School Health Advocate

Background

Libertas School of Memphis is a Montessori, liberal arts public charter school serving a high-need neighborhood in Memphis. Our mission is to be a school for human flourishing: cultivating minds, hands, and hearts for lives of wonder, work, and love. We offer our students a rich, rigorous, and personalized education through Montessori learning, supported with rich liberal arts content through Core Knowledge, and the best practices of high-performing urban schools. We foster an attachment village of support among school, families, and our community. We serve approximately 500 children 6 weeks through 5th grade in inclusive, multi-age classrooms.

Role Summary: Provide direct health support,  proactive, wrap-around services, and screenings for our community.

Role Information

• Full-time role. Expected work days: Monday through Friday. Expected work times: 7:30 am-3:30 pm (4:30 pm on Wednesdays).
• This role follows the school calendar, including all-staff in-service and professional development days.
• Reports to: Dean of Family Engagement
• Key relationships: Principal, People Officer,  Operations team, Teachers & Assistants, Students, Families, Health-Related Community Partners

Measures of Success

• 100% Compliance with rules regarding student health records
• 85% satisfaction among stakeholders (including teachers and families)
• Planning and executing monthly health initiatives in conjunction with Family Engagement Team
• 100% compliance with required screenings and documentation
• 80% applicable students have hearing/vision/related health screenings by quarter 2
• TBD health related service referrals per quarter
• Stakeholder Satisfaction: 90% among team, teachers, and families; satisfactory performance and retention of team members
• Satisfactory performance evaluations
• Other indicators

Key Responsibilities

Direct Student Care

• Provides direct care to school children with health conditions who require specialized nursing related services according to the physician directed plan of care for that student including but not limited to, catheterizations, G-tube feeds, administering of medications. and advocate for quality care for the sick and injured in the school environment.
• Communicate with families when children are sick or injured at school and provide and file documentation. Determine when children need to leave school or stay home due to sickness or injury, and communicate this decision with stakeholders. Prioritize children’s presence at school whenever possible, while ensuring the health and safety of the child and other members of the school community.
• Administers and documents medications administration accurately according to physician orders.
• Provide case management for children with chronic diseases, in collaboration with families and staff.
• Maintains accurate, complete, and confidential health records and audit immunization records and works with families and schools to achieve compliance.
• Establish health care plans for students with special needs including but not limited to individual health plans and emergency health plans, update them as needed, and provide them to teachers and staff as necessary.
• Attend IEP meetings for students with medical diagnoses.
• Conduct or coordinate screenings required by the state of Tennessee when necessary. Kindergarten, Second, and Fourth-grade students should be screened for height/weight, BMI, blood pressure, hearing, and vision.
• Assist in administering the Brigance Inventory for Early Development for PK students in coordination with the Family Engagement Coordinator.
• Ensure that classroom first aid kits remain appropriately stocked and that necessary first aid items are on hand to maintain the kits and school needs.

School Community Education

• Assists teachers in instructing students in health and nutrition education.
• Plan and promote monthly healthy school initiatives.
• Conduct ongoing and as-needed communication for proactive health outcomes.
• Provide training to school staff per state mandates. This could include blood-borne pathogens, head injury/concussion, child abuse, CPR, basic first aid, and other health topics requested.
• Train school staff in care that can be delegated in the nurse’s absence, such as some medication administration, and basic first aid.
• Proactively promote programs on health-education, disease prevention, nutrition, and immunization.
• Serve in leadership for school health policies and programs.

Community Partnerships

• Coordinate health, dental, hearing, vision, speech, and lead exposure screenings with community partners in conjunction with PK Services Coordinator.
• Coordinate and manage school-sponsored health-related wrap-around services for students.
• Proactively establish relationships with community partners and volunteers and engage them in supporting our school with the support of the family engagement team.
• Lead efforts to connect families with needed resources in the community to address health needs such as physical, mental, and emotional wellbeing, and/or nutrition, etc.

Other responsibilities 

• Monitor students at arrival and/or dismissal as needed.
• Lead or support other school initiatives as needed; other duties as assigned

Qualifications and Traits

• Substantial knowledge and experience in understanding and supporting student medical needs
• Active nursing license, preferably LPN
• Willingness to maintain valid licenses and/or certifications, including CPR, AED, First Aid, and Bloodborne Pathogens
• Warm and firm demeanor
• Effective communication, including listening, writing, and speaking
• Ability to multitask while staying organized and attentive to detail
• Flexible, takes the initiative, and has a strong sense of personal ownership of responsibilities
• Work collaboratively, with a growth mindset. Give and receive feedback in a spirit of craftsmanship
• Model of character
• Dedication to support human flourishing through the Montessori method and the school’s philosophy of wonder, work, and love for all students
• Knowledge of community agencies to help students and their families
• Knowledge of district policies and procedures

Compensation

• Salary/wage $17-$22 per hour
• Paid sick leave. Deferred pay model distributes salary throughout the year (including breaks and vacations).
• Full-time employees are eligible for health insurance benefits, which we sponsor at an above-market rate. We also offer dental, vision, and other benefits and retirement plans similar to local schools.

Application Process

Interested candidates should apply online at www.LibertasMemphis.org, where candidates can also learn more about our school. Please submit a resume, at least three references, and a cover letter (required) explaining why you would be a good fit for this position. Please direct any questions to talent@LibertasMemphis.org. Libertas does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, gender, handicap, age, religion, sexual orientation, or national or ethnic origin.

Tagged as: Elementary