Program Therapist

The Center for Development and Disability (CDD), established in 1990, is New Mexico''s University Center for Excellence in Developmental Disabilities Education, Research and Service. These centers, authorized by the Developmental Disabilities Assistance and Bill of Rights Act, build the capacities of states and communities to respond to the needs of individuals with developmental disabilities and their families.

The CDD Early Childhood Home and Family Services, Parents As Teachers, are seeking full-time Program Therapists to deliver services in Bernalillo and Valencia counties.

The Program Therapist will

• provide evidence-based home visiting prevention services to families with children during the prenatal stage through kindergarten entry;
• design individualized services using the Parents as Teachers evidence-based model and curriculum;
• deliver services in the home and other community settings using a trauma-informed approach, with cultural appropriateness, and infant mental health competencies. Services will include, but are not limited to, teaching developmentally appropriate parenting strategies, encouraging healthy parent-child interactions, conducting screenings with children and caregivers to assess risks, partnering with families to develop goals, and supporting families in achieving those goals;
• share community resources including referrals to early intervention services, mental health services, and others as needed;
• work under direct administrative, clinical/reflective, and field supervision provided by the program manager or designee.

The goals of the program are to increase parent knowledge of early childhood development, improve parenting practices, provide early detection of developmental delays and health issues, prevent child abuse, and neglect, and increase children''s school readiness. The Program Therapist will have demonstrated skills working with the community served and the ability to provide services using a culturally competent and family centered approach. The individual hired for this position will be able to work independently in delivering services with fidelity to the evidence-based model. This individual will travel, using their personal vehicle, in Bernalillo and Valencia counties to conduct home visits and will be compensated for mileage at standard rates. Services are also delivered via telehealth using a hybrid approach.

The Program Therapist will

• document all services into the state''s database system. All service documentation will be well-written providing a narrative that explains what services were delivered and assessing the needs of the families. All services will be documented in a timely manner according to funder''s periodicity schedule;
• engage in regularly scheduled individual and group reflective and administrative supervision in support of quality services;
• come prepared to each session ready to reflectively discuss progress of enrolled families with their supervisor;
• develop and co-facilitate developmentally appropriate family group connections in support of program goals;
• use the Parents as Teachers curriculum to create the group connection;
• facilitate group activities in a culturally appropriate manner;
• focus on the Parents as Teachers areas of emphasis: developmentally appropriate parenting, parent-child interactions, and family well-being.

This position may require out-of-state and overnight travel for training. The position will require local travel and participation in training to develop necessary knowledge and skills of the home visiting model.