This certification provides health services staff the opportunity to demonstrate mastery of the essential skills that support children’s health and wellbeing in a developmentally, culturally, and linguistically appropriate manner.

Head Start programs partner with parents to provide high-quality health, oral health, mental health, and nutrition services that support each child’s growth and school readiness. NHSA’s Health Service Certification is designed to test Health staff’s skills in competency areas that align with Head Start’s mission and the expectations of the Head Start Program Performance Standards (HSPPS).

To earn this certification, candidates will be required to complete a portfolio demonstrating their understanding of twelve essential competencies. For a full list, download the syllabus. For each competency, candidates will be asked to provide written responses that detail the knowledge, skills, and abilities needed to fulfill health services objectives in Head Start. To see one example of an activity you will find within a competency, please download the syllabus.

The portfolio will take approximately 40 hours to assemble and is a great asset to the candidate’s transcript. Upon completion, the portfolio will be scored by an NHSA-assigned reviewer (noted below) to evaluate the candidate’s knowledge and skills related to the HSPPS for health service. The review process can take up to two months.

Candidates who successfully earn the credential will be recognized at NHSA’s National Head Start Conference. To make this experience meaningful to the whole program, NHSA recommends that programs assign a mentor to help guide candidates through the process. View our Mentor’s Guide to Supporting Certification Candidates to learn more. Please note supervisors will be required to sign off on the final portfolio.

Course information:

• Start Date: on-demand
• Course Level: Intermediate
• Requirements/Prerequisites: While no specific experience is required, a minimum three years of experience with Head Start health services is strongly recommended. The certification does not include instruction.
• Target Audience: support services
• Meeting times: Coaching is provided on weekly basis through live Q&A sessions with an assigned reviewer
• Completion Timeline/Duration: Four months for portfolio completion and two months for review and final grade

Includes:

• Online, Self-Paced Content
• Live Coaching from Facilitator
• Access to a National Cohort of Peers
• 40 Hours of Course Material
• 4 Months of Access to Course
• Video Content
• Discussion Forums
• Digital Badge
• Certificate of Completion with PD Hours
• 24/7 Access to Transcript

Head Start Alignment:

This course supports programs in meeting the 1302 Subpart D—Health Program Services of the Head Start Program Performance Standards (HSPPS) in which programs must “provide high-quality health, oral health, mental health, and nutrition services that are developmentally, culturally, and linguistically appropriate and that will support each child’s growth and school readiness.”

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Facilitator

Jackie Rivera

Jackie has been a Health Administrator at a Head Start in central Missouri for over 10 years and is a Certified Community Action Professional. Before becoming a nurse, Jackie spent 10 years as an early childhood education teacher. Jackie oversees health and safety at her agency and is project manager for the agency’s Childhood Obesity and Diabetes Prevention Project and Women and Infant Relief Program. Jackie is a Licensed Practical Nurse, Child Development Associate, and Lactation Counselor. Jackie is certified to train in many topics, such as Compassion Fatigue, CPR/First Aid Motivational Interviewing, I Am Moving, I Am Learning, Family Wellness, Infant Massage, Mind in The Making, and Experiential Facilitation. Jackie has had the honor of being named for a National Child Plus Community Service Award and received MOCAN Healthcare Profession Award.

Course Author

Team NHSA

With nearly 50 years of experience, research, and advocacy work, The Academy Team at NHSA has used the highest standards to create this course to support the professional growth and development of Head Start and Early Head Start staff and leadership across the country.

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