Description
GENERAL STATEMENT ABOUT THE ORGANIZATION:
Reach Out and Read, one of the nation’s leading nonprofit organizations, is an evidence-based school readiness initiative that serves 4 million children and families nationwide. Our team is comprised of highly-skilled professionals who have a deep commitment to excellence and to the children and families we serve. Every member of the organization is critical to fulfilling our mission. Employment at Reach Out and Read means joining a dedicated and diverse staff committed to helping children arrive at school prepared to succeed. We strive to provide a pleasant and productive work environment and want all of our staff to have satisfying and fulfillingjobs.
REACH OUT AND READ MISSION:
Reach Out and Read preparesAmerica's youngest children to succeed in school by partnering with doctors to prescribe books and encourage families to read together.
Doctors, nurse practitioners, and other medical professionals incorporate Reach out and Read’s evidence-based model into regular pediatric checkups, by advising parents about the importance of reading aloud and giving developmentally-appropriate books to children. The program begins at the 6-month checkup and continues through age 5, with a special emphasis on children growing up in low-income communities. Families served by Reach Out and Read read together more often, and their children enter kindergarten with larger vocabularies, stronger language skills, and a six-month developmental edge.
THE REACH OUT AND READ MODEL:
Pediatric healthcare providers (including pediatricians, family physicians, and pediatric nurse practitioners) are trained in the three-part Reach Out and Read model to promote early literacy and school readiness:
- In the exam room, doctors and nurses speak with parents about the importance of reading aloud to their young children every day, and offer age-appropriate tips and encouragement.
- The pediatric primary care provider gives every child 6 months through 5 years old a new, developmentally-appropriate children's book to take home and keep.
- Parents adopt advice received through pediatric visits and make reading aloud part of their daily routine. Our families read up to 350 hours with our children prior to kindergarten.
- Reach Out and Read Programs are located in more than 4,900 hospitals and health centers in all 50 states, Washington, D. C., Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands; including 55 U.S. military bases.
- Reach Out and Read serves more than 4 million children and their families annually.
- More than 6.5 million new, developmentally-appropriate books are given to children annually.
- More than 28,000 medical providers currently participate in Reach Out and Read.
- Community volunteers dedicate more than 270,000 hours of service to Reach Out and Read annually.
- Fifteen independent studies demonstrate that our parents are four times more likely to read regularly to their children and, as a result, our children enter school with larger vocabularies, stronger reading comprehension skills and a 6-months development edge
The employees of Reach Out and Read are guided by the following core values:
PASSION - We believe in the transformative power of books and reading to strengthen families and positively affect the development of children. Our shared mission binds us together as one organization and is the motivation behind everything that we do.
EXCELLENCE - We deliver the highest quality, evidence-based program, expect greatness from ourselves and each other, and are accountable to the communities we serve, so that children grow up better prepared to achieve their potential.
RESPECT - Our success depends on the positive relationships we build with colleagues, partners, the medical community, and families. We embrace diverse ideas, talents, and backgrounds.
INNOVATION - Resourcefulness and a revolutionary model make us one of the most effective, efficient school readiness initiatives in the nation. We make strategic decisions to facilitate growth and long-term, sustainable impact.
GENERAL STATEMENT OF OVERALL OBJECTIVES OF THE POSITION:
The Program Specialist ensures that high-quality Reach Out and Read programs are delivered to children and families in their assigned region. By establishing collaborative relationships with medical providers and staff at multiple program sites and providing professional development services and technical assistance, the Program Specialist provides the support programs need to operate with strong fidelity to the Reach Out and Read model. The Program Specialist has frequent contact with their assigned programs through in-person visits and phone/email and develops champions for the Reach Out and Read program among medical providers and staff.
SUPERVISION RECEIVED:
Regional Program and Operations Director
SUPERVISION EXERCISED:
None
ESSENTIAL DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES:
The primary functions of this position consist of the following:
Technical Assistance and Professional Development Support:
- Have regular contact with programs to develop relationships with clinical and administrative staff in order to assess quality, deliver support and identify additional needs.
- Assess programs’ adherence to the Reach Out and Read program model and assign quality ratings.
- Create and implement technical assistance plans to support programs’ efforts to reach a higher level of program quality as needed.
- Support programs’ implementation of program quality improvement processes, monitor progress, and reassess, in partnership with the programs.
- Conduct site visits to programs in assigned region with a frequency appropriate for sites’ identified needs and quality rating.
- Cultivate Reach Out and Read champions and advocates from among each clinic’s medical providers and staff.
- Support program leaders to identify and overcome barriers that negatively impact their program’s quality and sustainability.
- Ensure all programs have training processes in place for their providers, so that existing and new providers are able to provide a high quality program
- Offer all providers ongoing professional development opportunities, and continually assess opportunities for professional development services that programs would find helpful.
- Guide new programs through the process of applying, training providers, and implementing Reach Out and Read.
- In collaboration with the Program and Operations Director, convene Reach Out and Read site coordinators and/or medical consultants at least annually to discuss best practices, support and enhance programs, and facilitate dissemination of relevant information (by teleconference, workshop and/or meeting).
- Contribute to Reach Out and Read Washington State monthly program newsletter and other tools developed for communication with programs.
- Assure programs’ completion of twice-yearly progress report.
- Review progress report data for assigned programs and use it to inform technical assistance plans and quality ratings for each program.
- Continually track and document quantitative and qualitative program data using established tools and databases.
- Provide data summaries for assigned region to support funding applications, partnership development and advocacy activities, as requested.
- Support programs in selection and ordering of books to meet the needs of their patients.
- Provide support for efficient tracking processes to support accurate data collection and reporting
- Document programs’ book funding sources. Assist programs to identify and pursue new local funding opportunities, as needed.
- Assist the Regional Director with fund development and advocacy in connection with programs (e.g. arrange Site Visits for prospective or existing donors or legislators).
- Identify programs in need of book funding support and collaborate with the Program and Operations Director in the allocation of Washington State funding to individual programs.
The above statements in this job description are intended to depict the general nature and level of work assigned to the employee(s) in this job. The above is not intended to represent an exhaustive list of accountable duties and responsibilities required.
Regular travel, approximately 50% time throughout Washington, plus availability to attend one to two national meetings per year is required.
Other duties as necessary.
EDUCATION:
Bachelor’s Degree required
CERTIFICATES, LICENSES, REGISTRATIONS REQUIRED:
None required
EXPERIENCE
- Experience with medical practice change efforts and quality improvement processes
- Education and/or experience within the fields of health care, early education, literacy, parenting support or related fields
- Experience working with diverse populations and low-income communities
Qualifications: The ideal candidate is a passionate and dedicated individual who wants to help build a growing, mission driven organization and has the following skills and experience:
- At least five years of program/project coordination experience in a non-profit setting.
- Experience providing technical assistance and/or implementing professional development programs. Experience working with health care professionals to implement practice change and experience cultivating champions to lead quality improvement processes is preferred.
- Excellent customer service skills with a desire to solve problems and work with doctors, nurses and medical practices.
- Self-motivated, independent worker who functions effectively in a “virtual” work environment, while being an enthusiastic, collaborative team member.
- Demonstrated ability to take both initiative and direction, maintaining a focus on mission and collective team impact.
- Excellent verbal and written communications skills.
- Ability to prioritize multiple tasks, meet deadlines and adapt flexibly within a rapidly growing organization.
- Ability to effectively use electronic communications systems as primary work processes, including database systems, internet use, and MS Word, Excel, and PowerPoint.
- Access to dependable and regular transportation for frequent in-state travel.
- Spanish fluency
External and internal applicants, as well as position incumbents who become disabled as defined under the Americans With Disabilities Act, must be able to perform the essential job functions (as listed) either unaided or with the assistance of a reasonable accommodation to be determined by management on a case-by-case basis.
POSITION SPECIFICATIONS:
Full Time
Exempt
Position will require a background check
How to apply
APPLICATION INSTRUCTIONS:
Apply to jobs@reachoutandread.org
Please, include salary requirements with application and let us know where you heard about the job.
Please, include the job title in the header line of your email.
No phone calls, please.
www.reachoutandread.org
