You are reading the State of New Jersey Job Descriptions. This is not a Job Vacancy Announcement.

Job Specification

SENIOR PROGRAM SPECIALIST, SPECIAL CHILD HEALTH SERVICES

 DEFINITION

 Under direction takes the lead over one or more Program
 Specialists, Special Child Health Services and/or performs the
 more difficult/complex work involved in obtaining comprehensive
 services for handicapped and potentially handicapped children 
 and their families; organizes/maintains all current and background
 information regarding a child's 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

 May assist in planning and supervising work of the unit by taking
 the  lead  over a small group of employees involved  in  ensuring
 provision  of  coordinated comprehensive services to  handicapped
 and potentially handicapped children and their families.

 Reviews work of other program specialists for quality, accuracy,
 and completeness.

 Reviews individual service plans (ISPs)  prepared by program
 specialists and recommends appropriate modifications.

 Compiles program statistics and prepares monthly/quarterly
 reports to local/state agencies.

 Serves as resource person to other program specialists and 
 health department staff and provides them with advice/guidance
 on the handling of cases.

 Actively works with the child/parent as the available and
 accessible unifying agent.

 Assists the child/parent through the maze of the service 
 system and provides counseling to the child/parent including 
 a description of case management services, identifying the
 child's problem(s) with the parents, and validating 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 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 Special Child Health Services (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 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
 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 date to review resolution of problem(s) 
 and needs.

 Provides referral 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 to determine financial
 eligibility and financial participation in the cost of care.

 Completes registrations of eligible children and submits 
 them to the program office.

 Contacts families of children registered with the 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 shared costs are billed among program participants.

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

 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 assesses clients' behavior during interviews
 to identify problems that can interfere with their ability to
 take steps on their own behalf such as  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 when needed.

 Encourages clients 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 an ISP 
 outlining goals.

 Monitors progress made toward ISP goals.

 Talks to and asks questions of clients that are designed to
 obtain their comments, criticism, and observations about 
 services given to assist them in clarifying issues, 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 assist
 the provider in providing appropriate services.

 At established intervals, revises plan when required, and
 discusses it with both client and 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 presently received services to develop
 an accurate assessment of prior efforts.

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

 Continuously reassesses the 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 Nursing.

 EXPERIENCE

 Two (2) years 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 Nursing may be substituted
 for the educational requirements.

 NOTE:  A Master's degree in Nursing may be substituted
 for one (1) year of the above experience, when not used to
 fulfill the educational requirement.

 NOTE:  A Master's degree in Social Work may be substituted
 for the above education AND one (1) year of the required
 experience.
  
 LICENSE:

 Applicants  who possess a Bachelor'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 and techniques involved in doing
 casework involving the health, physical welfare, and social 
 adjustment of handicapped and/or chronically ill children.

 Knowledge of casework terminology.

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

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

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

 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 the emotional, social, and psychological effect
 handicaps may cause the individual, peer group, and family.

 Ability to organize public health work and assigned casework,
 analyze problems, and develop 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 quickly comprehend, weigh, and evaluate significant
 facts in an individual or family situation.

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

 Ability to guide, instruct, and provide advice to other
 employees.

 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
VariantState,
Local or
Common
Class of
Service
Work
Week
State
Class
Code
Local
Class
Code
Salary
Range
Note
07493LC N/A27-

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