VACANCY ANN #: STOI-24-098
TITLE: FAMILY SERVICES ADVOCATE / EDUCATION MANAGER
DEPARTMENT: PSELC 477
LOCATION: WELLPINIT, WA
STATUS: REGULAR, FULL-TIME
SALARY LEVEL: $18.35 – $30.71 / PER HOUR
OPENING DATE: JANUARY 14, 2025
CLOSING DATE: OPEN UNTIL FILLED
SUMMARY:
The Spokane Tribe of Indians Tribal 477/TANF Program promotes and supports Tribal children and their families reaching their full potential of becoming healthy, productive, and self-sufficient. This is done in a way that protects and benefits the Tribal children, respects, and preserves their culture, values traditions, gives families access as well as input into the full range of programs and services to promote their self-esteem, independence, self-sufficiency, and their educational experiences.
The Pauline Stearns Early Learning Center provides a safe and developmentally appropriate environment that is culturally relevant to children and families which reside, work, or attend school on the Spokane Indian Reservation. The primary emphasis of the program is to provide Early Childhood learning in an educational setting. The Early Learning Center promotes competence in our children, parent alliances, community collaboration and proficiency in our staff.
Any and all active investigations resulting in removal of any minor child under custody/guardianship of employee will result in immediate suspension. Following completion of active investigation, any findings of child abuse or neglect will result in immediate termination of employment.
Employee is required to disclose any active investigations of crimes listed on the Secretary’s List of Crimes and Negative Actions (WAC 110-06-0120) during the interview/hiring process and throughout term of employment.
While in this position you will be subject to the following tasks and other duties necessary to help drive our Vision, fulfill our Mission, and abide by our Values:
FAMILY SERVICES ADVOCATE ESSENTIAL DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES:
- Contributes to the development of positive communication, mutual respect, mutual support, competence, and creativity among all members of the PSELC staff
- Organizes and conducts ongoing recruitment to ensure all enrollment slots that can be filled are full within PSELC. In collaboration with other site staff, participates in ongoing recruitment.
- Organizes and conducts enrollment activities, interviews parents to determine program eligibility, verifies income and obtains necessary parent permission for PSELC activities.
- In collaboration with site staff, organizes and conducts parent orientations for all clientele, including orienting parents to their rights and responsibilities within PSELC and explaining relevant PSELC policies and curriculum approaches, assisting newly enrolled parents with assistance with all application and enrollment processes, as well as providing clientele with relevant information pertinent to all 477 programs upon request
- Assists families in recognizing their strengths and supports them in setting goals and planning how to meet the goals through the development of a Family Partnership Plan. Works in partnership with families to overcome barriers, meet their stated goals and achieve economic success and prosperity. Provides family support services through at least three hours contact with family during each calendar year
- Provides support to families experiencing a crisis and refers them to emergency assistance and crisis intervention providers, as appropriate
- Partners with parents for the purpose of assisting with access to health providers, obtaining exams, identifying obstacles to completing exams and securing appropriate treatment and follow-up on referrals for children. Promotes parent, staff, and community partnerships within the PSELC Program through various methods (e.g., parent meetings, parent leadership, Parent Professional Development opportunities, newsletters, parent trainings, volunteer opportunities, and other strategies). Encourages parents to participate in decisions concerning the education of their children and supports families involved in site leadership activities
- Works with families and site team to ensure smooth transitions for children and families as detailed in the Transitions Policy at the PSELC
- In collaboration with site staff and families, plan and facilitate family events that respond to specific training interests and information requests as indicated on a Parent Interest Survey or through other parent input throughout the year. Works with the site team and parents to schedule family events at times that are convenient for families
- Maintains accurate records including enrollment information, family resource checklist, documentation of referrals made and follow-up and adult contact hours with TAS, documentation of family/children goals in TAS, compiles and submits monthly activity report information and other required records
- Participates in mandatory in-service staff trainings, staff meetings, and other educational opportunities to gain knowledge and skills throughout the year
- Establishes linkages with community members and agencies in order to promote and enhance services for families and maintains linkages through attending pertinent community-based meetings. Develops and maintains an updated list of community resources including community health/oral health/nutrition resources
- Develop and review Family Service plans in consultation with clients and perform follow-up assessments regarding the quantity and quality of services provided to assistance with advice on but not limited to child rearing issues and implementation of behavioral plans within PSELC
- Provide PSELC and CCDF applications upon request to clientele; always have applications readily available and in stock at both Office Manager Workstation and on the Family Support Specialist Resource Board
- Responsible for assisting Office Manager with submitting Electronic Attendance records to Early Learning Program Manager on the last working day of the month; assistance with filing original records in accordance with program filing requirements
- And any other duties necessary to help drive our Vision, fulfill our Mission, and abide by our Values
EDUCATION MANAGER ESSENTIAL DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES:
- Assist in the management of all teaching staff in regard to Educational related services regarding children and families; build and sustain healthy, trusting, professional relationships with all subordinate employees.
- Mentor staff using positive role modeling and reflective supervision techniques, in order to strengthen skill levels and confidence.
- Visit classrooms on a regular basis and communicate with teachers regarding the children and classroom and other issues.
- Assist teachers in planning, coordinating, and implementing activities in accordance with developmentally appropriate practice and program philosophy.
- Review the Education Staff’s weekly lesson plans; implement family services into weekly lesson plans as deemed necessary.
- Ensure that goals for individual children per parent meetings are being recorded and that related activities are planned on the weekly lesson plan.
- Perform as a team member to assure that productivity outcome measures are achieved.
- Monitor students’ progress and provide students and teachers with assistance in resolving any problems.
- Responsible for tracking and reporting child outcomes three times annually in accordance with the PSELC Assessment and Screening Policy.
- Evaluate and review child portfolios twice per year.
- Assist with the direction and coordination of Early Learning Services in regard to Creative Curriculum, Teaching Strategies Gold, Thematic Curriculum and/or and other curricula deemed appropriate by the Early Learning Program Manager.
- Assist in the collection and analyzation of survey data, regulatory information, and demographic trends to forecast enrollment patterns and the need for curriculum changes
- Ensure monthly individual meetings are held with Teaching Team to include teachers and teacher assistants to ensure teacher success; identify teacher strengths and goals; provide support and resources to assist in achieving goals
- Ensure teacher monthly meetings are documented appropriately according to program requirements
- Review and evaluate new and current programs to determine their efficiency, effectiveness, and compliance with Tribal, state, local, and Federal Regulations and recommend any necessary modifications to the Early Learning Program Manager.
- Confer with parents and staff to discuss educational activities and policies and students behavioral and/or learning problems or strengths (including but not limited to truancy and misbehavior and implementing Developmentally Appropriate solutions)
- Ability to relay to Early Learning Program Manager pertinent employee file information
- Assist ELPM in maintaining accurate personnel files including but not limited to, new employee enrollment documentation and staff records; assistance with determining completion of files by means of thorough review to ensure utmost accuracy in accordance with Minimum Licensing Requirements
KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS, AND ABILITIES REQUIRED FOR POSITION:
To perform the job successfully, an individual should demonstrate the following:
- Knowledge of customer needs assessment, meeting quality standards for services, and evaluation of customer satisfaction
- Knowledge of early childhood development, child development stages, and developmentally appropriate practices
- Knowledge of Early Learning Program Requirements for early childhood/childcare services
- Knowledge of principles and processes for providing services to children and families
- Knowledge of human behavior and performance, individual differences in ability, personality, and interests, learning and motivation
- Knowledge of Creative Curriculum, Emergent Curriculum, Thematic Curriculum, project approach method and/or other curricula as deemed appropriate
- Knowledge of principles and methods for curriculum and training design, teaching and instruction for individuals and groups, and the measurement of training effects
- Knowledge of Teaching Strategies Gold
- Knowledge of the structure and content of the English language including the meaning and spelling of words, rules of composition, and grammar
- Knowledge of utilizing typical office equipment such as multi-line telephone system, fax machine, copy machine, scanning devices, computer desktop, various programming systems, etc.
- Knowledge of administrative and clerical procedures and systems such as word processing, managing accurate complete files and records, designing forms, and other office procedures and terminology
- Knowledge of business and management principles involved in strategic planning, resource allocation, leadership technique, production methods, and coordination of people and resources
- Knowledge of relevant equipment, policies, procedures, and strategies to promote overall safety for the protection of people, date, property, and institutions
- Skill in observation and data collection
- Skill in effective verbal and written communication
- Skill in efficient organizational skills and time management
- Skill in creative problem solving
- Ability to effectively communicate with children, family members, outside agencies, co-workers, and other community partners in diverse environments
- Ability to remain flexible to changes in assignments or situations
- Ability to organize own work and work independently
- Ability to deal with frustrated and/or difficult people
- Ability and willingness to maintain absolute confidentiality of sensitive information
- Ability to gage others’ reactions and understand why they react the way they do
- Ability to give full attention to what other people are saying, taking time to understand the points being made, asking questions as appropriate, and not interrupting at inappropriate times
- Ability to understand written sentences and paragraphs in work related documents
- Ability to use logic and reasoning to identify the strengths and weaknesses of alternative solutions, conclusions, or approaches to problems
- Ability to maintain positive communication among parents, co-workers, Tribal staff, public agencies, and private agencies in serving the customers
- Ability to handle conflict, complaints, and disputes with tact, and discretion
- Ability to work under stressful situations
- Ability to shift back and forth between two or more activities or sources of information
- Ability to maintain dependability and punctuality in order to sustain a well-structured environment for the children served by the PSELC
- Ability to work flexible hours, shifts, and rotate between various classrooms;
Ability to react quickly and calmly in emergent situations
- Ability to deal with a variety of abstract and concrete variables
- Ability to orally communicate information and ideas in speaking in a manner that others will understand and convey information effectively
- Ability to effectively communicate with others including but not limited to young children, families, outside agencies, co-workers, subordinate employees, and other community partners
- Successful clearance of initial Criminal History and Background Inquiry—Tribal, State and Federal—also required to obtain portable background check through Washington State Department of Early Learning prior to first date of employment and renew every three years, and ability to retain clearance at all times, additional checks will be utilized to determine retention.
- Successful clearance of National Child Abuse Registry and Neglect Data System. Additional checks will be utilized to determine retention.
CERTIFICATION(S) REQUIRED:
- Ability to obtain the following certificates and licenses within the specified time frame:
- Blood Borne Pathogens (2 months)
- Food Handler’s Certification (1 month)
- First Aid and CPR certification Infant and Child (2 months)
- any other requirements necessary to meet Spokane Tribe of Indians Licensing Standards; if not met upon hire, within first three months of hire date
- A Washington State ECE Home Visitor Certificate
- Initial Basic STARS 30-Hour Training preferred
- OR ability to complete training within one month of hire date;
Twenty (20) hours of STARS training credit per year in a combination of administration, child development and family support required beginning with the second calendar year of employment;
MINIMUM REQUIREMENTS:
To perform this job successfully, an individual must be able to perform each essential duty satisfactorily. The requirements listed below are representative of the knowledge, skill, and/or ability required. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.
- Employee must meet one of the following educational qualifications:
- An associate or higher degree with the equivalent of 30 college quarter credits in adult education, human development, human services, family support, social work, early childhood education, child development, psychology, or another field directly related to their job responsibilities. These 30 credits may be included in the degree or in addition to the degree
- OR A DCYF-approved credential from a comprehensive and competency-based Family/Social Service training program that increases knowledge and skills in providing direct services to families.
- A Home Visitor Child Development Associate (CDA) Credential from the Council of Professional Recognition.
- Two years (2) experience working in the classroom as a teacher or assistant with children 6 weeks – 6 years in a group setting
- Previous experience working with Native American clientele required, low-to-moderate income families, and/or clientele from a minority race category
- Proficiency in the use of basic Microsoft Operating System, Office applications (Word, Excel, and Outlook) and internet proficiency
- Knowledge of child development
- Positive interpersonal skills
- Demonstrated leadership skills and emotional competence—connect with empathy and lead with compassion.
- Demonstrated ability to compartmentalize both within the programs of purview, as well as between professional and personal contexts.
- Strong organizational skills
- Must work well with others
- Valid Washington State Driver’s license and ability to be Tribally insurability required
- Current and up-to-date immunizations including a current TB skin test, MMR vaccine, annual influenza vaccine, TDap in lieu of Tetanus vaccine (preferred), Hepatitis B Vaccination, and COVID-19 vaccination (preferred);
- Biennial physical evaluation to assess ability to meet physical demands of position required
- Successful clearance of initial Criminal History and Background Inquiry—Tribal, State and Federal—also required to obtain portable background check through Washington State Department of Early Learning prior to first date of employment and renew every three years, and ability to retain clearance at all times, additional checks will be utilized to determine retention.
- Successful clearance of National Child Abuse Registry and Neglect Data System. Additional checks will be utilized to determine retention.
PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS:
- Ability to type 60-100 words per minute with no more than 3 errors per 60-100 words
- Knowledge of Native American culture, traditions, and language
- Knowledge in working with low-income children and families
- Knowledge of public assistance laws, rules, regulations, service programs and childcare programs
- Previous experience working with low-to-moderate income families, and/or clientele from a minority race category
- Previous experience in management and administration
MUST APPLY ON-LINE: https://spokanetribe.bamboohr.com/careers/368?source=aWQ9MTg%3D
*Indian Preference Applies – Indian Preference grants preference to any enrolled member of a federally recognized tribe.
*FBI Background – Positions involving regular contact with, or control over, Indian Children in accordance with the Federal Indian Child Protection and Family Violence Prevention Act, Public Law 101-630
Confirmation receipt of on-line submission and interview status will be sent to the applicants e-mail address used when applying. Applicants are responsible to regularly monitor their e-mails.
Contact: Empero Corral HR Generalist, or Tashina Brown, HR Generalist
509-458-6576 or 458-6527
E-mail: hrfrontdesk@spokanetribe.com
Applications must be received in the Human Resource Department no later than 4:30 p.m. on the closing date.
The Spokane Tribe reserves the right to hire according to its Indian Preference Policy
All Applicants are subject to a Pre-Employment Drug Test
All Positions with the Spokane tribe of Indians are subject to a 90-day orientation period