PROGRAM SPECIALIST, SPECIAL CHILD HEALTH SERVICES

 DEFINITION:

 Under direction performs field and office work involved in
 obtaining services for handicapped and potentially handicapped
 children and their families, and organizes/maintains all current
 and background information regarding a child's handicap,
 potential treatment, referrals, and social ramifications of
 disability; does other related duties as required.

 NOTE:  The  examples of work for this title are for illustrative
 purposes only.  A particular position using this title may not
 perform all duties listed in this job specification.  Conversely,
 all duties performed on the job may not be listed.

 EXAMPLES OF WORK:
 
 Actively works with the child/parent as the unifying agent
 available and is accessible to the child/parent.

 Assists  the child/parent through the service system and provides
 counseling to the child/parent, describes the Special Child
 Health Services (SCHS) case management services, identifies
 the child's problem(s) with the parents, and validates the parents'
 knowledge/understanding of the child's problem(s).

 Assesses need for services in cooperation with the primary care
 physician and develops with the parent an individualized service
 plan (ISP) for the child.

 Assists the child/parent to reach the goal identified in the  ISP
 and  assists in procurement of services through referrals to 
 SCHS and other appropriate agencies.

 Serves as resource person to the family in crisis, responding
 actively to complaints about services, and providing objective
 information about alternatives for securing direct services.

 Promotes and facilitates communication among multiple providers
 serving the child/parent including the primary care physician.

 Monitors services received by the child/family by reviewing 
 with the parent the receipt of services and the child's progress
 toward attainment of goals identified in the ISP.

 Prepares an ISP describing the child's medical, educational,
 developmental, social, and rehabilitative needs including the
 child's identifying information and medical diagnosis; statement
 of the child's current problem(s) and associated needs;
 measurable objectives to alleviate problem(s) and/or meet 
 child's current needs;  and monitoring dates to review resolution
 of problem(s) and/or needs.

 Provides referrals for services utilizing the SCHS' network
 and/or other community agencies.

 Periodically monitors the child's progress.

 Provides information to various agencies, community groups,
 and others on services provided under the SCHS Program.

 Interviews families seeking services provided through the SCHS
 Program for the purpose of determining financial eligibility and
 financial participation in the cost of care.

 Completes registrations of eligible children and submits them
 to the SCHS Program Office.

 Contacts families of children registered with the SCHS Program
 for the purpose of counseling, explaining services available, and
 determining interest in and need for services provided.

 Coordinates procurement of services to be provided as 
 determined among the family physician, therapists, family, 
 or other medical personnel.

 Ensures that vouchers for services received are accurate 
 and that shared costs are billed among program participants.

 Prepares various statistical/informational reports on clients 
 and services provided under the program.

 Conducts interview of the client (usually an individual or 
 a family) to ascertain their perception of the problem,
 identifies/discusses alternative resources, and offers
 information about how they might be used.

 Explains eligibility requirements and details about services
 offered by different agencies to assist the client in making
 an informed decision.

 Observes and/or assesses clients' behavior during interviews
 to identify obvious problems that can interfere with their ability
 to take steps on their own behalf  (for example, excessive
 fearfulness or irritability).

 Maintains a cooperative relationship with the client throughout
 the process, commenting in such a way as to give emotional
 support and encouragement.

 Encourages the client to participate in identification/selection
 of needed services.

 Identifies any barriers keeping the client from receiving
 services/resources needed to resolve the problem.

 Develops, proposes, and discusses with client a plan
 outlining goals.

 Monitors progress made toward goals of the plan.

 Talks to and asksquestions of clients that are designed to
 obtain their comments, criticisms, and observations about
 services given to assist them in clarifying issues and
 establishing goals for continued services or terminating
 services.

 With parental permission gives sufficient information to
 needed service providers such as legal services, health  
 services, and mental health or welfare services to effect 
 a referral and to assist the provider in providing appropriate 
 services.

 At established intervals, revises plan when required and
 discusses it with both client/provider(s) to put into effect
 those  changes that will ensure that the plan continues to
 meet the client's needs.

 With parental permission acts for or represents the client before
 other   agencies   to  ensure  that  the  client   receives   any
 services/benefits needed.

 Obtains  consent of the client/parent/guardian to permit  contact
 with  other persons such as family members and professionals from
 whom  the  client has previously received services to develop  an
 accurate assessment of prior efforts.

 Discusses available services and a proposed plan with the  client
 detailing  recommendations and the reasoning for them  to  ensure
 that  there is mutual understanding about intervention goals  and
 kinds of services to be rendered; obtains agreement of the client
 to a service plan.

 Continuously   reassesses  progress  of  a  referral,   repeating
 interventions until a firm service decision is made to accept  or
 deny services to the client.

 Will  be required to learn to utilize various types of electronic
 and/or  manual  recording and information systems  used  by   the
 agency, office, or related units.

 REQUIREMENTS
  
 EDUCATION:
 
 Graduation from an accredited college or university with a Bachelor's
 degree in Social Work or Nursing.

 EXPERIENCE:

 One (1) year of experience in providing social work
 services, public health or nursing services in pediatrics 
 working with handicapped or chronically ill children.

 NOTE:  A Master's Degree in Social Work or Nursing
 may be substituted for the Educational requirement.

 LICENSE

 Applicants who possess a Bachelor's or Master's degree 
 in Nursing must also possess a New Jersey license as a 
 Professional Nurse.

 Appointees will be required to possess a driver's license
 valid  in  New Jersey only if the operation of a vehicle,  
 rather than employee mobility, is necessary to perform 
 essential duties of the position.

 KNOWLEDGE AND ABILITIES
 
 Knowledge of methods/techniques involved in doing 
 casework involving the health, physical welfare, and social 
 adjustment of handicapped and/or chronically ill children.

 Knowledge of problems encountered in collecting/analyzing 
 factual information needed to make determinations on 
 individual cases.

 Knowledge of casework terminology.

 Knowledge of organization, objectives, and activities of 
 varied types of public/private social agencies in New Jersey 
 after a period of training.

 Knowledge of problems involved with various types of 
 handicaps related to children.

 Knowledge of methods of dealing with various handicaps 
 both by medical referral and social adjustment.

 Knowledge of  available community facilities designed 
 to facilitate/accommodate handicapped and/or chronically 
 ill children after a period of training.

 Knowledge of agencies available to provide services for
 specific handicaps after as period of training.

 Knowledge of emotional/social/psychological effects the
 handicap may cause the individual, peer group, and family.

 Ability to organize public health work, analyze problems,
 and develop effective work methods.

 Ability to recognize handicaps in children and provide
 specific responses to individual cases.

 Ability to organize/coordinate various county responses
 to a specific individual case.

 Ability to analyze laws, rules, regulations, and procedures
 and apply them with reasonable consistency to individual cases.

 Ability to organize assigned casework and develop effective
 work methods.

 Ability to work harmoniously with associates, families, 
 medical personnel, and public/private organizations.

 Ability to collect and make correct appraisals of factual
 information.

 Ability to learn quickly significant facts in an individual
 or family situation and to weigh/evaluate such facts.

 Ability to effectively coordinate services to be provided 
 to the handicapped child and monitor the child's progress.

 Ability to prepare clear, sound, accurate, and informative
 reports.

 Ability to maintain records and files.

 Ability to utilize various types of electronic and/or manual
 recording and information systems used by the agency, 
 office, or related units.

 Ability to read, write, speak, understand, and communicate
 in English sufficiently to perform duties of this position.
 American Sign Language or Braille may also be considered
 as acceptable forms of  communication.
 
 Persons with mental or physical disabilities are eligible as long
 as they can perform essential functions of the job with or without
 reasonable accommodation.  If the accommodation cannot be 
 made because it would cause the employer undue hardship, 
 such persons may not be eligible.


 This job specification is applicable to the following title code:
Job
Spec
Code
Variant
State,
Local or
Common
Class of
Service
Work
Week
State
Class
Code
Local
Class
Code
Salary
Range
Note
05711
L
C
  
N/A
23
-

This job specification is for local government use only.
Salary range is only applicable to state government.
Local salaries are established by individual local jurisdictions.

12/29/2008