Early Childhood Development Specialist: Healthy Steps Specialist

Essen Health Care is the largest privately held, multispecialty medical group in New York, providing high-quality, compassionate care to some of the state’s most vulnerable and underserved residents.

Founded in 1999, we’ve grown from a single primary care office into a network of 50+ locations offering urgent care, primary care and specialty services, from women’s health to endocrinology and psychiatry. We also provide nursing home support, care management, and in-home care through our Essen House Calls program. Guided by a Population Health model, our team of 500+ providers deliver care in-person, at home, or via telehealth, ensuring patients get the support they need when and where they need it.

We’re looking for talented, motivated individuals to join our growing team. Whether you’re a medical provider, administrator, or operations professional, there’s a career here for you. Join us in making a real difference in the health of our community.

The HealthySteps Specialist is an early child development expert who will join the pediatric primary care team to provide

interventions, referrals, and follow-up for families with patients ages 0-3.

The HealthySteps Specialist builds strong relationships

with families and providers to increase the efficiency of the medical system and support team-based comprehensive care.

Preventive and Responsive Care

Promotes HealthySteps within the practice to families and providers

Conducts team-based well-child visits before, during, or following the primary care provider; visits focus on monitoring

development, social-emotional functioning, and relational health, and providing anticipatory guidance

Conducts consultations on a short-term basis for needs regarding development and/or behavioral concerns such as sleep, positive

parenting, picky eating, etc.

Maintains a family support line and responds to and tracks call requests within the designated response time

Participates in reflective supervision meetings

May conduct home visits and may accompany families to key medical, specialty, and community agency appointments as needed

May facilitate parent/caregiver groups

Referrals and Community Collaborations

Creates and maintains community resource directory/database. Provides referrals and tracks follow-up, as appropriate, to help

families make successful connections to key resources within the community.

Reaches out to community providers within first 6 months in position to share about HealthySteps, their role, and receive

information to support referrals, warm handoffs, and ensure appropriate referral criteria is met.

Participates (when appropriate) in community-wide early childhood and/or mental health meetings.

Team-Based Care

Is an active member of the HS Implementation Team and attends regular team meetings

Works with the front office administrative staff to ensure scheduling of the HS Specialist’s time in coordination with provider visits (i.e., well-child visits)

Engages in Continuous Quality Improvement (CQI) initiatives to ensure the HealthySteps model is delivered with fidelity

Collaborates with HealthySteps implementation team to implement all eight Core Components including universal screenings, making positive parenting and early learning guidance information available, and adjusting workflows for optimal efficiency

Maintains open communication with all members of the primary care team

Works closely with pediatric primary providers around care coordination, goal setting, coaching, and education about key aspects of a child’s development

Provides consultation and/or facilitates training to medical professionals and all practice staff re: early childhood development, early relational health/infant early childhood mental health, and trauma-informed practice Caseload Tracking, Record Keeping, and Reporting Maintains extensive databases required to meet HealthySteps fidelity metrics including both internal and external referrals. Collaborates with HealthySteps Implementation Team to complete required annual site reporting to the HealthySteps National Office at ZERO TO THREE, which may include analysis of both external database files and EHR data reports. Documents all patient clinical activity and care coordination in EHR. Tracks caseload to ensure capacity to deliver the HS services within the risk stratified service delivery model. This includes ensuring exit criteria is met and that families and children are elevated to higher levels of care or referred to community providers if needed.

Education:

Master’s degree in psychology, social work, counseling, early childhood education, or related field REQUIRED

SKILLS:

Excellent oral and written communication skills

Commitment to working with underserved populations in a community setting

Empathic, supportive, and patient

Strong motivational interviewing skills

Ability to take initiative and a willingness to learn

Ability to collect and enter data for program management, evaluation, and reporting purposes

Salary: $75,000-$80,000

Essen Health care is proud to be an equal opportunity employer, and we seek candidates who desire to work in and serve an ethnically diverse population.