Parenting Educator

Webster Cantrell Youth Advocacy; Decatur (IL); On-site; USD 40,000 - 60,000; Full time

Job summary

Webster Cantrell Youth Advocacy in Decatur, Illinois, is looking for a Parenting Educator to assist parents in strengthening their skills and reuniting families. This role involves developing curricular content and managing program participants in a supportive environment.

The ideal candidate will hold a relevant Bachelor's degree, possess excellent interpersonal skills, and have a strong commitment to child welfare. This is an essential position that requires a team-oriented individual passionate about making a positive impact in families' lives.

Qualifications

• Hold a minimum of a Bachelor’s degree, preferably in education or social services.
• Knowledgeable about the child welfare field and issues related to parents.
• Excellent academic record, stable work history, and high ratings on the job interview.

Responsibilities

• Develop and implement curricular content for the Parenting Education Program.
• Coordinate, manage, and evaluate program participants.
• Facilitate healthy interpersonal relationships and independence for families.

Skills

Excellent interpersonal skills

Ability to organize and prioritize work

Knowledge about child welfare

Ability to teach groups

Discretion and professionalism

Education

Bachelor’s degree in education or social services

Job description

Looking for a career change? Former Educators and Counselors make excellent Parenting Educators. Work with parents to provide the skills and counseling they need to reunify their families.

Position

Parenting Educator

Reports To

Parenting Educator Supervisor

Status

Exempt

BASIC FUNCTION OF POSITION

As a member of the Agency multi-disciplinary team, is responsible for the development if needed and implementation of curricular content for the Agency's Parenting Education Program, and for the coordination, management, monitoring, and evaluation of program participants and teaching classroom environment within which the Parenting Education services are delivered.

The goal of the Parenting Education program is to assist the parents and/or grandparents who are referred for services to develop sufficient and adequate parenting and family strengthening skills to enable them to impact in a powerful and positive way with the children in their care.

INFORMATION PRIVACY AND SECURITY LEVEL

In accord with federal and state legislative mandates, individuals employed in this position are trained to, and function within a Level II-B security clearance for confidentiality of client protected health information, and other privileged information. Appropriate sanctions will be applied against employees who fail to comply with the privacy policies and procedures of the Agency.

QUALIFICATIONS

• Hold a minimum of a Bachelor’s degree. Degree in education or social services preferred and the ability to teach groups of parents and/or surrogate parents
• Have had professional experiences during which the applicant has become knowledgeable about the child welfare field and developed expertise in issues related to the special needs of the parents and surrogate parents referred to the Agency, preferred
• Have promising professional competency supported by an excellent academic record, a stable work history, professional references, and high ratings on the job interview
• Have a high level of knowledge about and commitment to the child welfare field, and the ability to present and discuss it skillfully
• Have excellent interpersonal skills
• Have the ability to organize and prioritize work and to meet deadlines
• Have the ability to respond with discretion and professionalism at all times when dealing with confidential or sensitive matters
• Have a current Illinois Driver's license and proof of state requirement for insurance
• Ability to pass a background check

PHYSICAL CHARACTERISTICS REQURIED

• Ability to engage in daily, full-time attendance, and occasionally, in duties requiring longer than eight (8) consecutive hours
• Possess the ability to perform sitting, standing, and stooping in daily full-time employment
• Ability to operate a motor vehicle during both day and night hours
• Reasonable proficiency in handwriting and computer use, and in the use of clear verbal and written communication skills
• Have natural or corrected reasonably good vision and hearing, and the ability to use the telephone
• The ability to move physically about the Agency's owned buildings and grounds, and to use stairways (especially in emergencies)
• Possess the ability to maintain calm efficiency and effectiveness in stressful and demanding situations

PRINCIPAL DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES

Function as a Member of the Multi-Disciplinary Treatment Team

• Within the context of providing a therapeutic environment for all clients, facilitate the development of healthy interpersonal relationships and independence toward the goal of teaching the family and improving the functional and educational level of the family by working with all other staff comprising the treatment team, as well as working directly with and on behalf of the family
• Set educational and behavioral goals in cooperation with other members of the treatment team and with the family itself, and periodically assess the effectiveness of a given educational program
• Coordinate educational activities and services, meeting as needed with the treatment team and others
• Ensure the maintenance of accurate, legible, and organized records on program activities, including intake dispositions, achievement of educational goals, service terminations, resource utilization, placement stability, and individual client records
• Respond to crises as they occur
• Participate in the mandated Utilization Review process of the Agency
• Treat all information concerning children, youth, and their families in any Agency program with absolute confidentiality

Educational Functions

• Record student attendance and achievement toward goals
• Prepare all assigned reports, including daily and collateral case notes in an accurate, legible, and organized fashion
• Instruct, explain, and assist students in completing assignments and in understanding subject matter from those assignments
• Report any important adjunct issues to direct other members of the treatment team
• Attend staffings and training seminars, conferences, etc. as assigned
• Perform other duties as assigned