Family Specialist / Case Manager

Catholic Charities•Hartford, CT

About The Position

The Family Specialist / Case Manager provides administrative and programmatic support to the Family Center and coordinates basic human needs services, family recruitment, outreach, marketing, community engagement, and case management. The role supports family development, early childhood programming, parenting education, and community partnerships so families can access needed resources and services. The position conducts family intake and needs assessments, provides referrals and advocacy, follows up with families, and helps them navigate community resources and social service systems. It also supports program implementation, family engagement and retention, required documentation and reporting, and the coordination of center programs and community events. The employee maintains accurate and confidential family records, helps keep the center organized, and contributes to program quality improvement through data collection and trend identification. The position requires flexible scheduling to accommodate program activities, outreach, family engagement, training, meetings, and special events. The employee is expected to demonstrate professionalism, accountability, and commitment to the agency’s mission and values.

Requirements

An associate degree in human services, early childhood education, social work, or a related field is preferred; significant social services experience may also be considered.
Strong oral and written communication skills.
Proficiency in Microsoft Office applications, particularly Word, Excel, and Outlook, as well as Canva and artificial intelligence tools used for administrative, communication, and program development purposes.
Demonstrated cultural competence and respect for the diverse cultural attitudes, beliefs, values, and practices of families served.
Strong networking and relationship-building skills, including the ability to establish and maintain effective community partnerships.
Knowledge of child development, family-centered practices, parenting education, and community resources.
Ability to demonstrate empathy, professionalism, enthusiasm, dependability, and commitment to serving families.
Ability to maintain appropriate professional boundaries while providing supportive, respectful, and empowering services.
Ability to encourage self-sufficiency, promote positive social behaviors, and support families in achieving their goals.
Strong organizational, problem-solving, time-management, and documentation skills.
Ability to work independently, exercise sound judgment, remain flexible, and adapt to changing programs and family needs.
Ability to collaborate effectively with agency staff, community partners, families, and other stakeholders.
Willingness to work flexible hours and schedules, including evenings, weekends, and special events when required.

Nice To Haves

Bilingual proficiency in Spanish and English is strongly encouraged.

Responsibilities

Promote center programs to parents, families, and community stakeholders, and support efforts to maintain program capacity.
Distribute calendars, flyers, and other promotional materials about center programs, activities, and events.
Participate in community events, meetings, and outreach activities to promote services and strengthen partnerships.
Build and maintain relationships with community organizations, service providers, and other stakeholders.
Support recruitment efforts to engage new families in center programs.
Conduct intake assessments to identify and evaluate the needs of children and families.
Provide referrals, advocacy, and follow-up to connect families with resources such as mental health services, healthcare, insurance, housing, food, energy assistance, and employment.
Provide family-centered peer support that empowers families to identify needs, access resources, and work toward self-sufficiency.
Maintain communication with families to encourage participation, support retention, and address barriers to services.
Help families navigate community resources and social service systems.
Provide administrative and programmatic support to Family Center programs and activities.
Support early childhood family programming and help families transition children to kindergarten.
Coordinate the RISE program for girls ages 5 to 18, maintain the adult volunteer opportunity, and support the Entrepreneurship program.
Provide or coordinate parenting education and family development activities that encourage social connection.
Coordinate basic human needs programs and services to help families access appropriate resources.
Complete and maintain family assessments, intake forms, attendance records, evaluations, and other program reports.
Provide case management and maintain accurate, confidential, up-to-date family records, including data entry in the Case Worthy system.
Maintain the cleanliness, organization, and order of the center, office areas, program materials, and supplies.
Work with community partners to coordinate programs and special events, including the Children’s Festival and Three Kings Day Celebration.
Attend required staff meetings, training, supervision, and community meetings.
Ensure consistent and accurate data collection, identify program patterns and trends, and use data results to inform the supervisor of trends that may affect services.
Perform other duties as assigned by the Director or requested by the agency.