I received the following job opening notice and was asked to pass it on.  Note
the closing date is MAY 14.  A description of the program follows the
notice....you may be interested in that even if you're not in the job market.

PROGRAM DIRECTOR, GROWING TOGETHER  (#99-011)

Growing Together is a prevention, early intervention, and health promotion
project committed to the development of infants, young children and their
families in St. James Town, Toronto. You will provide comprehensive leadership
to the project. This is up to a  full-time position.

Key Responsibilities:

Administers Growing Together programs.
Supervises and coordinates the clinical and other activities of program staff,
including trainees and students.
Coordinates with our major partner Toronto Public Health as well as  community
agencies and funding organizations.
May provide direct service in the community

Optional  Responsibilities  Depending on Interests and Skills:

May teach seminars for trainees and students at the Centre.
May lead and coordinate research activities by securing and administering
grants, writing research papers, analysis, supervision of research work,
presentations and publishing.

Qualifications:

   Education: Ph.D. preferred in a mental health discipline or related field,
with expertise in early intervention and infancy work. Must be certified or
registered as a practicing member of the discipline or field.
   Minimum of 5 years previous experience in related clinical settings.
   Effective leadership, supervisory and administration experience.
Proven skills in the provision of service to infants, young children, and their
families.
Exceptional oral and written communication for presentation and report writing
are essential.
   Demonstrated ability in multicultural sensitivity.

Application Closing Date:           Friday, May 14, 1999

Hincks-Dellcrest offers a competitive salary and benefits package.  Please mail
or fax your résumé and  educational qualifications quoting position title and
competition number by the closing date to:

     Human Resources, The Hincks-Dellcrest Centre
     1645 Sheppard Avenue West
     North York, ON M3M 2X4
          Fax No. (416) 633-7141

We appreciate your interest, however only those applicants selected for an
interview will be contacted.
No phone calls please.

AN EQUAL OPPORTUNITY EMPLOYER      Apr22/99

     GROWING TOGETHER: MODEL
     Essential Program Components

Early Screening of Mothers and Newborns: Each demonstration of the model will
phone all mothers with a new baby to provide information, answer questions and
offer to conduct a home visit. For those who agree, a nurse or other
professional will conduct a risk factor assessment to determine the nature of
services to be offered to the family. If the mother declines the risk factor
assessment at the time the baby is born, there are additional opportunities for
early screening when mothers with young children join any of the Growing
Together programs.

Ongoing and Regular Monitoring, Assessment, and When Necessary, Referral to
Necessary Services: Each demonstration of the model will have in place a system
for regular monitoring of child development and family well-being, for all
children of families who participate in the program. Children will be
developmentally assessed when appropriate and provided with consultation and/or
referrals to relevant services within the program or to outside agencies.  An
Infant Monitoring System, consisting of questionnaires mailed to parents at
regular intervals after the birth of their child, must be in place to track the
development of each child.  Additionally, each program will include a
Developmental Clinic for testing and consultation by a paediatrician, public
health nurse, psychologist, and a speech and language pathologist.

Child Centred Programs: Each model will have a set of programs that are provided
directly to the child.  These may include play groups, treatment of
developmental delays, child care, etc.

Parent-Child Centred Programs that emphasize enhancement of the parent-child
attachment and relationship: Each model will provide services of direct
intervention with the caregiver-infant/child dyad, interactional coaching and
health promotion.  At the Growing Together Centre, or at home, parents may
receive individual, joint, family or group counselling, therapy or crisis
intervention if a parent is depressed, has an emotional or psychiatric
condition, is abusive or violence is present in the home.

Family Support: Each model will provide services to build a support network for
families, with links to relevant services in the community.  The building of a
nurturing worker-client relationship is crucial.  Group meetings often serve to
reduce isolation, learn new skills and enhance parent competencies (e.g.
computer skills, conversational English, community kitchens).

Community Development: Each model must establish a community development
program, to enhance the living conditions of families. These may include a
community safety program, neighbourhood enhancement initiatives, community
advocacy activities and community events, etc.

     GROWING TOGETHER: OPERATIONAL FEATURES OF THE PROGRAM

High Risk Area: Each demonstration of the model operates in a high risk
geographic area.

Families with Pregnant Mothers, Infants and Young Children: Programs are created
for families when the mother first learns she is pregant, and families with
infants and young children up to the age of six.

Universal Access: Within the geographic area Growing Together programs are
offered to all parents with young children.

Partnerships  and Collaboration:  Growing Together programs are provided by a
partners who cooperate to provide the essential program components.  Each
Growing Together model also consists of a network of agencies that provide early
intervention services.

Multiple Funders: The Growing Together model is funded by a variety of public
and private sector funders.

Central Location: Each Growing Together model must have a central location
within the geographic area it serves.  The location should be accessible to
families who use the services and should house some of the programming and
administration of the program.  It needs to be identified as the nerve centre of
the program within the area. It is not enough to have a virtual network of
services without a physical centre, and the physical identity that comes with
it.

Outreach Through Home Visiting: Each model must provide home visiting for all
families in the immediate postnatal period.  Home visits will be provided on an
ongoing basis to families who are isolated, cannot attend the centre-based
programs or whose children are believed to be at-risk for compromised
development. The duration, function and content of the home visits is based on
the needs of the family.  Community home visitors are hired to meet the
multi-ethnic diversity of the community.

Accessible: Growing Together programs will operate in convenient locations and
during non-traditional hours to reach out to families. When necessary Growing
Together will provide childcare and other supports to encourage active
participation in the programs.

Adaptation to Reach the Most At-Risk Families: Certain programs will be
developed in each Growing Together site to reach the most at-risk families.

Multidisciplinary Team: Professionals from public health, mental health and
social services, as well as the community home visitors, form a
multi-disciplinary team to provide the Growing Together interventions and
programs.

Range of Services at the Centre: The program will provide a range of services at
the centre including parenting groups, skill-based programs, and interventions
directly for children.  These will provide parents with opportunities to meet
other parents and thus to reduce isolation and will reduce the number of
families who need on-going home visiting.


Full Range of Services: Each Growing Together model must provide a full range of
services appropriate for families who face significant challenges and for those
families whose needs are for information on child development and parenting.

Training and Mentoring: Growing Together staff will provide ongoing training and
support to a variety of students and volunteers.

Parent Participation in the Design and Provision of the Model: Parents have
meaningful and significant roles in the design and implementation of the Growing
Together model.

High Quality: Growing Together staff have a high level of professional training
and programs are of high quality through adequate resourcing, support and
planning.

Continuous Monitoring of the Quality of the Services: Staff regularly review
risk assessments, case formulations and case reviews in order to evaluate the
progress of families. Other program components are monitored by the collection
of regular statistics.

Evaluation:  Each site will establish and maintain an Information Management
System (IMS) in order to provide information on an on-going basis on client
characteristics and participation and the number and type of programs being
offered.  Each demonstration of the model will agree to participate in and
collaborate in the design and implementation of a cross-site evaluation
framework.

GROWING TOGETHER: PRINCIPLES OF PRACTICE
     Principles That Guide All Service Provision

Child Development Is The Focus; Although many of the programs are provided
directly for parents and caregivers, the focus and goal of Growing Together is
the healthy development of children.

Ecological or Transactional: The Growing Together model views child development
as unfolding in the context of multiple interdependent systems of influence of
the child, parent-child interaction, family, community and society. This
perspective guides the assessment and intervention strategies of the program.

Respect, Trust and Caring: All relationships at Growing Together must reflect
respect, trust and caring for all involved - program participants, staff and
community members.

Flexible, Culturally Sensitive Services: Growing Together programs provide
services that are flexible and culturally sensitive in order to reach immigrant
and non-French or English speaking families.

Consideration of Strengths and Protective Factors: All Growing Together programs
will build on participants' assets and strengths, while at the same time
developing interventions to alleviate risks.

Seamless Services: Families involved in the Growing Together model can pass
easily from one service to another as needs are identified, risks are alleviated
or the family becomes willing to accept a particular service.

Professionalism: will be highly valued and strongly supported.

High Quality:  All programs will be delivered at the highest quality to ensure
the greatest impact.   Access to training, supervision, and appropriate
compensation are just some of the features that contribute to quality and will
be addressed by the program.