Family Engagement Specialist

Iris Family Support Center, Inc.

About The Position

At Iris Family Support Center, Inc. , we're on a mission to strengthen family foundations across Northern Indiana. Here you'll have the chance to support children and families as they navigate the complexities of family dynamics, striving to achieve stability and harmony within their family unit. Are you passionate about working with families? Do you want to go home each day knowing you've made a difference? This is the place for you. Iris is dedicated to Stopping Child Abuse and Neglect. In this role at Iris, you will meet families in their time of greatest need and guide their efforts to achieving safety and stability. Recent Bachelor's Level Graduates are highly encouraged to apply! The Family Engagement Specialist will report to a Family Engagement Supervisor and provide the following service lines: Intensive Foster Care, Family Preservation, Supervised Visitation, Father Engagement, and Home Based Casework. The Family Engagement Specialist will complete intakes, assessments and ongoing case management services to families referred to Iris Family Support Center by the Department of Child Services and Juvenile Probation. The Family Engagement Specialist will work alongside the family to provide services that support family stabilization and child safety. Evidence-based practices will be utilized to provide trauma-informed office-based, community-based, and home-based services. Family Engagement Specialists maintain an ongoing caseload of active families. The Family Engagement Specialist may be required to testify in court regarding services provided. The Family Engagement Specialist will need to work individually and within a team to assist families in completing goals and maintain child safety at all times.

Requirements

Communication (Verbal/Written)
Relationship/ Rapport Building
Ethical Practice
Trauma Informed Approach
Critical Thinking Skills
Resiliency
Continuous Learning
Personal Accountability
Problem-solving
Demonstrates maturity
Must have reliable daily dependable transportation to use on the job and transport others. Operator of vehicle must have valid driver’s license and proof of insurance.
Ability to maintain strict confidentiality, per agency requirements.
Bachelor’s Degree in Human Services, Social Work, Education or directly related field.
One year of full-time experience in home management, home maintenance, and/or child-care.

Nice To Haves

Experience working with families/parents/children in a human service organization a preference.
Life or job experience caring for children.

Responsibilities

Maintain a caseload as referrals are available to meet productivity requirements.
Successfully deliver services to referred families.
Utilize customer service strategies to enhance client engagement and satisfaction.
Conduct creative and persistent outreach to enroll clients into services (including, but not limited to, face-to-face visits, drop-bys, phone calls/texts, social media).
Provide intake and assessment of all families on case load within required timelines, with a focus on understanding and addressing customer/client needs.
Complete case notes in a detailed, yet succinct, finished format.
Complete scheduled appointments within the parameters of the specific program involved.
Establish an emotionally supportive, non-judgmental, trusting relationship with parent(s), using independent judgment and adjusting as needed.
Utilize communication models to describe and address common breakdowns in customer/client interactions.
Independently establish a case plan with goals, objectives and activities with each client, reviewing and rewriting, as well as setting new goals as circumstances change. This case plan will incorporate the needs identified by the referral source as well as the needs identified by the staff and the client. This case plan will guide services.
Assist clients with achieving goals and objectives set forth in case plan within time frame established, incorporate customer/client feedback.
Exercise discretion and judgment in identifying plans of action to achieve goals and objectives, including day-to-day direct contact with clients, government entities, other agencies, and courts.
Advocate on behalf of the client and link the family to additional community resources and services.
Learning and executing the following Evidence Based Practices- Family Centered Treatment, Motivational Interviewing, 24/7 Dads, Trust Based Relational Intervention, and Nurturing Parenting.
Complete all required paperwork in various databases within established format and deadlines.
Work within an environment of frequently changing priorities, deadlines, and duties.
Provide client transportation as necessary to complete goals of the program and client case plan.
Assist with crisis assistance as needed, such as hands-on lice treatments.
Teach and role model parenting techniques to the family using approved methods and materials.
Teach home management, financial management, childcare, discipline, nutrition and personal skills as appropriate.
Report any case that may involve “imminent harm” or “threatened harm” to a supervisor immediately.
Attend 8 to 12 in-service training sessions per year and continuously develop skills in customer service and case management.
Meet with supervisor for supervision as required by service standards, department requirements and “best practices” of supervision.
Collaborate with supervisor and team members to implement customer service best practices.
Attend court hearings, case conferences, team meetings, department meetings, and other meetings as required.
Approximately 40% travel is expected for this position. Must be able to travel within all counties in the assigned Region. The assigned region (DCS Region 4) includes Allen, Whitley, DeKalb, Noble, Steuben and LaGrange Counties.
Performs other duties as assigned.