Temporary Early Childhood Developmental Navigator

Job Details

Description

POSITION SUMMARY:

The Early Childhood Developmental Navigators provide culturally responsive developmental, behavioral, and social stressor screening, strengths-based developmental promotion, and proactive case management to early childhood services. Navigators also collaborate with interdisciplinary health care teams to break down silos and transform primary care services through early childhood healthcare integration to improve equity and accessibility for families.

This position has access to protected healthcare information (PHI) or confidential identifiable information (CII), both paper and electronic, as necessary, to perform related job duties and responsibilities.

Essential Functions

Culturally responsive screening of child development, behavior, and family stressors.

• Describes to families the purpose of screening, normalizing the questions about specific childhood developmental tasks and behavior. Informs specifically about social-emotional skill development
• Administers developmental, social, and emotional screening tools in a conversational format with parents, explaining the meaning of questions and soliciting examples when needed
• Administers Social Determinants of Health screening tool at appropriate intervals. Routes referrals to appropriate clinic resources as needed
• Shares the outcome of the screenings to the medical provider prior to the start of their well child visit through a warm handoff and maintain open communication with the care team
• Uses electronic medical records to record screening results and write progress notes with summary of visit. Tracks needed follow up and family progress through database (Redcap) and when families experience barriers to receiving needed resources. Collects demographic data per grant/funder requirements
  
  

Strengths-based Family Support, Developmental Promotion, And Parenting Education

• Meets with caregivers of infants and children from birth to 5 years to promote strong Parent-Child relationships using a Promoting First Relationship approach
• Emphasizes strengths observed during the visit with parents and caregivers. Utilizes tools (PFR, Vroom, 0-3 handouts) to assist with parental capacity building
• Promotes early childhood programs such as Early Head Start and Head Start, and child development support services such as Birth to Three and ChildFind by providing information about these programs including highlighting the benefits, describing the enrollment or evaluation process, and reducing stigma or misinformation about each program or service
• Identifies and provide community resource referrals, when needed, with consideration for cultural and linguistic needs, family geographic location and caregiver comfort. (e.g. ESIT services, supportive groups, mindfulness groups, early mental health interventions)
• Ensures families have access to needed supports and resources through the early childhood years by developing supportive, trusting relationships. Create the opportunity for ongoing contact with families with phone/text message check-ins in between scheduled well-child visits
• Recruits Parent Partners from clinic and participate in Parent Partner Meetings with other Early Childhood Developmental Navigator Leads as needed. Plan for and lead Parent Partner meetings focused on child development topics of interest to caregivers
  
  

Proactive Case Management Of Developmental Referrals

• When screenings identify areas of concern, provides a detailed overview of the ESIT or ChildFind program options including the referral and evaluation process, services offered, locations, and benefits of the programs
• Completes release of information form for parents who desire a referral to allow for exchange of information between the medical home and early learning program
• Provides proactive follow-up for referrals made to Birth to Three or ChildFind services. This includes frequent telephone outreach to the family and agency/school until the qualification step is completed and, if the child qualifies, until the child starts receiving services
• Serves as a liaison between agencies or school districts and families. Advocate for family rights when agencies or school districts are not meeting requirements to provide families’ needs for the services
• Addresses barriers such as transportation or language. Identify additional supports for families, such as legal support through the Washington Medical Legal Partnership
• Advocates for caregiver inclusion in decision-making around the services their child receives. Support families when they are not satisfied with the services their child is receiving
• Healthcare Integration Development, Improvement, and Advocacy
  
  

Along with other team members, Early Childhood Developmental Navigators will also:

• Trains new Early Childhood Developmental Navigators on the responsibilities and techniques of the role
• Shares best practices with new Navigators about what works well and what to avoid when working with families, ESIT agencies, and school district programs/Childfind.
• Provides ongoing guidance and support for Early Childhood Developmental Navigators (within the same clinic site and across sites)
• Updates program toolkit to maintain a relevant manual of goals, roles, and procedures.
• Informs new providers within clinic about the Early Childhood Developmental Navigator program, role in clinic, workflows, etc
• Meets with local ESIT agencies and ChildFind programs to build relationships and streamline systems for families
• Meets with new sites interested in Navigator program as requested to share knowledge and experiences
• Recruits caregivers to provide input on Navigator program to demonstrate success and areas for growth, and guide program improvement
• Provides feedback to program manager to demonstrate success and areas for growth, and guide program improvement
• Tracks interactions with caregivers, service organizations, and other members of the primary care team as needed to demonstrate resources required for the program
• Contributes to research with key stakeholders working to improve access to developmental services for families of young children. This may include (but is not limited to): experiences adapting screening tools for cultural responsiveness, strategies for connecting with diverse families, strategies for reaching unresponsive office contacts
• Represents Akin in King County Help Me Grow Partnership meetings
• Presents to current and potential partners, funders, and other interested community members about the new model of care being provided through the Early Childhood Developmental Navigator Program
• Informs Akin’s advocacy and system change work by providing trends, specific examples, and narratives that illustrate the need for system changes
• Contributes to building the program’s relationships in the early childhood ecosystem and share learning and experiences
  
  

Professional Development

• Participates in professional development regarding anti-racism, oppression, and cultural competency and regularly assess own performance and program for related improvements
• Participates in ongoing job-related professional development, in-service trainings and continuing education
• Participates in supervision with Akin supervisor and with as needed at clinic
  
  

KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS, And ABILITIES

• Outstanding organizational skills and ability to manage a caseload of multiple families
• Interest and ability to successfully work in diverse communities, including self-awareness, understanding of systems of oppression, and willingness to contribute to undoing institutionalized racism
• Interest and ability to connect with diverse families and support them in overcoming systemic barriers
• Comfort with interacting with young children and commitment to creating a child-friendly environment
• Ability to collaborate effectively with diverse clients, agency staff, and team members
• Commitment to improving the experience of care for children and families, particularly those underserved by our current systems.
• Sufficient technological capabilities to use electronic medical records and other systems to record visit notes, collect data, and track patient progress.
• Ability and desire to be flexible and responsive
• Access to transportation to attend occasional off-site visits, trainings, or meetings.
• Ability to obtain and/or maintain current certifications including Pediatric/Adult CPR, first aid and AED, HIV and blood borne pathogens
• Background check, tuberculosis test, COVID-19 vaccination, and drug screen required
• Ability to embrace and support Akin’s commitment to fostering an inclusive organization
  
  

Working Environment

This job is performed in a professional office environment. The following list is representative of the work environment employees encounter while performing the essential functions of this job:

• The positions will include a combination of on-site work integrated within the medical clinics, some in-person meetings at Akin, and some remote work.
  
  

Working Remotely

Working remotely is a benefit of Akin’s flexible workplace, but remote work cannot be offered for all positions. Some positions require daily presence in the office. Remote work arrangements may be adjusted or rescinded based upon business needs.

Physical Demands

• While performing the essential duties of this job, the employee is regularly required to stand, sit, talk, hear, and use hands and fingers to operate a computer and telephone keyboard; occasionally to reach, stoop and kneel
• Specific vision abilities required by this job include close vision requirements due to computer work
• Regular, predictable attendance is required
  
  

Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

Minimum Qualifications

• Prior experience in community and/or family service or a combination of experience that demonstrates the required knowledge, skills, and abilities
  
  

Preffered Qualifications

• Knowledge of early childhood development
• Knowledge of local resources for families with young children, preferably resources in King County
• At least 1 year of work or life experience in early childhood (parenting/education/developmental services), home visiting, social support services, infant mental health, or anything else related to early childhood
  
  

Salary Range And Benefits

The salary range for this position is $25.07 to $27.45 hourly DOE for external candidates.

Employees (and their families) are covered by medical, dental, vision, and basic life insurance. Employees are able to enroll in our company’s 401k plan. Employees will also receive 10 days of vacation leave each year, three Employee Appreciation Day each year, and will accrue one sick day per month (pro-rated for part-time employees). Employees will also enjoy 15 paid holidays throughout the calendar year. We also offer EAP and mental health benefits.