Infant Development Worker

Job Summary:

This position provides a variety of direct supports to children and their families, including special needs children or infants/toddlers, to stimulate and develop their intellectual, physical and emotional growth. This position requires working in partnership with parents, and/or caregivers to develop useful strategies to promote healthy child development. The primary goal is to promote the healthy development of Indigenous/Metis children, facilitate community strengthening and promote the capacity building within the family unit to meet children's developmental needs. The Infant Development worker will be responsible for setting individualized activities for children and their families during home visits and/or group activities during early years programming in the agency. The Infant Development worker will establish vital working relationships with related agencies and professionals and be able to work independently and as part of a team maintaining a caseload and group/program facilitation as required. As part of the team, the Infant Development worker will provide developmental information, assessment, referrals and support for families.

Reports to: Family Development Team Leader & Director of Program and Practice

Key Duties and Responsibilities:

• Interviews parents and/or caregivers, assesses problems and outlines services provided by the organization. Assists families in determining goals for their infants and children and the means of attaining them. Plans, develops and implements support plans to meet these ends.
• Make home visits with infants to preschool aged children to assess their development and plan with parents on an ongoing program to stimulate or enhance optimum development and monitor progress.

• Completes relevant Infant/Child Development Assessments to assist in creating plans and activities to support children's development needs.
• Provide parenting skills supports. Guides parents in activities specific to the needs of the infant/child. Discuss with parents the normal range for their child's growth and development and assist them to take responsibility for enhancing the development of their children and to develop effective and caring parenting skills, which respect local traditional values and culture.
• Records home visits and meetings with parents and ensures that parents and professionals involved with the family are sent reports regarding the infant's progress.
• Ensures all required documentation is complete.

• Makes referrals for further assessment and/or support to other professionals such as behavioural therapists, occupational therapists and speech language pathologists, as necessary
• Refers clients to other community resources such as parent groups and encourage parent participation in community baby clinics, prenatal and postnatal classes, parenting groups.
• Provides liaison with other agency resources and community professionals about coordinating services to clients and in supporting transition to other services. Supports parents in attending meetings with other professionals to advocate for the children and the family's needs as required. Participates in case planning with therapists and social workers.
• Provides up-to-date resource materials and lists of generic services related to developmentally delayed children.

• In collaboration with team members, plans, develops and facilitates activities for children that attend the agency during in-house programming. Evaluates developmentally appropriate activities and experiences for children using modelling, observing, questioning, demonstrating and reinforcing techniques.
• In collaboration with Mtis Elders, facilitates activities and services that support children and families Indigenous/Mtis cultural practices and values, incorporated with the Seven Sacred Teachings and Medicine Wheel Teachings.
• Facilitates parent education sessions and groups to increase parents' knowledge of children's normal growth and developmental milestones.
• Facilitate parent education sessions and groups including but not limited to: Prenatal, Postnatal and Infant Massage to increase parents' understanding of post-partum depression, Sudden Infant Death Syndrome, Shaken Baby Syndrome, sibling relationships, partner relationships, stress management, bonding, attachment and self-care.
• In coordination with team members, provides parenting support or information in areas such as nutrition, education, safety, injury prevention, play, reading, music, bonding and attachment and ways of enhancing early brain development.
• Ensure that all services are delivered in accordance to agency polices and related Provincial Early Years and Infant Development policies and other government systems.
• Assists in housekeeping duties, including sanitizing toys and play area and preparing snacks as required for in-house programming.

• Administers first aid in accordance with established policy as required.

• Performs other duties as required and assigned by the Program Manager and Team Leader.

Qualifications, Education and Experience:

• Bachelor's degree in a field related to child development.
• Three to five years of recent experience in providing Early Years Education and/or Infant Development Support Services.
• Knowledge of related Provincial Early Years and Infant Development policies/legislations and other government systems.

Job Skills and Abilities:

• Excellent understanding and knowledge of Indigenous/Metis cultures, traditions and socio-economic issues affecting urban Indigenous families.
• Excellent oral, written, facilitation and interpersonal communication skills.
• Excellent organizational and time management skills.
• Ability to work effectively with program staff, volunteers, and non-profit or publicly funded groups, agencies and organizations.
• Knowledge of child development milestones.

Core Competencies:

Indigenous Relations Behavioural Competencies

• Cultural Agility is the ability to work respectfully, knowledgeably, and effectively with Indigenous people. It is noticing and readily adapting to cultural uniqueness in order to create a sense of safety for all. It is openness to unfamiliar experiences, transforming feelings of nervousness or anxiety into curiosity and appreciation. It is examining one's own culture and worldview, and the culture of Mtis Family Services, and to notice their commonalities, and distinctions with Indigenous cultures, and worldviews. It is recognition of the ways that personal and professional values may conflict or align with those of Indigenous people. It is the capacity to relate to or allow for differing cultural perspectives and being willing to experience a personal shift in perspective. Effectively to other people from diverse backgrounds with diverse views.

Behavioural Competencies

• Results Driven concern for surpassing a standard of excellence. The standard may be one's own past performance (striving for improvement); an objective measure (achievement orientation); challenging goals that one has set; or even improving or surpassing what has already been done (continuous improvement).
• Teamwork and Co-operation is the ability to work co-operatively with diverse teams, work groups, and across the organization to achieve group and organizational goals. It includes the desire and ability to understand and respond effectively to other people from diverse backgrounds with diverse views.
• Service Orientation implies a desire to identify and serve customers/clients, who may include the public, co-workers, other branches, other ministries/agencies, other government organizations, and non-government organizations. It means focusing one's efforts on discovering and meeting the needs of the customer/client.
• Seeking and Using Feedback involves recognizing that improving performance and authenticity can occur through a reciprocal relationship. This requires an acknowledgement that here is an opportunity for mutual learning and development and levels the field in what is brought to supervision. Reciprocal learning can require active listening and modeling personal change in order to foster trust.
• Decisive Insight combines the ability to draw on one's own experience, knowledge and training and effectively problem-solve increasingly difficult and complex situations. It involves breaking down problems, tracing implications and recognizing patterns and connections that are not obviously related.
• Reflective Practice is the ability to critically assess how one's values, beliefs, ethics and culture influence decisions and relationships. An ability to demonstrate exemplary behaviour and curiosity regarding the perspectives of others, results in appropriate boundaries and insightful practice.
• Responsive Learning is facilitated through multiple approaches to encourage a deepening and expanding of skill sets with a view to continuing to build expertise that result in improved individual and organization outcomes.

Other Requirements:

• Required to use own vehicle. Valid Class 5 Driver's License, Driver's Abstract and a reliable and safe vehicle.
• Subject to a positive reference check.
• Successful completion of security screening requirements of Mtis Family Services, which includes a criminal records check, and/or Criminal Records Review Act (CRRA) check, police record checks, enhanced security screening and degree verification.

• Satisfactory proof of legal authorization to work in Canada.

Wages: Paraprofessionals Wage Grid 14-P-IDC $38.68 to $47.20

Start date: As soon as possible.

Please apply for this position from our website at the following link https://www.Mtisfamilyservices.ca/opportunities

Mtis Family Services thanks all applicants for their interest in this career opportunity; however, only those considered for the position will be contacted. No telephone inquiries please.