The AmeriCorps Member Home Visitor shall serve as the family’s primary contact with the PATH Program. The Home Visitor is responsible for developing a relationship with the family and working in their home and community to build upon strengths and to enhance self-sufficiency. The Home Visitor will use an evidence based curriculum to aid the families in strengthening their parenting skills through weekly home visits.
Service Activities
Essential Functions:
1. Home Visitation & Documentation (70%)
• Conduct regularly scheduled home visits to assigned families, to provide the Nurturing Parenting Program or Parents as Teachers Program to parents and children in their homes.
• Conduct screens and assessments on all assigned families.
• Work with families to empower them to engage in problem solving.
• Model effective parenting behavior, provides support, education/ information, and provides parents with age appropriate parenting and positive discipline techniques.
• Promote parent participation in home activities (lesson) designed to promote the physical, emotional, social, and intellectual development of their children.
• Model nurturing attitudes and behaviors in all contacts with program participants and program staff.
• Utilize community resources, in-home teaching, and supportive problem solving to help families meet the goals of their nurturing plans.
• Advocate for and act as a liaison for families with existing community services and agencies, which may include routine translation and interpretation.
• Complete documentation as required by PATH program
2. Supervision and Training (20%)
• Attend a minimum of 1 hour a week supervision.
• Attend required trainings provided by The Child Abuse Prevention Center.
• Members will be trained and expected to adhere to CNCS prohibited activities.
Marginal Functions:
1. Other Duties Related to Service Activity (10%), including but not limited to:
• Maintain a safe, clean, resourceful, and enriching environment for families and staff.
• Participate in AmeriCorps National Service Days.
• Assist with and participate in outreach, community engagements, referrals, and volunteer generation.
• Perform other duties as assigned that are associated with the PATH AmeriCorps Performance Measures.
Community Need Addressed
Prevent Abuse Through Home Visitation (PATH) is a Home Visitation (HV) program model that provides critical supportive services to vulnerable families with children ages 0-5. PATH utilizes AmeriCorps members to deliver HV services to prevent abuse and neglect using an evidence based curriculum. PATH ensures high need parents are provided education and support so that they can improve the quality of life for their family.
Position Outcomes
Parents who receive at least 12 hours of parenting education will decrease their risk for child abuse and neglect.
Parents who receive at least 12 hours of parenting education will have no referrals to Child Protective Services.
Children whose parents receive at least 12 hours of parenting education will demonstrate gains in terms of social and emotional development
Benefits
Childcare assistance if eligible, Education award upon successful completion of service, Health coverage, Living allowance, Stipend, Student loan forbearance, Training
Education Benefits
College Degree
Skills you will gain
AmeriCorps members will:
• Administer assessments to parents to identify areas needing support.
• Provide development centered parenting education to high need parents at risk for child abuse & neglect through evidence based home visitation
• Facilitate activities/workshops where parent/child interact and model appropriate/positive parent-child interactions.
• Administer assessments to assess social emotional development of child and reduction in child abuse and neglect risk for parents.
Competencies You Will Develop
Communication
Demonstrate sensitivity and empathy, Listen to and consider others' viewpoints, Maintain open lines of communication with others, Speak clearly, in precise language and in a logical, organized and coherent manner, Turn taking, Write cleary and effectively
Creativity & Problem Solving
Able to identify and define the problem, Capable of generating possible solutions, Communicate the problem to appropriate personnel, Improvise, Provide relevant expertise, Select and implement well-considered solution
Teamwork
Develop constructive working relationships and maintain them over time, Establish a high degree of trust and credibility with others, Interact professionally and respectfully with supervisors and co-workers, Stay positive and outcome oriented, Use appropriate strategies and solutions for dealing with conflicts and differences to maintain a smooth workflow
Decisions
Accepts responsibility, Anticipate the consequences of decisions, Identify and prioritize the key issues involved to facilitate the decision making process, Involve people appropriately in decisions that may impact them, Quickly respond with a back-up plan if a decision goes amiss
Tools
Operate tools and equipment in accordance with established operating procedures, safety standards, and ethical guidelines, Seek opportunities to improve knowledge of tools and technologies that may assist in streamlining work and improving productivity
Planning
Able to prioritize various competing tasks, Create environment of contribution, Create plan of action, schedule tasks so that work is completed on time, Demonstrate the effective allocation of time and resources efficiently, Set goals
Service
Be pleasant, courteous, professional and respectful when dealing with internal and external customers or clients, Evaluate customer or client satisfaction, Honor the privilege of being able to work with and for those being served, Provide personalized, prompt, and efficient service to meet the requirements, requests and needs of customers, Recognize the importance of maintaining privacy and confidentiality of those being served, Understand and anticipate the needs of others, Understand the importance of one's role in the functioning of the organization, Understand the significance of maintaining a healthful and safe environment