Health & Nutrition Specialist - Head Start Program

Posted: May 26, 2023

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Position Type

Full-Time Employee

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Salary Range

$30.00 - $35.00 per hour

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Job Description

PROGRAM: Head Start Program

STATUS: Full Time - Non-Exempt

REPORTS TO: Early Childhood Education Department Director

HOURS PER WEEK: 40

The Organization:

Human Services Association (HSA) is a private nonprofit agency whose principal mission is to provide families with compassionate and comprehensive care to promote wellness and build strong communities. HSA was founded in Bell Gardens in 1940 and today, HSA serves over 20,000 clients annually on a non-sectarian basis with a range of services that addresses the unique and shared needs of clients of all ages.

Program Overview:

Our Early Childhood Education Department provides services to 800 children over three distinct programs (Early Head Start, Head Start and State Preschool) at ten school sites. The California State Preschool Program provides a pre-school experience for children ages 3 to 5 in the cities of South Gate and Huntington Park. The Early Head Start Program is a federally funded program that provides a home based and center based program for pregnant women and children ages 0-3 that reside in zip codes of 90201 and 90280. The Head Start Program offers a comprehensive child development program for low-income preschoolers ages three to five years old that reside in zip code 90280.

Position Summary:

Under the supervision of the Director of Early Childhood Education, the Health & Nutrition Specialist is responsible for directing, managing, supervising, planning, and coordinating the health and nutrition support services program and activities of the programs as well as providing technical assistance relating to Nutrition and Health. The Health & Nutrition Specialist is responsible for the development and implementation of a high quality EHS/HS/CSPP Health and Nutrition program that adheres to the Head Start Performance Standards, Title V, and Title 22. Coordinates all services for the USDA Child and Adult Care Food Program (CACFP). Responsible for on-going monitoring, including regular site visits, to ensure CACFP & Head Start performance standards compliance. Provides support services to families enrolled as well as working closely with the Registered Dietitian and Registered Nurse to identify and support high-risk children and families, including pregnant women.

Duties And Responsibilities:

• Develop, implement, and monitor a plan that adheres to Head Start Performance Standards for the delivery of health and nutritional services to children in EHS/HS.

• Facilitate completion of health and nutrition screenings within required timelines; work with staff to ensure appropriate follow-up as pertains to health and nutrition related issues.

• Provide training and support for pregnant women, including referrals to prenatal care, when needed related health and nutrition.

• Assist in the development and implementation of the Health and Nutrition Services Area Plan, Policies, and Procedures by participating on an interdisciplinary planning team; review and evaluate program services and make recommendations for corrective action, as needed.

• Plan, conduct, and arrange for staff and parent training concerning health and nutrition.

• Act as a resource and provide orientation and training to staff responsible for implementing health and nutrition service plans and requirements.

• Assist teachers in the implementation of a health and nutrition education curriculum.

• Make home-visits as needed to support EHS/HS families in the area of health and nutrition.

• Provide height/weight and other measurements and dietary screenings for children; train staff as needed on appropriate nutrition practices, safety food handling, and other nutrition related topics.

• Conduct health and nutrition related inspections of all facilities on a regular basis and take corrective action.

• Inventory of supplies, food for centers, material needed in the kitchens etc. (related to nutrition).

• Review, evaluate, interpret, update and prepare reports for health and nutrition services. Monitor health and nutrition records for completeness, accuracy, and follow-up and report findings to appropriate staff, manager, or supervisor, as necessary.

• Develop and update a list of local health and nutrition resources, and make referrals and assist other staff to make referrals to appropriate agencies.

• Establish a positive working relationship with local providers such as WIC. Serve as an advocate for children’s nutrition.

• Complete and submit required reports to Department Director.

• Comply with policies and procedures, administrative regulations, State of California Health and Welfare Codes including Title 22, CACFP, Head Start Performance Standards, and other applicable state and federal regulations.

• Ensure children with special health and/or nutritional needs are accommodated and dietary needs are supported and followed up in a timely manner.

• Plan, conduct, and coordinate health and nutrition staff development related activities for parents and staff.

• Assist in the general administration of the EHS/HS programs by participating in the ongoing program evaluation and planning process and assisting in the annual self-assessment process.

• Assist the Family Advocates and Home-based Educators in coordinating and utilizing the services of Health and Nutrition agencies.

• Provide guidance to staff and be active in the safety committee regarding the assessment and follow-up of safety concerns and hazards.

• Provide clarification and technical support to all staff in implementing all Health and Safety policies and procedures.

• First level of response to all staff for inquiries about the Health and Safety.

• Maintain relationships and collaboration with the medical and dental communities and other community health agencies and partners.

• Participate on community health related projects, work groups, and initiatives.

• Study trends in illnesses and injuries among the children, proposes, and implement strategies and regulations to prevent them.

• Keep track of sick leave and/or PTO and compensatory time for all staff supervised

• Report to work at scheduled times and maintain good attendance.

• Participate with a positive attitude and behavior in all program activities.

• Model the Standard of Conduct Policy when interacting with parents, community members and Colleagues

• In accordance with our “team” philosophy, the person filling this position may occasionally be required to carry out or assist with other tasks in addition to the duties listed on this job description

• Staff must believe in and act in accordance with both the Agency’s and the program’s mission/vision statements, adopted theoretical frameworks, and philosophy.

• Identify and report any suspected incidents of child abuse (following the Mandated Reporter Guidelines)

• Communicates with children, families and other staff in respectful and culturally sensitive manner

• Maintains confidentiality of children, families and employees of HSA

• Works as member of agency team by promoting the mission and philosophy of HSA

• Represents HSA at community and professional functions, as needed.

• Attend department, agency, and community meetings and trainings, as assigned. Continue professional growth by participating in classes, training programs, workshops and/or conferences, as the budget allows.

• Willing to work evenings, weekends and to travel locally and out of the service area for trainings.

• Performs other duties as assigned by supervisor and/or Department Director

Knowledge, Skills And Abilities:

• The diverse population served by EHS/HS.

• Head Start Performance Standards, Title V, Title 22

• Safety and nutrition, as related to infants, toddlers, young children and pregnant women.

• Use a computer to collect, record, retrieve data and prepare reports.

• Plan, organize, coordinate, and administer activities.

• Read, understand and interpret nutrition records and plan appropriate course of action.

• Ability to plan, formulate and execute record keeping procedures in accordance with assigned duties.

• Maintain cooperative relationships with those contacted in the course of employment.

• Communicate in Spanish (read, write, and understand).

Education And Experience:

• Bachelor’s or Master’s Degree in relevant discipline, combined with at least two years of professional level experience in Health Services, preferably in a social service environment.

• Experience in design and delivery of training regarding Health and Nutrition.

• Medical background and knowledge of Health and Nutrition

• Excellent written and verbal communication skills. Bilingual English/Spanish skills highly desirable.

• Working knowledge of local community resources in specialty area.

• Knowledge and experience working with Head Start Performance Standards, Title V, Title 22, CACFP Regulations and other State and Federal Regulations

Licensing/Certification Requirements:

• Daily driving is required. Must provide own vehicle, valid California driver license and proof of full insurance coverage.
• First Aid certification, Child CPR certification.
• Health screening.
• Negative tuberculosis screen (required).
• TDAP or DTAP clearance (required)
• MMR Clearance (required)
• Must pass criminal background check.

Work Environment/Physical Demands:

The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job or that an employee encounters while performing the essential function of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

The Health and Nutrition Specialist work location can be in any one of the following cities: Bell Gardens, Huntington Park or South Gate, CA. As needed, the Health and Nutrition Specialist will drive to different site locations and training sites (this includes HSA’s main office, Clarendon office, or location to be announced). The majority of the job duties are performed within the office (Clarendon office). These tasks require the following physical demands which include but are not limited to: constant walking, bending; occasional lifting (25 pounds), pushing, squatting and climbing stairs (as needed) in the office or at one of the preschool sites. The employee will complete required documentation (as indicated in the job description) in the office, a location with moderate noise levels, peanut free, and that is a non-smoking facility.

COMPENSATION:

In accordance with CA law, the expected pay range for this CA position is posted with this position. The actual compensation will be determined based on experience and other factors permitted by law.

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Application Process

Thank you for your interest in Human Services Association.

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If you experience difficulties sending your email via the button below, please send your resume to jobs@hsala.org and include 23EC19 Health & Nutrition Specialist - Head Start Program in the subject line.

We will review your background, and if the role is a match to your skills and experience, we will reach out to you to discuss next steps.

Any questions regarding this position or the application process should be directed to Human Resources at jobs@hsala.org.

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