MASSACHUSETTS GENERAL HOSPITAL



MASSACHUSETTS GENERAL HOSPITAL

Job Title: Early Childhood Program Specialist Job Family:      

Job Code:       Grade:       FLSA Status:      

Department: Community Health Improvement and Pediatrics, MGH Chelsea Reviewed By:      

Position Reports To: Manager of Community Health Workers and Healthy Families America, MGH Chelsea

Date Description last revised: 01/28/20

GENERAL SUMMARY/ OVERVIEW STATEMENT: Summarize the nature and level of work performed.

Working along with an in support of MGH Chelsea pediatricians, the Early Childhood Program Specialist uses the Healthy Steps model to addresses non-urgent, non-medical questions on a variety of topics such as child development, parenting, and behavior to parents and other primary care givers at well-child visits with the goal of facilitating children’s healthy growth and development.

The Early Childhood Program Specialist resides primarily in Pediatrics under the supervision of Community Health Improvement Unit to deliver evidence-based strategies for families with children ages 0 -3. The Early Childhood Program Specialist help parents build healthy attachments with their children by growing skills to deal with common parenting challenges and provide positive and responsive caregiving. The Early Childhood Program Specialist explore family risk factors like maternal depression, food insecurity, housing instability or homelessness, utility needs, transportation needs, interpersonal safety, substance misuse (alcohol and other drugs), and tobacco and if necessary, makes referrals to both in-house and community resources. A background in child development, social work, early childhood education or early intervention is an important requirement for this position.

PRINCIPAL DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES: Indicate key areas of responsibility, major job duties, special projects and key objectives for this position. These items should be evaluated throughout the year and included in the written annual evaluation.

• Early Childhood Program Specialist provides consultations to families to address specific concerns about a child’s development and/or behavior or a parental concern

• Conducts office visits, either jointly with the physician/pediatric nurse practitioner or alone.

• Works closely with the pediatric providers around care coordination, goal setting, counseling, coaching and education about key aspect of a child’s behaviors, development and parenting practices.

• Closely tracks progress made in ongoing checkups.

• Early Childhood Program Specialist refers patients, parents, and families to both in-house and community resources based on identified needs.

• Early Childhood Program Specialist partners with community resource providers and families to help parents coordinate and navigate complex systems, offering close follow-up and support when barriers occur.

• Early Childhood Program Specialist uses care coordination to empower families by enhancing their health literacy and systems navigation capabilities, so they become their child and family’s own best advocates.

• Early Childhood Program Specialist provides parents with guidance, education, information, and resources that help them support their children through the different stages of development. 

• Early Childhood Program Specialist offers parents and families concrete strategies, activities, and tools designed to support their child’s early learning

• Provide anticipatory guidance to parents and other primary care givers around common concerns such as early learning, fussiness, sleep, feeding, discipline, toilet training, etc.

• Works closely with the Healthy Families Home Visitors and the MGH Chelsea Pediatric staff as a resource for developmental and parenting concerns.

SKILLS/ABILITIES/COMPETENCIES REQUIRED: Must be realistic, objective, measurable and related to essential functions of this job.

• Fluency in Spanish preferred.

• Excellent oral and written communication skills.

• Demonstrated expertise in child development issues.

• Demonstrated commitment to working with underserved populations in a community setting.

• Must be empathic, supportive and patient

• Strong motivational interviewing skills

• Ability to work with people of many cultures

• Ability to take initiative and willingness to learn

• Ability to work well both in teams and independently

• Minimum 3 years of experience with parenting, child development or with human service work

• Ability to collect and enter data for program management, evaluation and reporting purposes

 

LICENSES, CERTIFICATIONS, and/or REGISTRATIONS (if applicable): Specify minimum credentials and clearly indicate if preferred or required

N/A

EDUCATION: Specify minimum education and clearly indicate if preferred or required

Master’s degree is preferred.

EXPERIENCE: Specify minimum creditable years of experience and clearly indicate if preferred or required

At least 3 years of experience in positions requiring addressing parenting, child development, of human service issues.

SUPERVISORY RESPONSIBILITY (if applicable): List the number of FTEs supervised.

None

APPROVAL:

(NAME)

Department Mgr. ____________________ Title: _____________ Date: ________

(NAME)

Other, As Appropriate ___________________ Title: _____________ Date: ________

The above is intended to describe the general contents and requirements of work being performed by people assigned to this classification. It is not intended to be construed as an exhaustive statement of all duties, responsibilities or skills of personnel so classified.

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