The Baby Basics Clubs consists of a series of 6 meetings, during which facilitators help participants through the prenatal educational topics, as well as help connect families to their local library branch and Judy Centers where they can attend continuing education or be referred other resources. To date, there are nine sites offering Baby Basics Clubs that are staffed and operated by Federally Qualified Health Centers or community-based organizations. The Family League offers our community partners the Baby Basics materials and training free of charge. This position is sponsored by Strong City Baltimore in Baltimore, MD; and the VISTA member will serve with The Family League of Baltimore in Baltimore City, MD. Strong City serves as the VISTA Project Sponsor to more than 20 nonprofit, government, and community organizations throughout Baltimore City and Maryland. Established in 1969 to help neighborhoods become safer, better places to live, Strong City's mission is to build and strengthen neighborhoods and people. Strong City will provide support to The Family League of Baltimore and the VISTA member throughout the year, including recruitment, training, professional development opportunities, and resources.
Service Activities
The application cycle ends September 16, 2016. The service cycle is November 1, 2016 to November 1, 2017.
The VISTA member will improve the program model and capacity as the backbone organization by: 1) Establishing a series of focus groups with program facilitators and participants to receive feedback 2) Create an inventory tracking system for all Baby Basics books 3) Develop standardized fact sheets on key health topics to include in the curriculum 4) Develop and help facilitators implement pre and post series surveys to enable the program to measure changes in knowledge, attitudes, intentions to change behavior, and level of social support 5) Help each site recruit at least one volunteer facilitator 6) Help double enrollment (from 150 a year to 300) 7) Regularly visit sites to monitor implementation and continually get feedback 8) Compile and analyze quarterly reporting data 9) Help sites share best practices through quarterly coalition meetings and a newsletter 10) Strengthen relationships between Baby Basics Club sites with local resources.
Community Need Addressed
Community outreach, health
Position Outcomes
The Family League of Baltimore and the Baltimore City Health Department co-lead B’more for Healthy Babies (BHB), a city-wide initiative that aims to improve birth outcomes and enable every child to thrive in healthy families. One of BHB’s programs is Baby Basics, which consists of group prenatal education and social support clubs for low-income women and their partners who are vulnerable to poor birth outcomes. Research has consistently shown that health and birth outcomes improve as income and education levels increase. By increasing participants’ and health providers’ health literacy skills, empowering them to advocate for themselves in health care settings, and build networks of social support, this program combats poverty.
Benefits
Childcare assistance if eligible, Education award upon successful completion of service, Health coverage, Non-competitive eligibility (federal jobs), Relocation allowance (if applicable), Stipend, Student loan forbearance, Training
Skills you will gain
Program management, public speaking, program evaluation, community engagement
Competencies You Will Develop
Communication
Demonstrate sensitivity and empathy, Lead group discussion, Listen to and consider others' viewpoints, Maintain open lines of communication with others, Speak clearly, in precise language and in a logical, organized and coherent manner, Turn taking, Write cleary and effectively
Creativity & Problem Solving
Able to identify and define the problem, Capable of generating possible solutions, Communicate the problem to appropriate personnel, Improvise, Provide relevant expertise, Select and implement well-considered solution
Teamwork
Derive consensus, Develop constructive working relationships and maintain them over time, Establish a high degree of trust and credibility with others, Interact professionally and respectfully with supervisors and co-workers, Stay positive and outcome oriented, Use appropriate strategies and solutions for dealing with conflicts and differences to maintain a smooth workflow
Decisions
Accepts responsibility, Anticipate the consequences of decisions, Identify and prioritize the key issues involved to facilitate the decision making process, Involve people appropriately in decisions that may impact them, Quickly respond with a back-up plan if a decision goes amiss
Tools
Carefully consider which tools or technological solutions are appropriate for a given job, Consistently choose the best tool or technological solution for the problem at hand, Operate tools and equipment in accordance with established operating procedures, safety standards, and ethical guidelines, Seek opportunities to improve knowledge of tools and technologies that may assist in streamlining work and improving productivity
Planning
Able to prioritize various competing tasks, Create environment of contribution, Create plan of action, schedule tasks so that work is completed on time, Demonstrate the effective allocation of time and resources efficiently, Drive decision making, Effectively delegate tasks, Facilitate group planning, Set goals
Service
Be pleasant, courteous, professional and respectful when dealing with internal and external customers or clients, Evaluate customer or client satisfaction, Honor the privilege of being able to work with and for those being served, Provide personalized, prompt, and efficient service to meet the requirements, requests and needs of customers, Recognize the importance of maintaining privacy and confidentiality of those being served, Understand and anticipate the needs of others, Understand the importance of one's role in the functioning of the organization, Understand the significance of maintaining a healthful and safe environment