatment and, once treatment has begun, that it is completed.
Health and Nutrition Education
* Ensure all medication administration, allergy/asthma/seizure action plans are current and authorized by a physician, with appropriate signatures.
* Ensure all children, with special dietary needs, allergic/intolerances, etc; are documented and updated on a regular basis.
* Ensure all first aid kits and emergency preparedness bags/coolers are stocked appropriately.
* Ensure all child medications are stored appropriately and correspond with medication administration plans.
* Ensure families of children with special dietary needs receive individualized consultation with Nutrition Consultant.
* Ensures that parents are involved as full partners in prevention and early intervention.
* Works with families, family service managers, and health care professionals to ensure all known issues are in treatment and, once treatment has begun, that it is completed.
* Interprets the medical functional diagnosis to the teachers and parents; assures that the education program meets child's needs.
* Integrate health and nutrition education into the total Head Start program and helps to provide health and nutrition education for parents, staff and children.
* Participate in in-service and pre-service training.
* Promote environmental health and safety and nutrition best practices.
* Design and deliver health and nutrition related training to parents and associates.
* Ensure that the health and safety of children is assured through teaching children and parents preventive health practices.
* Assist in training/certification of Pediatric CPR and First Aid for associates.
* Assist in the development and distribution of written and web based materials for children, adults and associates within the areas of: personal health, fitness, safety, nutrition and preventive health education.
* Track and submit In-Kind documentation on a monthly basis, as needed.
Community Partnerships
* Coordinate Health Advisory Committee meetings to ensure health services are responsive to community needs.
* Serve as a liaison to the health community, for example, groups serving children with disabilities.
* Serve as an advocate for child health.
* Assist in contracting for consultants.
* Develop partnerships with outside agencies to better meet health needs of children and families in Head Start.
Service Coordination
* Participate actively in regular leadership team meetings and case conferences, as necessary, to ensure service coordination across the Head Start program.
* Work cooperatively with Family Services to ensure the provision of health services to Head Start children and families.
* Work to ensure annual approval of Health Service Area plan by policy council, ensuring appropriate policy council involvement in curriculum and assessment decisions.
* Collaborate with the Early Intervention Specialist to ensure reasonable accommodations are made for children with disabilities.
* Lead for the good of the entire organization, understand the big picture and use it as a framework to make decisions.
* Make decisions in an ethical, timely and efficient manner in consideration of the center's mission, understand what information is needed to make high quality decisions, engage stakeholders, and ensure decisions are made that support program quality and maintain program accountability.
* Manage change effectively by demonstrating support for innovation and for organizational changes needed to improve quality and effectiveness, by initiating, sponsoring and implementing organizational change and by helping others to successfully manage organizational change.
* Attend local, state and regional initiatives to represent the center and to develop professionally.
* Promote consistent exchange of information and a cooperative environment within the leadership of the center.
* Attend parent committees, policy council and board of director meetings as requested.
General Duties
* Participate in staff meetings, conferences, training sessions and workshops as assigned.
* Maintain confidentiality in regards to staff and family information.
* Fulfill role as mandated reporter as stated in Child Abuse and Neglect Policy.
* Perform any other work-related duties as requested by your supervisor.
* Be present at work in order to provide consistency of services.
* Be a contributory team member in a positive/productive manner.
* Demonstrate commitment to mission, values, and policies in the performance of daily duties.
QUALIFICATIONS:
* Must obtain a criminal background check.
* Must have a valid driver's license.
* Must have access to reliable transportation.
* Must obtain a copy of driving record annually and maintain a clean driving record in order to drive an agency vehicle.
* Basic computer literacy in email, word processing and internet navigation