Job Title: Parent Educator

Location: Columbia, SC

Company Overview:

Cooperative Health has been serving the Midlands area since 1981. We are South Carolina’s largest and most cost-effective community health center system and we are hiring! We are looking for people who are passionate about providing accessible, high quality, compassionate healthcare in the Spirit of the Good Samaritan.

Position Summary:

The Parent Educator serves as the primary child development resource for the Maternal Infant and Early Childhood Home Visiting Program (MIECHV) via the Parents as Teachers Program for parents/children in ECCHC’s participating pediatric sites. This professional becomes a member of the health care team and provides an effective link between the family and the pediatric or family practice. The Parent Educator delivers services to parents implementing the Parents as Teachers (PAT) curriculum model, emphasizes parent-child interaction, development- centered parenting and family well-being in their work with families. The Parent Educator offers parents the added expertise, time, and personal support that they want to facilitate their child’s healthy growth and development. Utilizing the PAT Foundational curriculum in culturally sensitive ways, the Parent Educator partners, facilitates and reflects with families. They create solid relationships between families and coordinate Parent as Teachers activities. The Parents as Teacher Program is provided throughout all Cooperative Health service areas, which includes Richland, Fairfield, Lexington and Newberry counties.

Principal Accountabilities/Responsibilities:

• Conduct assessments and screenings as required by the MIECHV – Parents as Teachers program;
• Conduct office visits, either jointly with the physician/pediatric nurse practitioner or alone, during regular office hours or by appointment;
• Conduct home visits to support and enhance parent-infant interactions and promote home safety using the Parents as Teachers curriculum on a weekly or bi-weekly basis with each family.
• Plan the visit, gather materials, travel, conduct the visit, and clearly document the visit.
• Conduct an ongoing system of check-ups that look at both child development and family factors, as part of a health visit, as a separately scheduled office visit, or as part of a home visit;
• Help parents manage common behavioral concerns related to early learning, fussiness, sleep, feeding, discipline, toilet training, etc.;
• Provide referrals and follow-up, as appropriate, to help families make connections within the community;
• Facilitate parent group connections focusing on the following areas of emphasis: parent-child interaction, development-centered parenting, or family well-being.
• Maintain and/or create positive relationships with peer organizations/representatives;
• Prepare progress, activity, and status reports and/or other special reports as requested;
• Input and monitor data entries and narrative documentation for clients enrolled into the program (MIECHV and athenahealth);
• Work with the PAT Program Coordinator with recommendations/suggestions for change from original specifications with grant sponsors, team, or stakeholders;
• Identify potential problems and assist with facilitating problem resolution by determining or recommending and implementing resolution strategy;
• Complete annually required competency-based professional development hours in order to remain a certified Parents as Teachers parent educator.

• Perform other related duties as required for the smooth running of the department.

Education & Experience:

• A bachelor’s degree with training in child development, family studies, nursing, social work, psychology, or related fields.
• Experience/knowledge of maternal infant health, parenting, child development, and or child abuse prevention within a home visiting and preventative framework. Prior direct home visiting experience with 1-3 years’ experience- preferably in health care setting, working with parents of infants and young children, and assessing the development of children from birth to three.
• Have reliable transportation to travel to home visits, multiple site locations, and local trainings, etc.
• Bilingual preferred but not required.
• Ability to use personal computer and possess working knowledge of relevant software systems.
• Ability to work comfortably with a multidisciplinary team of professionals and support staff.
• Knowledge of community health, working with diverse populations.
• Be highly organized and accountable.
• Be an independent, self-motivated worker.
• Be able to learn and understand and incorporate the three roles of a parent educator: partnering, facilitating, and reflecting into daily practice with families.
• Ability to establish rapport with families and empower them by building on their strengths.

COVID-19 Vaccination Requirement Statement

Cooperative Health falls under Centers for Medicare and Medicaid (CMS) guidelines related to COVID-19 Vaccinations which will require employees to be fully vaccinated

The above information is intended to describe the most important aspects of the job. It is not intended to be construed as an exhaustive list of all responsibilities, duties and skills required in order to perform the work.

Cooperative Health provides equal employment opportunities (EEO) to all employees and applicants for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, disability or genetics. In addition to federal law requirements, Cooperative Health complies with applicable state and local laws governing nondiscrimination in employment in every location in which the company has facilities. This policy applies to all terms and conditions of employment, including recruiting, hiring, placement, promotion, termination, layoff, recall, transfer, leaves of absence, compensation and training.