FAMILY ENGAGEMENT LIAISON

BEYOND HOUSING INC•Pine Lawn, MO

2d•Onsite

About The Position

Beyond Housing is a nationally recognized community development organization that works to strengthen families and transform underserved communities to create a stronger, more equitable, and prosperous St. Louis region for all. We engage where we’re needed, focusing on building consensus among leaders, providing and preserving housing, fostering community structures that shape lives, and guiding systems that improve people’s lives. We lead with a vision for what a community can be ~ every community is different. Still, thriving communities tend to share a basic set of positive traits in housing, safety, education, health, infrastructure, and access to basic human services. We bring together leaders and resources, volunteers and citizens, and pursue a wide assortment of creative approaches to build stronger, healthier communities for life. Finally, we are community builders, not kingdom builders. “It’s their neighborhood, future, & dreams.” Our objective is to help build and contribute to the good we do, adding value to the lives of the people we’re honored to serve. Position Summary: School Family Engagement Liaisons (S-FELs) are integral members of the Beyond Housing Education Department. As a school-embedded staff member, this position supports students and families by providing resources, hosting training sessions, and facilitating collaboration between home and school. S-FELs work onsite throughout Normandy Schools Collaborative and help to establish meaningful relationships between students, families, Normandy Schools Collaborative, and the broader community. The ideal candidate must have strong verbal and written communication skills.

Requirements

Collaborative -- A dynamic personality that is collaboratively minded, can recognize and identify strengths, seek consensus around mutual goals, and build meaningful relationships.
Creative and Curious -- A systems-thinker and builder who is not afraid to be innovative in designing solutions and has skills in articulating these ideas and concepts.
Methodical -- Strong analytical, systems, and problem-solving skills to evaluate performance, prepare reports, and recommend/implement solutions using independent judgment. Able to move from concepts to action through strong program design and evaluation.
Reliable -- Leadership skills that reflect and value a team approach, demonstrated integrity, effectiveness, efficiency, and the ability to deliver high quality service. Highly capable of handling multiple tasks, projects and timelines.
Excellent oral and written communications skills.
Trusted -- Ability to work with residents, partners, and staff of diverse backgrounds with a positive, optimistic, solutions-oriented attitude. Shares a deep respect for the community, its stakeholders, and the residents that we serve.
Driven -- Passion for the work and an interest in continuous learning and improvement.
High School Diploma or equivalent required.
Computer literacy with strong proficiency in Microsoft Office applications is required.
Strong interpersonal skills.
Family Engagement Liaisons must establish meaningful relationships with organizational peers, students, families, schools, and other external stakeholders.
Must have reliable transportation, valid driver’s license, and proof of auto insurance.
Knowledgeable about the challenges residents in low-income, majority Black neighborhoods face from long-standing racial exclusion.
Demonstrated commitment to the principles of Diversity, Equity, Accessibility, and Inclusion.

Nice To Haves

2+ years of experience of professional parent engagement, preferably in an educational setting.
Experience in early childhood education, primary/secondary education, special education, social work or related fields.
Bachelor’s degree is preferred.
A combination of education and experience will be considered.
Familiarity with Salesforce or other CRM databases.
Ability work some evenings and weekends.
Position requires driving between Beyond Housing Headquarters, NSC schools, and home visits.

Responsibilities

Demonstrating empathy, respecting and establishing healthy boundaries, and hosting consistent, high-quality interactions with students and their families.
Assessing family needs with an emphasis on basic needs such as safety, housing, food, clothing, and transportation.
Staying up-to-date on resources and services offered by peer and partner organizations.
Collaborating with school administration to support school-community needs.
Providing direct case management to a small cohort of students and families.
Conducting occasional home visits.
Collaborating with school social worker/counselors to determine needs of students and families and provide support through resources, services, and referrals.
Assisting in planning for school activities such as parent/teacher conferences, open houses, back-to-school events, recognition activities, and community meetings.
Planning and facilitating family engagement events.
Collaborating with Housing FELs (H-FELs) to plan community engagement events.
Planning, hosting, and/or attending monthly Family Engagement Liaison Network meetings.
Identifying and attending professional development and training opportunities to further develop expertise.
Documenting and reporting provision of basic needs items, interactions, activities, events, and other data.
Attending weekly supervisory meetings with the School FEL Program Manager.
Other duties as assigned.