Spec, Health Nutrition

Position Title: Specialist, Health & Nutrition

Employee Type: Full-time Regular

Supervisor Title: Program Director

Division: U.S. Programs & Advocacy

Staff whose work requires or potentially could require any in-person interaction with Save the Children colleagues, partners, or beneficiaries must be fully vaccinated against COVID-19 unless otherwise required by law. Save the Children complies with federal, state, and local laws with regard to accommodations related to this policy.

Summary

The primary responsibility of the Specialist, Health and Nutrition is to provide a comprehensive health and nutrition service program promoting prevention and early intervention. This includes ensuring that all children are growing and developing in a healthy manner, recognizing any concerns and addressing them. Communicating with parents about healthy practices and assisting them in selecting health providers. Developing and implementing community health programs together with the rest of Head Start team.

As a front line representative of Save the Children you are required to ensure the safety and security of children and families that he/she come in contact with and represent the agency values of Accountability, Ambition, Collaboration, Creativity and Integrity.

As a Save the Children employee who will come into contact with children on a routine basis, you are expected to prevent child abuse in every situation by striving, through mental awareness, good practice and training to minimize risk to children. You must take positive steps to protect children who may be a subject of concern and report, respond to any instance of child abuse, and promote training and awareness around all child-safeguarding obligations.

What You’ll Be Doing (Essential Duties)

Monitors health and nutrition services within assigned location(s). Provides guidance and technical assistance to Head Start/Early Head Start program staff.

Meets federal, state, and program documentation requirements by maintaining accurate, objective, complete, timely, and well-organized child and family records, both on paper and in designated on-line systems. Maintains confidentiality regarding students and families.

Administers medications in accordance with policy. Provides first aid when needed.

Coordinate the scheduling of health and dental examinations with contracted physicians and dentists. Provides or arranges for transportation for appointments or emergencies as needed.

Participates and/or conducts screenings on children, including children with disabilities, as well as in developing individual service and health plans. Monitors records to make sure children are up-to-date on preventive and primary health care.

Establish and maintain Health Services Advisory Committee and works collaboratively with a range of community specialists (e.g., medical, dental, speech, nutrition, and mental health) by identifying approaches to solving issues, and making recommendations on the development and/or revisions of policies and procedures.

Promotes a unified approach to sharing child information with families by engaging in joint planning with teachers and other specialists to prepare for home visits and other family contacts. Participates in case management and transition meetings.

Assists education staff in implementing health, dental, mental health safety, and nutrition activities within the classroom.

Provides information and education to parents and the community about available programs and other community resources. This can be done in-person, by telephone or a group presentation format.

Ensures the documentation and implementation of safety policy and procedures at center level in accordance with program and corporate policies/procedures.

Where applicable, responsible for the proper documentation and implementation of food services to meet USDA CACFP requirements.

Where applicable, responsible for overseeing food service operation at center, to include menu planning, monitoring food budgeting and purchasing, scheduling health and safety inspections and scheduling of food service staff.

Protects the safety of children by ensuring the implementation of active supervision techniques to ensure no child is left alone or unsupervised at any time.

Ensures the mobilization and documentation of matching/in-kind funds.

Provides health and nutrition training and technical assistance to staff and parents.

Inventories and orders health related supplies.

Assist with recruitment of children, including children with disabilities.

Participates in staff and parent meetings, committees and training sessions.

Visit each site and classrooms on a regular basis (4-6 hours per month per site) to conduct observations, provide training and technical assistance and build capacity by working directly with staff, parents and community partners to ensure high quality services.

Assists education staff in implementing health, dental, mental health safety, and nutrition activities within the classroom and where applicable, home-based program socializations.

Summarize concerns observed by teachers in classrooms and/or where applicable home based home visitors on home visits and provide concrete recommendations and assist with development of individualized services as needed.

Emphasize early identification of concerns by providing and reviewing health screenings.

Communicate regularly with parents about the importance of having medical and dental exams on recommended schedule.

Maintain up-to-date health records and record-keeping systems and complete all required health reports.

Monitors records to make sure children are up-to-date on preventive and primary health care.

In coordination with the Family Service Coordinators, Teachers and/or Teacher Assistants, assist parents in selecting community health providers that meet the family's needs and stress the importance of prevention. Assist families in arranging follow-up care for children with identified needs and provide info and referral sources for health, dental and nutrition.

Assist in conducting health supply inventory control and submit necessary purchasing requests to the appropriate personnel. Distribute supplies and monitor classrooms and socialization room, assure classrooms/socialization rooms are adequately stocked and the environment is sanitary and safe.

Ensure confidentiality of records; use discretion with sensitive information.

Assume responsibility for food services, including menu preparation, food ordering, special diets, and meal counts. Mentor staff in regards to their food services responsibilities. Conduct meal observations.

Promote parent and community involvement and positive public relations for programs and services and serve as a resource person to human service agencies, including health, social service and education.

Collaborate with education team in developing plans for activities and strategize on program development and implementation. Actively pursue strategies to better integrate all child development programs in order to provide the most appropriate and comprehensive services to the families being served and promote child wellness.

Together with the Nutrition Specialist or where applicable, Manager of Health & Nutrition, develop and implement a health education program for staff and parents.

Assist the Nutrition Specialists and/or Health and Nutrition Manager; Education/Mental Health Manager; Education/Disabilities Specialists; Community and Family Engagement Manager; Head Start and the Early Head Start Program in monitoring a health and safety system for all Head Start/Early Head Start sites to assure a safe environment for children, parents and staff. Provide follow up to address any areas of concern.

Build strong partnerships within the health community and remain knowledgeable about community health resources.

Required Qualifications

BA/BS in Public Health, Social Work or other health-related field. A combination of equivalent experience and training may be substituted for the education requirement with the recommendation of the interview committee and approval of the Child Development Director and Policy Council, plus at least two (2) years of relevant experience in a public health and/or education environment.

Demonstrated knowledge of practices and principles of health education

Proven ability to communicate and collaborate successfully with individuals and teams at all levels

Demonstrated commitment to fostering an environment of diversity, inclusion, and belonging

Demonstrated ability to relate to and work effectively with individuals from diverse cultural and economic backgrounds.

Proven ability and commitment to maintaining confidentiality around the unique identity of each child and family;

Current CPR/First Aid certificate within 30 days of employment (maintain current certificate during employment).

Current Food Handlers certificate within 30 days of employment (maintain current certificate during employment).

Current Blood Borne Pathogens training certificate within 30 days of employment (maintain current certificate during employment).

Preferred Qualifications

Experience working with groups and/or families from diverse cultural, economic and ethnic backgrounds.

Bilingual ability

Physical Requirements related to essential functions: Ability to perform medium to heavy physical work exerting up to 50 pounds of force occasionally, up to 20 pounds frequently and up to 5-10 pounds constantly, performing such activities as sitting, crawling, stooping, kneeling, crouching, reaching, standing, walking, pushing, pulling, lifting and grasping. This also includes some duties that require repetitive action and motion skills, keyboarding and computer use.

Clear pre-employment background check requirements, including local, state, and national criminal records check, sex offender registries, employment, and education verifications (including child abuse registry check if required by state regulations) and pass all state and local health requirements required post job offer and prior to employment.

This position may require the incumbent to operate a motor vehicle to fulfill certain essential functions of the job. The incumbent should maintain a valid driver’s license and remain in compliance with any Save the Children policies pertaining to the safe operation of motor vehicles.

Current and former Head Start/Early Head Start parents will receive preference for employment vacancies for which they are qualified.

Why you should join the Save the Children Team…

Save the Children US offers outstanding benefits that include health, dental, vision and life insurances, pet insurance, short-term and long-term disability coverage, an Employee Assistance Program, 403(b), generous vacation, personal sick leave, family leave, parental/adoption leave, commuter benefits, dress for your day, and much more.

About Save the Children

Save the Children believes every child deserves a future. In the United States and around the world, we give children a healthy start in life, the opportunity to learn and protection from harm. We do whatever it takes for children – every day and in times of crisis – transforming their lives and the future we share

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Our work for children and their families requires that we commit—at every opportunity—to work together to identify and dismantle persistent systemic and structural racism, inequality, and any other forms of discrimination in this country and beyond. As an anti-racist organization, Save the Children will not tolerate discrimination in any form—in our employment practices, amongst our staff, in our leadership or toward the people we serve. We stand in solidarity with all people to fight for equal rights, justice, inclusion, and belonging.

We provide equal employment opportunities (EEO) to all employees and qualified applicants for employment without regard to race, color, religion, gender, gender identity or expression, ancestry, sexual orientation, national origin, age, handicap, disability, marital status, or status as a veteran. Save the Children complies with all applicable laws.

Save the Children is committed to conducting its programs and operations in a manner that is safe for the children it serves and helping protect the children with whom we are in contact. All Save the Children representatives are explicitly prohibited from engaging in any activity that may result in any kind of child abuse. In addition, it is Save the Children’s policy to create and proactively maintain an environment that aims to prevent and deter any actions and omissions, whether deliberate or inadvertent, that place children at the risk of any kind of child abuse. All our representatives are expected to conduct themselves in a manner consistent with this commitment and obligation.

Save the Children is committed to minimizing safety and security risks for our valued employees, ensuring all are given training, support and information to reduce their risk exposure while maximizing the impact of our programs for children and families. Our shared duty, both agency and individual, is to seek and maintain safe working conditions for all.