DOULA
Children's Home Association of Illinois
CHAIL is a youth, family, and community focused 501(c)(3) organization with multiple locations and 450 staff, located in Peoria, IL. For over 159 years CHAIL has been helping the kids and families who need it most. Children’s Home Association of Illinois (CHAIL) is the largest social service agency for youth and families in downstate Illinois. The services we provide don’t just impact the individual child, they create positive ripple effects within their immediate family, neighborhood, community, and world by providing an opportunity to thrive.
Here at CHAIL, employees experience a “People First - Culture of Care” working atmosphere. From the most tenured staff to the newest team member, everyone is welcomed into a community that prioritizes diversity, equity, wellness, belonging, and good health. Starting with our CEO/President and migrating to every employee, this agency takes pride in taking care of each other. We believe if our employees are cared for, they can better live out the mission of the agency which is to help the kids and families who need it most. By putting our people first at CHAIL, they have the opportunity to share their expertise, talents, and passions with clients as they are changing the lives of the kids who will change the world. Our employees at CHAIL will tell you that they love working for the agency because they love what the agency does!
About the Position:
The Community Doulas in the Prevention Services Good Beginnings (Home Visiting) program provide intensive support to prenatal first and second-time birthing people in Peoria and Tazewell Counties during the prenatal period and at the time of labor and delivery. The focus on Doula visits is to encourage healthy development for birthing person/caregivers and baby.
Job Function:
- Use multiple advanced assessment tools to develop goals and service planning with each family.
- This engagement with families will occur primarily within the family’s home; each visit should last for at least one hour. The interventions should be family-centered, strength-based, and directed at educating the birthing person and caregiver(s) on establishing a trusting relationship; assisting in strengthening the caregiver-child relationship; assisting caregivers in improving their skills to optimize the home environment; improving the family support system; and increasing the family’s ability to problem solve and assume the role of advocate for themselves and their children.
- The activities the Community Doula’s engage in with families include:
- Supporting the birthing person prenatally, during labor and delivery (in a medical setting), and postnatally.
- Educating birthing people and caregiver(s) about the birthing experience, feeding options, and other concepts around the prenatal, birth, and postnatal development of both birthing person and baby.
- Identifying and referring families for contact/appointments at other supportive agencies, including health care appointments.
- Assisting the family in establishing goals and a plan for accomplishment of those goals, as well as the assessment of the normal growth and development of the target child.
- Plan, conduct, and engage with birthing people during community prenatal groups.
- Communicates effectively with coworkers and coordinator on their team and the wider department.
- Documentation of visits, family goals and growth, and other paperwork related to the position.
- Expected to engage in a flexible schedule that may include evenings and weekends based on the birth of babies.
- Other duties as assigned to support the Good Beginnings program, which may include group support, event planning, or community engagement activities.
- For those that are bilingual, this position will provide translation assistance.
Qualifications:
- Minimum of a high school diploma or equivalent (preferred Bachelors).
- Experience in working with or providing services to children and families.
- Experience and humility to work with culturally diverse families.
- DONA Doula Certification (if not current, will provide assistance for the certification process).
- An ability to establish trusting relationships.
- Acceptance of individual differences.
- Knowledge of infant and child development.
- Willing to engage in building reflective capacity (e.g., capacity for introspection, communicating awareness of self in relation to others, recognizing value of supervision, etc.)
- Develop trauma-informed knowledge and demonstrate trauma-informed care.
- Demonstrate cultural humility with all families and coworkers.
- Experience working with pregnant individuals and supporting birthing people during birth.
- Hearing and speaking ability to allow for effective oral communication of information.
- Physical and emotional stamina to handle job related issues.
- If bilingual, services will be provided in both English and fluent language (i.e. Spanish, French, Arabic, or other applicable language).
Benefits & Pay:
- PTO (paid-time-off) accrual 3 weeks first year (full-time)
- 9 paid holidays
- 1 floating holiday
- Summer pay - less working hours, increased hourly rate for the summer!
- Sick Leave accrual 12 days per year (full-time)
- Medical, vision, and dental insurance
- Flexible Spending Account
- 401K with company match
- Company paid life insurance, STD and LTD
- Supplemental life insurance
- Employee Assistance Program
- Employee Referral Program
- Opportunity to Further Education
CHAIL provides equal employment opportunities to all employees and applicants for employment and prohibits discrimination and harassment of any type without regard to race, color, religion, age, sex, national origin, disability status, genetics, protected veteran status, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, or any other characteristic protected by federal, state or local laws.
This policy applies to all terms and conditions of employment, including recruiting, hiring, placement, promotion, termination, layoff, recall, transfer, leaves of absence, compensation and training.