Family and Community Engagement Advocate (345)

Lutheran Services Florida•Fort Walton Beach, FL

5d•Hybrid

About The Position

Lutheran Services Florida (LSF) is seeking a Family and Community Engagement Advocate to support and assist families in identifying and meeting their goals through a family-centered case management model. This role involves developing and carrying out program family partnership agreements, managing child files, handling enrollment/applications, and assisting with child health requirements and other screenings. The advocate will coordinate with center staff to integrate family partnership goals with classroom efforts, participate in team management functions for family and community engagement, and pursue professional development through in-service training, workshops, conferences, and college courses. They will also work cooperatively with local agencies to connect families with community services, conduct and document follow-up on referrals, and maintain confidentiality regarding Head Start/Early Head Start children, families, and staff. The position includes providing health, safety, and family literacy activities to parents, developing knowledge of community resources, and attending parent/teacher conferences, team development meetings, and staff meetings. A key responsibility is ensuring a written transition plan is prepared for children six months prior to their third birthday and attending all required staff and parent meetings and activities.

Requirements

High School diploma or GED.
Must obtain a credential or certificate within 18 months of hire in social work, human services, family services, counseling, or a related field to remain employed in position.
At least three years of experience working with children and families in a social services environment.
Certification in First Aid and CPR within three months of the date assigned to this position.
Successful completion of a Level II background screening and drug screening prior to hiring.
Knowledge of the principles and practices of social work and human behavior.
Knowledge of human development and health.
Knowledge of social services and health services available in the area.
Knowledge of computer data entry processes.
Knowledge of family-centered practices.
Ability to communicate ideas and instructions orally and in writing.
Ability to write reports and business correspondence.
Ability to speak before groups of individuals, such as Committees and Staff meetings.
Ability to calculate amounts by adding, subtracting, multiplying, dividing, and figuring percentages.
Ability to interpret an extensive variety of instructions.
Ability to define problems, collect data, establish facts, and draw valid conclusions.
Ability to make recommendations and develop implementation strategies.
Basic computer skills.
Must demonstrate sensitivity to our service population’s cultural and socioeconomic characteristics and needs.

Nice To Haves

Head Start/Early Head Start experience preferred.
Bilingual preferred: English/Spanish or English and other languages present in the local area.

Responsibilities

Supports and assists families in identifying and meeting their own goals through a family-centered case management model.
Develops and carries out program family partnership agreements.
Manages child files, enrollment/applications, and assists with the completion of child health requirements and other required screenings and assessments.
Participates in HS/EHS Quality Assurance efforts.
Coordinates with center staff to integrate family partnership goals with classroom efforts and ensure integrated child and family curriculum.
Participates in team management functions of planning, implementing, and evaluating family and community engagement goals and objectives.
Participates in in-service, workshops, conferences, and college courses to enhance skills.
Works cooperatively with local agencies to assist families in linking up with services in the local community.
Conducts and documents follow-up on all referrals.
Regularly shares information with teachers to ensure coordinated services that meet the needs of individual children and families, while respecting family confidentiality.
Provides health, safety, and family literacy activities to parents, as appropriate.
Develops a working knowledge of community resources and visits major agencies at least annually for service delivery updates and community resource guide updates.
Attends parent/teacher conferences, multi-team development, and staff meetings as requested.
Ensures an appropriate written transition plan is prepared for all children six months prior to their third birthday.
Attends all required staff and parent meetings and activities.
Maintains strict confidentiality with respect to Head Start/Early Head Start children, families, and staff.
Implements, documents, and reports on the recruitment, selection, and enrollment of potentially eligible children birth through age 5, pregnant women, and their families in collaboration with the Health and Family Community Engagement Manager.
Recruits prospective families and completes the enrollment process.
Maintains funded enrollment and fills Head Start/Early Head Start vacancies within 30 days.
Accurately verifies and determines eligibility for Head Start/Early Head Start enrollment.
Monitors attendance and maintains an average daily attendance above 85%.
Follows up with any families experiencing participation or attendance problems.
Documents all efforts to assist families, tracks family partnership efforts and outcomes, records, monitors, and follows up on referrals, and submits reports as required.
Coordinates and implements monthly parent committee meetings at assigned center site(s).
Maintains accurate records and documentation for parent committee meetings (e.g., meeting minutes, agenda, training, sign-in sheet, and PC members’ eligibility paperwork).
Ensures the elected Policy Council representative and/or alternate for assigned center site(s) attend the Program’s Policy Council monthly meeting.
Coordinates monthly parent engagement activities through the A Man Everybody Needs (AMEN) and Ladies of Victory and Empowerment (LOVE) support groups.
Implements a comprehensive, individualized, and developmental parent engagement and education program responsive to parent needs, concerns, and requests.
Ensures comprehensive, timely two-way communication between parents, Head Start staff, and community individuals and organizations.
Encourages parent volunteerism throughout the program.
Provides parents regular opportunities to work together and with other community members on activities they helped develop and in which they expressed an interest.
Encourages parents to take an active role in making community services more responsive to their goals and needs.
Promotes full child/family participation in program activities and assists with monitoring and resolution of any problems.
Assists parents, including pregnant women, with the transition process into Head Start from Early Head Start or other settings, and from Head Start to kindergarten.
Promotes child and family wellness and the establishment of a medical and dental “home” for each HS infant, toddler, and preschool child and each pregnant woman.
Provides physical/dental/mental health and nutrition education activities responsive to the ongoing and expressed needs of parents.
Assists and supports families with engaging and completing the appropriate disability paperwork for their child requiring services.
Acts as a team player with co-workers and all organizational staff.
Contributes to cost-effective program operations.
Adheres to agency policies, procedures, and performance standards.
Provides effective customer service and group leadership.

Benefits

Medical
Dental
Vision
Telehealth (24/7 online access to Doctors)
Employee Assistance Program (EAP)
Employer paid life insurance (1X salary)
13 paid holidays + 1 floating holiday
Generous PTO policy (starting at 16 working days a year)
403(b) Retirement plan with 3% discretionary employer match OR 3% student loan repayment reimbursement
Tuition reimbursement