MISSION STATEMENT
Are you ready to give back to the community while pursuing your passion? For over 50 years, Acacia Network and its affiliates have been committed to improving the quality-of-life and wellbeing of underserved communities in New York City and beyond. We are one of the leading human services organizations in New York City and the largest Hispanic-led nonprofit in the State, serving over 150,000 individuals every year. Our programs serve individuals at every age and developmental level, from the very young through our daycare programs to mature adults through our older adults centers. Our extensive array of community-based services are fully integrated, bilingual and culturally competent.
POSITION OVERVIEW
The HealthySteps Specialist is a vital part of the pediatric primary care team, leveraging the latest evidence-based approaches to early childhood development to support the well-being of children ages 0-3 and their families. This innovative position aligns with the HealthySteps model, a program of ZERO TO THREE, which integrates early childhood development expertise into pediatric care to promote nurturing caregiving and foster skills essential for lifelong success, including social-emotional development, language and literacy, cognitive skills, and motor and physical development.
KEY ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS
Preventive and Responsive Care
Promotes HealthySteps within the practice to families and providers.Conducts team-based well-child visits before, during, or following the primary care provider; visits focus on monitoring development, social-emotional functioning, and relational health, and providing anticipatory guidance.Note: The HealthySteps Specialist is expected to participate in team-based well-child visits in-person, as an integrated member of the care team.Conducts consultations on a short-term basis for needs regarding development and/or behavioral concerns such as sleep, positive parenting, picky eating, etc.Maintains a family support line and responds to and tracks call requests within the designated response time.Participates in reflective supervision meetings.May conduct home visits and may accompany families to key medical, specialty, and community agency appointments as needed.May facilitate parent/caregiver groups.Referrals and Community Collaborations
Creates and maintains community resource directory/database. Provides referrals and tracks follow-up, as appropriate, to help families make successful connections to key resources within the community.Reaches out to community providers within the first 6 months in position to share about HealthySteps, their role, and receive information to support referrals, warm handoffs, and ensure appropriate referral criteria is met.Participates (when appropriate) in community-wide early childhood and/or mental health meetings.Team-Based Care
Is an active member of the HS Implementation Team and attends regular team meetings.Works with the front office administrative staff to ensure scheduling of the HS Specialist's time in coordination with provider visits (i.e., well-child visits).Engages in Continuous Quality Improvement (CQI) initiatives to ensure the HealthySteps model is delivered with fidelity.Collaborates with HealthySteps implementation team to implement all eight Core Components including universal screenings, making positive parenting and early learning guidance information available, and adjusting workflows for optimal efficiency.Maintains open communication with all members of the primary care team.Works closely with pediatric primary providers around care coordination, goal setting, coaching, and education about key aspects of a child's development.Provides consultation and/or facilitates training to medical professionals and all practice staff regarding early childhood development, early relational health/infant early childhood mental health, and trauma-informed practice.Caseload Tracking, Record Keeping, and Reporting
Maintains extensive databases required to meet HealthySteps fidelity metrics including both internal and external referrals.Collaborates with HealthySteps Implementation Team to complete required annual site reporting to the HealthySteps National Office at ZERO TO THREE, which may include analysis of both external database files and EHR data reports.Documents all patient clinical activity and care coordination in EHR.Tracks caseload to ensure capacity to deliver the HS services within the risk stratified service delivery model. This includes ensuring exit criteria is met and that families and children are elevated to higher levels of care or referred to community providers if needed.Professional Development Activities
Participates in HealthySteps training (Virtual HealthySteps Institute), annual model refresher course, and other model trainings as needed.Participates in administrative and clinical/reflective supervision meetings.Completes HealthySteps Competency Based Professional Development Assessment and develops and implements a professional development plan that is updated annually.REQUIREMENTS
Master's degree in psychology, social work, counseling, early childhood education, or related field highly preferred.Clinically licensed mental health professional preferred.Experience and knowledge about early childhood growth and development, parent-child relational health, infant and early childhood mental health, and family systems.Essential Skills/Attributes
Excellent oral and written communication skills.Commitment to working with underserved populations in a community setting.Empathic, supportive, and patient.Strong motivational interviewing skills.Ability to work with people of many backgrounds and cultures.Ability to take initiative and willingness to learn.Ability to work well in teams and independently.Ability to collect and enter data for program management, evaluation, and reporting purposes.Interest in the use of technology to improve care quality plus Excel, Word, Outlook, etc.“Grace under pressure” with the ability to multitask and triage/juggle multiple appointments and conflicting priorities.Comfort with an open-door policy, potentially frequent interruptions, and warm handoffs.Flexibility in communication: able to switch between being on the floor playing with young patients and communicating with medical professionals regarding mental health interventions in a professional, coherent, and efficient manner.Ability to tolerate isolation as the HS Specialist may be the only behavioral health professional onsite.“Professional backbone,” confidence, and assertiveness with providers and colleagues (shaping appropriate referrals, etc.)WHY JOIN US?
Acacia Network provides a comprehensive and competitive benefits package to our employees. In addition to a competitive salary, our benefits include medical, dental, and vision coverage. We also offer generous paid time off, including vacation days and paid holidays, to support a healthy work-life balance. We prioritize the well-being of our employees both professionally and personally.
As an Equal Opportunity Employer, we encourage individuals from all backgrounds to apply.
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