Sprout Family Services is a private non-profit corporation with a core purpose of promoting the healthy development of children.

Job Title: Developmental Specialist                                       FLSA Status: hourly; exempt

Reports to: Early Learning Manager                                      Full-time/Part-time/Flexible

Location: Homer, Alaska

Summary of Position: As a member of a multidisciplinary team, provide early intervention services to infants, toddlers, and young children (0-5) living with a delay in development or who are at risk for delay(s).  Plan and implement services to promote the family’s capacity to care for their child and promote growth and development in natural environments where families live, work, and play as well as within our clinic setting. Successfully complete other duties as assigned. 

Responsibilities & Duties include, but are not limited to: 

• Adhere to the mission and values of Sprout.
• Follow through on assigned referrals by providing intake, assessment/evaluation, and recommendations to families on developmental skills in the areas of gross motor, fine motor, social/emotional, cognition, speech/language, self-help and adaptive. 
• Maintain assigned caseload incorporating researched based intervention activities into daily routines that best facilitate child/family driven goals. 
• Coach parents to learn and follow through with interventions. Ensure all required documentation is complete, accurate and timely. 
• Prepare assessment reports and maintain regular plans of care. 
• Provide coaching, consultation, training and outreach to community members, childcare settings and other service agency personnel in child development, child-parent interactions, and family well-being. 
• Support families through the transition process before their child ages out of the Sprout services.  
• Participate as an advocate for families and as a representative of Sprout at meetings and events throughout the community, state and beyond as requested.
• Planning, facilitating, and supporting community and center-based groups, parenting classes, and special events for families with children 0 – 5.
• Tracking group attendance, payment, and appropriate documentation as required by the agency.  
• Organizing, updating, and maintaining client lending library system & center-based toys & equipment.
• Transport clients in personal vehicle or agency vehicle as needed.
• Other duties as assigned.

Knowledge, Skills & Abilities:

• Minimum educational requirement: Bachelor’s or Master’s Degree in Child Development, Special Education, Social Work, Nursing, or related field, with current AK state license in good standing.  Specialty area experience in the Birthing Unit, NICU, Mother/Baby Unit or Pediatrics.  Lactation or feeding support experience, or Early Relational Health, Infant and Early Childhood Mental Health knowledge a plus.
• Must be able to apply for and receive a level 10 on the Alaska SEED (System for Early Education Development) Registry.
• Minimum experience of one year working with children ages 0 – 5.
• Demonstrated competency working with family systems and knowledge of child development.  
• Demonstrated track record of high level of skill with interpersonal relationships, communication, children’s play, and parent-child interactions.
• Ability to work with a consultative model/trans disciplinary model of intervention and a family centered service delivery model.   
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills.
• Demonstrated competency with laptop computers, electronic recordkeeping, and Microsoft Office Suite.
• Must have valid drivers license and private, fully insured vehicle and good driving record.  Must be able to pass criminal background check.
• Must have or obtain CPR certification within first month of employment.

Core Competencies:

• Ability to promote and adhere to Sprout’s mission, vision, and values. 
• Ability to be creative and flexible to respond quickly and positively to shifting demands and opportunities, including working in a grant funded program.
• Ability to empathetically communicate understanding of the emotional factors that influence parents including those who have been involved with the OCS system.
• Consistently approach work in a positive, team-oriented, and cooperative manner with colleagues. Self-starter who understands the need for detail amid working within a much larger picture.
• Ability to address difficult and sensitive issues in a respectful, courteous, and direct manner with clients, co-workers and community members.  

• Ability to independently control own workflow and actively contribute support to team members.
• Ability and willingness to wear many hats in a small organization with limited staff.

Work environment: The physical demands and work environment described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions. While performing the duties of this job, the employee is often required to sit and talk or hear, speak, and write clearly, and type. The employee is frequently required to stand; walk; and reach with hands and arms. The employee must often lift and/or move up to 10 pounds and occasionally lift and/or move up to up to 50 pounds of testing equipment, toys, or supplies. Must be able to sit on the floor and move quickly after infants and toddlers. Specific vision abilities required by this job include close vision and ability to adjust focus. The noise during group sessions and special events is often loud. The usual noise and vibration level in the work environment is moderate, as would be expected in an office setting. However, in the process of conducting home visits, the employee may be exposed to many different home environments and rapidly changing traveling conditions.

Schedule: Sprout’s hours of operation are Monday through Friday, 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. However, this position may require a flexible schedule and work different than the hours of operation to meet the needs of enrolled families.  Work on some nights and weekends may be required.   This position may require day and overnight travel to rural Alaska communities by small plane, boat, or other types of vehicles. 

NOTES:   Sprout believes that each employee makes a significant contribution to our success. That contribution should not be limited by the assigned job responsibilities. Therefore, this position description is designed to outline the primary duties, qualifications, and job scope, but not limit the incumbent nor the organization to adjust the work identified. It is Sprout’s expectation that each employee will offer his/her services wherever and whenever necessary to ensure Sprout’s success. 

HOW TO APPLY:   Qualified applicants should submit their cover letter and resume to: judy@sproutalaska.org.  Applicants will be considered as soon as their resumes are received; however, the position will remain open until the position is filled.  Please email judy@sproutalaska.org with questions pertaining to this opportunity.