Head Start Advocate
Do you have at least two years’ experience in a social services setting? Do you have education in human services, family services, or a related field? Are you looking for a position where you can use your skills to help children and family get the services they need? Then the Head Start Advocate position is for you! Come to work for one of Oregon’s

100 Best Non-Profits where all your insurance premiums are 100% paid even during summertime furlough periods.

Location: Bend

Compensation: $23.85/hour (plus .50 for Bilingual Spanish) - Union represented

Hours: Regular full-time 40 hours/week, subject to normal school year furloughs
(furloughs are approximately a total of 6 weeks per year)

Benefits: 100% premium paid Medical, Dental, Vision and Life Insurance, Agency paid
Retirement plan (up to 6 %!), almost 16 weeks of paid vacation time total accrual during the first five years (increases after that), plus 14 paid Holidays annually and a separate sick leave accrual

NeighborImpact’s Head Start program Overview
NeighborImpact Head Start and Early Head Start provides free quality preschool and social services to 784 children and families from pregnant woman to children ages 0-5 throughout Crook and Deschutes County. The program provides quality classroom learning in addition to resources that enable access to health and dental care, family support, nutritional meals, family engagement, social/emotional and physical development, nutrition and more. Head Start is actively working toward expanding the implementation of full day preschool in Central Oregon communities to support school readiness. For those interested in working for
NeighborImpact’s Head Start program, job applications can be found at www.neighborimpact.org/work-for-us/

Overview of Key Duties and Responsibilities:
The Head Start Advocate works with identified high-need families at multiple sites to promote asset development, family wellness, family partnerships and parent involvement in the Head Start program. The position works closely with families and other team members to facilitate and nurture children’s physical, social-emotional, cognitive and language development. The advocate operates as a liaison between classroom and home settings and as a liaison between families and other NeighborImpact programs and community services. Consultation, support and mentoring are provided to program staff in the area of family services. The position also works as a member of the ERSEA team with responsibility for Head Start and Early Head Start recruitment, enrollment and attendance activities. This position is represented under a collective Bargaining Agreement.

POSITION QUALIFICATIONS:

• COVID-19 vaccine required prior to hire
• At a minimum, a credential or certification in social work, human services, family services, counseling, or a related field within eighteen months of hire (For example: SSCBT, CCR Family Services Certification, etc).
• AA or BA degree in social work, human services, family services, counseling, or a related field preferred
• Bilingual English/Spanish preferred
• One years’ experience in a social services setting, including knowledge and experience relating to community resources for referrals to families in need of services, or, at least one year experience working within a Head Start Classroom, or proof of enrollment in a HDFS Human Services Program required
• Two or more years of experience working in a Head Start program preferred
• Head Start parent or prior parent preferred
• Computer literacy and familiarity with various applications such as word processing, email and internet required
• Must be available for a flexible schedule to accommodate family needs; may include some evening or weekend hours
• Frequent kneeling, stooping, bending, and sitting on the floor to attend to children’s needs. This position is rated as active and regularly requires the individual to lift 50 pounds
• Must have an initial health examination, and a periodic re-examination (as recommended by health care provider)so as to assure that employees do not because of communicable diseases, pose a significant risk to the health or safety of others, that cannot be eliminated or reduced by reasonable accommodation.
• Prior to date of hire and throughout employment, certification of the following are required:

− Valid driver’s license

− Proof of current auto insurance

− Food Handler’s Card

− Current enrollment in the OR Child Care Division-Criminal Background Registry

• Within 60 days of hire, Pediatric CPR/First Aid certification is required
• Above certifications must be kept current to remain employed
• Access to reliable transportation required

Duties, Tasks, and Responsibilities:

Recruitment, Enrollment and Attendance

• Participate as a member of the ERSEA team; conduct enrollment home visits, take the lead on recruitment in assigned areas, and participate in planning and follow-up concerning targeted attendance issues
• Provide outreach and recruitment activities to reach eligible children and families in assigned areas and maintain written records of activities
• Develop and maintain good community relationships to support recruitment activities and maintain records of all contacts
• Distribute Head Start program applications in the community
• Assist families with the completion of Head Start and Early Head Start applications
• Complete enrollment home visits and required paperwork in a timely manner
• Provide in-home family orientation to agency and program policies and program design
• Participate in classroom orientation for families
• Provide family contacts and home visits to ensure consistent attendance
• Communicate with families about attendance concerns; assist with development of plans to remedy concerns and follow-up with families as needed to support plans
• Work with the record keeping and reporting staff to ensure that new children are enrolled within 30 days of a program opening

Home Visiting and Family Service

• Make home visits to complete Head Start enrollments and complete all required documentation
• Make home visits to complete comprehensive assessments according to agency policies, assess family strengths/needs and provide recommendations and referrals for relevant community resources
• Work with families to develop family partnership agreements and set family goals
• Monitor progress on family goals and partnership agreements and follow-up
• Follow-up on all referrals according to program policies and procedures
• Maintain frequent contact with assigned families via home visits, phone calls, group activities, or site visits to promote partnership and regular communication
• Participate in the implementation of program health services for assigned children and families as follows

- help families establish ongoing relationships with health and dental care providers

- help ensure that every child is up-to-date on well child and dental care

- work together with families to identify children’s health, dental and nutritional needs

- work with families to ensure that identified needs follow-ups/referrals are completed

- support families in completing required immunizations

- provide family education on how to appropriately access medical services and how to advocate for their family in the medical and dental community

- share health issues and other concerns at Center Team Meetings and assist with plan development and follow-up

- maintain records on health referrals and follow-up according to program policies and procedures

• Collaborate positively with other NeighborImpact program staff to share case management as needed
• Work with families and community service partners to coordinate family goals and plans
• Prepare and distribute follow-up information requested by the family in a timely manner
• Complete all home visits in the family home, unless there is a safety reason or parent request
• Promote family literacy and father/male involvement during home visits and other family contacts
• Work flexible hours to meet the needs of the families
• Ensure that family services are provided in the primary language of the family including requesting interpretation and translation services in a timely manner
• Support identified families through transitions
• Provide family crisis intervention as needed involving other program staff as appropriate

Parent Involvement

• Encourage and support parents to be involved in all components of the program
• Provide individualized information and education in conjunction with a family’s interests and needs and according to Head Start Performance Standards
• Recruit parents to participate as program/agency volunteers
• Provide assistance to Center Teams to involve parents in all components of the program
• Provide assistance to Center Teams to develop and implement strategies to involve fathers/males
• Provide parenting skills information to all families and teach parenting classes as assigned
• Provide information to families on the importance of their role in program governance and encourage families to participate in parent meetings

Center Team Communication

• Maintain daily contact with Center Teams at assigned sites
• Provide Teacher Advocates at assigned sites with support, mentoring and consultation in the area of family services
• Provide support and consultation to Center Teams regarding particular family concerns
• Attend Center Review Meetings at assigned sites
• Maintain regular contact and interactions with children in the classroom setting

Written Documentation

• Maintain written recordsaccurately, according to program policies and procedures, in a timely manner
• Document all family contacts within 48 hours
• Maintain up-to-date Outlook calendar of all activities related to work including in-office hours

Bus Monitoring

• Ride the Head Start bus with children as assigned
• Assist bus driver in maintaining safety on the bus
• Ensure that all child passengers are in appropriate safety restraint systems
• Ensure safety of children during boarding and exiting the bus
• Prepare for and assist with emergency evacuations
• Handle emergency situations calmly and quickly
• Create a positive educational environment for children on the bus
• Complete post trip bus check at the end of each route

Additional Responsibilities

• Attend and participate in trainings, staff meetings, program committees, community committees and professional development activities as assigned
• Work cooperatively with program staff to plan and deliver collaborative services across all program components
• Maintain client and family confidentiality according to agency policies and procedures including HIPPA and FERPA requirements
• Participate in developmental and health screenings of Head Start children as assigned
• Report suspected child abuse following agency reporting policies
• Work with staff to prepare written communications for families, i.e., memos, flyers, newsletters, and referral forms
• Serve as a liaison between Head Start and health, educational and social service agencies in the community
• Keep monthly record of work related travel mileage and plan trips to conserve mileage where possible

For further details and instructions on how to apply, please visit our Website at www.neighborimpact.org/work-for-us/

We celebrate inclusion and diversity of thought, culture and background, which helps to connect the entire NeighborImpact family. NeighborImpact is an Equal Opportunity Employer. We do not discriminate based on race, religion, color, national origin, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, age, veteran status, disability status, pregnancy or any other characteristics protected by applicable law. Employment at NeighborImpact is based solely upon qualifications, merit and business need. We are committed to building a staff that represents the individuals and families we serve and therefore encourage applicants from historically underrepresented groups to apply for employment at NeighborImpact. If you need an accommodation, please reach out to hrrecruiting@neighborimpact.org.

Job Type: Full-time

Pay: $23.85 per hour

Benefits:

• 401(k)
• 401(k) matching
• Dental insurance
• Employee assistance program
• Flexible spending account
• Health insurance
• Life insurance
• Paid time off
• Vision insurance

Schedule:

• 8 hour shift
• Day shift
• Monday to Friday

Work Location: In person

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