Parent Educator - Rutherford County

Tennessee Voices Inc. is Tennessee's collaborative leader in mental health and family well-being. Each year, we serve thousands of children, parents, and adults across all 95 counties with services that prevent crisis, heal trauma, and build long-term stability. Our model works because it's whole-family, trauma-informed, and community-driven. By healing parents alongside their children, providing critical resources like housing and mental health support, and advocating for systemic change, TN Voices helps families thrive and communities grow stronger. Summary: A certified Parent Educator implements the Parents as Teachers (PAT) model, emphasizing parent child interaction, development centered parenting, and family wellbeing in their work with families. Utilizing the PAT Foundational Curricula in culturally sensitive ways, the parent educator partners, facilitates, and reflects with families, and they serve families individually in their homes. Essential Duties & Responsibilities: Responsible for fulfilling all duties related to emergency preparedness, evacuation, and client safety, including support of individuals who may not be capable of self-preservation, in accordance with TN Voices Employee Policies and TN State Department regulations and CARF Standards. Service Delivery Plan, facilitate, and document personal visits focused on parent-child interaction, development-centered parenting, and family well-being Engage parents in parent-child interaction activities and increase their knowledge of ways to support children's development Complete an initial and annual family-centered assessment with each family Develop, monitor, and review goals with each family Connect families to resources that help them reach their goals and address their needs Complete an initial and annual developmental screening and child health review for each enrolled child Help parents and children transition to other services as needed Documentation and Caseload Management Maintain and submit all required family and program documentation in a timely manner Practice confidentiality and HIPAA compliance with protected information Maintain regular and reliable communication and visit attendance with families Maintain minimum caseload requirement of 15 families Events and Outreach Engage in outreach events and activities to recruit families and establish community partners Process incoming referrals for potential enrollments Plan, facilitate, and document group connection events Periodically host or attend events on weekends Supervision, Training, and Professional Development Participate in at least two hours of reflective supervision monthly Participate in at least two hours of staff meetings monthly Complete PAT Foundational Trainings prior to serving families Complete 20 hours of competency-based professional development and renew parent educator certification annually Participate in continuous quality improvement Allow other staff to shadow home visits as needed Organizational Uphold agency values Participate in community events that promote the agency and programs Follow organizational policies Participate in agency ad-hoc committees as appropriate and needed Maintain regular and reliable attendance Other duties as assigned Qualifications: Graduation from an accredited high school or equivalent program with minimum of 2 years of supervised experience working with young children and/or parents. College education in social work, early childhood education, or similar social services field strongly preferred. Experience in working with or providing supportive services to young children and families Strong communication and interpersonal skills; empathetic, conscientious, accepting, ethical Commitment to culturally competent practice that respects family values, beliefs, and lived experience Ability to establish rapport with families and empower them by building on their strengths Strong organizational and record-keeping skills Ability to work independently and be self-motivated (often in the field) Knowledge of infant and child development and parent-child attachment principles Awareness of needs of low-income and multi-stressed families Ability to learn and integrate teaching/coaching material related to service delivery Willingness to build reflective capacity (introspection, self-awareness, valuing supervision) Ability to maintain professional boundaries while providing supportive services Willingness to work non-standard business hours as needed and scheduled Strong written and verbal communication skills and ability to collaborate as part of a team Microsoft Office, email, internet; must meet documentation requirements Bilingual in Arabic and Spanish preferred Core Competencies: Visit Planning & Facilitation - Delivers high-quality, individualized personal visits; applies knowledge of infant and early childhood development, attachment, and parenting practices to support parent-child interaction and development-centered parenting using PAT curricula. Family Relationship & Responsiveness - Builds trusting, culturally responsive relationships with families; partners with parents to identify strengths and priorities using a family-driven, trauma-informed approach. Screenings, Assessment, & Records - Completes all required screenings, assessments, and records for parent, child, and family in a timely and accurate manner; works closely with families to complete Family-Centered Assessments and Child Health Records; completes and regularly monitors progress of family-driven goals and child milestones; uses screenings, assessments, and records to guide decision-making, visit planning, and monitor progress; makes referrals as appropriate. Timely & Accurate Documentation - Maintains accurate, timely documentation in accordance with programmatic and funder timelines to ensure accountability to essential requirements and program standards. Family Referrals & Community Resource Connections - Connects families with community resources, coordinates referrals, supports transitions to other services, and promotes family participation in opportunities that enhance family well-being. Community Outreach & Partner Engagement - Participates in outreach events and family recruitment to increase incoming referrals; establishes connections with new partners and maintains relationships with existing partners to ensure smooth connections to resources. Group Connection Events - Plans, facilitates, and documents group connection events that engage parents, promote protective factors, and are relevant to family needs. Reflective Practice & Professional Growth - Engages in reflective supervision, demonstrating reflective capacity and willingness to grow; participates in opportunities for ongoing professional development; welcomes continuous quality improvement; collaborates effectively with colleagues while maintaining professional boundaries and reliability. Certificates, Licenses, Registrations: Valid driver's license, proof of automobile insurance, reliable transportation Physical Demands: The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions. While performing the duties of this job, the employee is frequently required to stand, walk, push, pull and carry/lift up to 50 pounds. The employee is occasionally required to climb, bend or crouch. Specific mental abilities required by this job include continuous concentration to detail; ability to remember multiple tasks, oral and written communication; and an attention span of 1+ hour(s) on a task. Work Environment: The work environment characteristics described here are representative of those an employee encounters while performing the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions. The noise level in the work environment is usually moderate. Performance Evaluation: Employees are evaluated on an annual basis. Performance Reviews are completed electronically by the employee's direct supervisor then reviewed and approved by regional or program leadership. Employees are given the opportunity to review their performance evaluation with their supervisor and will be required to acknowledge receipt of the annual review electronically. Core Values: V.O.I.C.E. V - Vulnerability and Integrity. We lead with truth and act with authenticity. We choose deeds over words and transparency over pretense. We hold ourselves and each other accountable by following through on our commitments. Trust is built through kind, honest, ethical, and clear communication. We know our strengths and share them with intention. O - Openness and Connection. We foster belonging and celebrate one another. We promote an environment where everyone feels safe, included, and heard. We value diverse perspectives, invite honest feedback, and lead with a welcoming spirit. We celebrate our wins--big and small--and lift each other up through support, presence, and shared pride in our work. I - Innovation and Growth. We cultivate curiosity and embrace change. We embrace lifelong learning and welcome questions, feedback, and growth. We keep an open mind and heart, recognizing there is always more to learn and new perspectives to consider. No idea is too small and no voice is too quiet. We lean into the unknown, explore bold ideas together, and support one another across roles because shared growth moves us all forward. C - Compassion and Hope. We lead with heart and serve with purpose. We show up with dedication, warmth, empathy, and humility. We listen with care and assume the best in others. We stay present and grounded, even when things are difficult, because we believe in the future we're building for every child, family, person, and community we serve. E - Experience and Insight. We believe in the power of lived and learned experiences. We rise by lifting others. We are driven by a deep passion for service and guided by the voices of those we serve. Our purpose is to help others flourish and build resilience and a better future. Grounded in joy, lifted by humor, and guided by vision, we stay focused on what matters to create lasting, meaningful change. Promotion & Advancement: To be considered for promotion to a higher position, the employee must have met the personal and professional development requirements established by the company and must have demonstrated strong on-the-job performance. Please see your supervisor or manager for additional details. Job Accommodations: If you need to request reasonable accommodations to perform the essential functions of this job, please contact Human Resources at hr@tnvoices.org. All employees are expected to uphold the highest standards of integrity and ethical conduct, comply with all applicable laws, regulations, and organizational policies (including HIPAA and confidentiality requirements), promptly report compliance concerns, and actively participate in required compliance and ethics training to support a culture of accountability and quality care.