Father Engagement Specialist – Maternal Child Health

Job Title

Fatherhood Engagement Specialist

This position is located in Gallatin City-County Health Department and performs duties that support the vision, mission and goals of the Department. This position is responsible for providing evidenced-based home visiting services within the City-County Health Department to promote and maintain individual, group, and community health. This position's duties will include a heavy emphasis on home visits for high-risk families to: assess health issues;

monitor growth and development of infants and children; monitor clients and develop plans of care; and complete required documentation. This position is responsible for implementing fatherhood programming, services and referrals for the Healthy Gallatin Home Visiting Program. With the overarching goal to improve child and family well-being, the Father Engagement Specialist will work actively to engage fathers in activities that will contribute to improved life changes for their children and their own self-sufficiency.

Works with community health care professionals, families, partner organizations, and others to ensure overall well-being of clients; develops treatment plans and provides referrals to community resources; and represents fathers as an advocate with other social service agencies. Prepares various reports and provides presentations. Reviews caseloads and statistics to assess program success and determine how to improve health care to high-risk families.

Work requires home visits to high-risk families that may involve contentious situations and exposure to the risk of contagious diseases. Other duties may include work in a variety of disease prevention and health promotion programs, as well as outreach to the public and contributing to departmental response to public health emergencies. This position reports to the Maternal Child Health Services Group Manager, and the Maternal Child Health Nurse Supervisor and does not supervise other County personnel.

Provides family support through intensive home visits for high-risk families to assess and monitor family/father needs based on historical and current information.

Establishes a plan with goals, objectives and activities that can be accomplished with support.

Provides professional consultation, educational information on appropriate topics, makes referrals to community resource agencies and specialists, and provides support services to fathers enrolled in the home visiting programs.

Implements fatherhood programming, services and referrals for the Healthy Gallatin Home Visitation Program with close collaboration with the Public Health Nurses and Social Workers and serves as a liaison between the home visiting program and the courts.

Works with the Maternal Child Health Services Group Manager and Maternal Child Health Nurse Supervisor to develop program evaluation methods for engaging fathers and providing ongoing services.

Reviews caseloads, files, statistics and summaries associated with the program to identify success, trends, issues of concern and opportunities to provide improved and/or more comprehensive services to high risk families.

Follows up with clients to ensure appropriate services have been obtained, to determine progress in following plans, and to determine if changes are appropriate and necessary. Implements changes as needed and provide additional education and support.

Responds to crises on an as-needed basis by assisting family members in resolving problems and de-escalating critical situations and events.

Completes required documentation in an accurate and timely manner for the purpose of keeping current and progressive data related to needs, efforts, progress, outcome, and communication with client. Maintains current records for multiple programs.

Represents the Health Department on community task forces, coalitions and collaborations.

Develops and conducts presentations on social service and health department programs and resources to a variety of audiences within the community.

Enhances community health through participation in a wide variety of local and countywide activities that promote partnerships, collaboration and education associated with effective public health resources and services.

Teaches classes and makes public presentations on topics such as fatherhood and parenting.

Collaborates with other organizations and agencies to provide comprehensive health services to individual clients, as well to develop…