Child Development Specialist - School (Monday- Friday 7-3pm) - The Village For Families & Children

The Village was one of the first agencies in the country to provide homes for neglected children. Today, we continue to achieve our mission “to build a community of strong, healthy families who protect and nurture children” by providing a full range of behavioral health, early childhood and youth development, substance use treatment and support services for children, adults and families in the Greater Hartford, Connecticut region.

Named a Connecticut Top Workplace for five consecutive years with national distinction for workplace culture and diversity, equity and inclusion practices, you can be sure you’re joining an organization that’s just as committed to your success as we are to those we serve.

Hourly rate: $20.50

Some of the ways The Village shows our appreciation of you! 

-Staff of the Month – gift card, Perfect attendance awards, staff appreciation events (agency-wide and program specific) throughout the year, shout-outs in emails and weekly newsletter

-Training:  continuous TCI and CPR refreshers, Risking Connections Training, ongoingcoaching/support on the floor by our Training and Support specialist. Open Access to Healthstream which includes many on-line training opportunities related to work at The Village.

-Tuition Assistance and Reimbursement 

-Perks at Work: discounts on everyday services and goods

JOB SUMMARY

The School Child Development Specialist I participate as a key member of a multi-disciplinary treatment team in the treatment and/or education of children with significant emotional, behavioral, and learning disabilities. They ensure that the children’s physical and emotional needs are met daily and supports the children’s academic learning by focusing on the enhancement of their social, recreational, and behavioral functioning in the school and the milieu.

 

KEY RESPONSIBILITIES

• Implement appropriate behavior management systems within the classroom setting.
• Create and maintain a positive, nurturing, and therapeutic environment in the classroom.
• Provide culturally competent educational services to all students.
• Assist teachers in the implementation of children’s individualized education programs (IEPs).
• Participate as part of the classroom team in appropriate activities, e.g., assist students with academic work, etc.
• Supervise students during morning wakeups, lunch time supervision, and after school transition to assist them in getting to school and from school prepared and on time.
• Attend all relevant trainings and planning meetings for students.
• Serve as a substitute teacher, when necessary
• Maintain the safety of children in all situations using supervision and the implementation of various therapeutic techniques, including Therapeutic Crisis Intervention.
• Maintain a safe, clean, and dignified milieu environment.
• Manage and assist in the modification of child behavior in school and the milieu.
• Provide trauma informed care, skills instruction, and interventions.
• Provide safe transportation to and from program activities.
• Interact with children in a positive, nurturing, therapeutic manner.
• Facilitate or co-facilitate therapeutic groups.
• Demonstrate techniques that enhance problem solving abilities and enable growth and maturity.
• Record and document interventions and critical incidents in a in a timely matter.
• Understand and relay relevant information to the appropriate parties in a timely manner.
• Serves as a contributing member of the multidisciplinary team for each child.
• Conduct any other related work to ensure that the physical and emotional needs of the children are met and that the program continues to operate effectively.
• Assists in planning, supervising and facilitation of the daily activities of clients, including bedtime and morning activities, etc.
• Maintains safety aspects of milieu/van by recognizing and correcting conditions, which are or could be safety hazards.

 

 

Keyword: Child Development Specialist, Direct Care; Youth, Children, Human Services, Non-Profit, School
Required Experience:

EDUCATION

• Bachelor’s Degree required.

EXPERIENCE

• Two years in human service field or experience working with special needs children.
• Knowledge of basic child development, issues related to the effects of abuse and neglect, and motivating children.
• Must be able to work as a member of a multi-disciplinary team.
• Must be culturally competent to serve a diverse population.
• Must have the ability to manage stress and to respond to emergency situations safely and calmly.
• Basic computer literacy skills including email. Familiarity with specific applications used by the Village a plus.
• Physically able to perform the essential functions of the position, with or without reasonable accommodations, i.e. must be able to supervise groups of children and perform physical intervention if required; must be able to move freely from place to place without restriction.

From: The Village For Families & Children