BILINGUAL FAMILY SUPPORT SPECIALIST

Shelter Youth & Family Services•Arlington Heights, IL

8d•Onsite

About The Position

The Bilingual (Spanish/English) Family Support Specialist initiates and maintains regular, long-term contact and support with participant families for up to five years. The specialist builds trusting relationships and provides strength-based services, support, and education, helping families establish and achieve goals. The role includes screening first-time parents at a hospital or at home to assess family strengths and needs, and referring families to community services as needed. The specialist conducts home visits, provides ongoing support and parent education, promotes positive home environments and child development, and helps families build problem-solving and self-advocacy skills. The role also includes maintaining accurate program documentation, meeting reporting timelines, participating in meetings and reflective supervision, and completing required time reports. The position is supervised by the Healthy Families Supervisor and is classified as exempt. Work takes place at the assigned facility, in vehicles, in family settings, and in meeting rooms at the facility or other agency sites.

Requirements

A bachelor's degree or associate degree in early childhood education, social work, or a closely related field from an accredited school.
Experience working with or providing services to children and families.
Ability to establish trusting relationships.
Acceptance of individual differences.
Experience and humility in working with culturally diverse families.
Knowledge of infant and child development.
Willingness to build reflective capacity, including introspection, awareness of oneself in relation to others, and recognition of the value of supervision.
Fluency in both English and Spanish.
Strong written and verbal communication skills.
Strong organizational and time-management skills.
Basic familiarity and experience with Microsoft Windows and Office software.
Ability to work flexible hours.
Demonstrated commitment to and understanding of Shelter's mission, vision, and values.
Valid Illinois driver's license, an automobile, and proof of Illinois auto insurance.
Must become certified in CPR, Infant CPR, and First Aid within the first six months of employment.
Must complete a medical examination and TB test and be fully vaccinated against COVID-19 according to the latest CDC guidelines.
Must be fingerprinted by the State of Illinois and submit to a full background check through the Department of Children and Family Services.
Must submit official educational transcripts from the last school at which a degree was awarded.
Ability to lift 40 pounds.

Nice To Haves

Master's degree in social work or a similar field and experience are desired.
Infant mental health endorsement preferred.

Responsibilities

Conduct home visits according to Level of Needs Standards, tapering visits as the child approaches age five.
Screen parents during the prenatal period or immediately after birth to identify factors that may qualify the family for services.
Provide long-term supportive and educational services to enrolled parents.
Help parents develop skills to create a positive home environment.
Help families strengthen problem-solving and self-advocacy for themselves and their children.
Partner with families to establish and achieve personal goals.
Support parents in obtaining a medical home and ensuring timely immunizations and well-child visits.
Conduct regular social-emotional and developmental screenings of participating children and refer them to Early Intervention as needed.
Use parent-child activities to support child development and encourage age-appropriate stimulation.
Provide appropriate developmental activities to address developmental deficits.
Stay informed about community resources that can help families meet needs and accomplish goals.
Maintain accurate family demographic, assessment, home visitation, and program outcome information in Visit Tracker.
Meet program timelines for documentation and reporting.
Maintain a monthly report of daily activities with families.
Report schedule changes to the supervisor.
Follow program policies and procedures for home visiting.
Participate in staff meetings and reflective supervision.
Complete time reports every two weeks in ADP.