Infant Development Specialist

**JOB TITLE**:Aboriginal Infant Development Guide

**JOB SUMMARY**:
The Aboriginal Infant Development Program is a holistic program and works in partnership with parents and/or caregivers to develop useful strategies to promote healthy child development. This position is primarily responsible for setting individualized goals and activities for children and their families during home visits, work with related agencies and professionals, and be able to work independently, maintaining a client caseload. Group/program facilitation is required. Through outreach visits, the AIDP Guide will provide developmental and resource information, assessment, referrals, and support for families of the program.

**REPORTS TO**: Early Years Program Manager

**KEY DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES**:

- Promote and support traditional cultural teachings and practice for our families, agency, and community.
- Build professional supportive relationships and rapport with the parents and extended family of the children referred to the AIDP program
- Practice holistic, strength based principles.
- Make home visits with infants to preschool aged children to assess their development and plan, with parents, an ongoing program to stimulate and/or enhance optimum development and monitor progress.
- Use cultural traditional practices that focus on the mind, emotion, body and spirit and recognize family strengths and assets.
- Administer developmental screening and assessments such as but limited to: Nippissing, Developmental Assessment of Young Children-2, Assessment Evaluation Programing System, Ages and Stages, Ages and Stages Social Emotional Questionnaire’s and write reports and recommendations as needed.
- Maintain liaison with other health and social service professionals and professionals who work with Aboriginal families, such as, but not limited to: Elders, Physical therapists, Public Health workers, Occupational Therapists, and Speech and Language Pathologists. Maintain good relations with referral services such Aboriginal Health and Hospital Liaison Worker and Hospital Social Workers.
- Make appropriate referrals for further assessment and or support or counseling to other agencies or professionals as necessary.
- Facilitate parent education sessions and groups to increase parents’ knowledge of children’s normal growth and developmental milestones. 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.
- 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 and attachment and self-care, incorporated with the Seven Sacred Teachings and Medicine Wheel Teachings.
- Be a resource person for community baby clinics, prenatal and postnatal classes, parenting groups to discuss child development and positive parenting practices. Encourage parent participation in these groups.
- Ensure that all services are delivered in accordance with the Provincial Aboriginal Development Program Policy and Procedures Manual with respect to their own caseload.
- Be a resource person to parents and blend culturally traditional and modern parenting practices.
- In coordination with the ECD Teachers, provide 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.
- Maintain cultural literacy kits, book and toy lending resource library
- Provide assistance when needed in agency programs such as, but not limited to; Building Healthy Relationships with Our Children, Hasé, ECD Drop-in programs, new parents groups, father involvement programs, Aboriginal Mother Goose programs and Elders’ teachings sessions.
- Participate in agency events and planning such as, but not limited to; Annual Mini-Teaching Pow-wow, Aboriginal Day Celebrations, Welcome Home Ceremony, Family Nights, and Family Christmas Gathering.
- Adheres to the policies and standards of _Spirit of the Children Society_, as established in policy and program manuals, Health & Safety Guidelines, job descriptions, written memos, and verbal agreements.
- Participate in team meetings, agency meetings, professional development and cultural trainings deemed necessary for this position.
- Responsible for individual client scheduling, program expenditures and maintain accurate petty cash.
- Maintain an appropriate record and information system. Prepare program annual reports and provide accurate data when needed to maintain the Service Indicator Reporting Framework (SIRF). Ensure that accurate program and client