Family Support Advocate

Richland County First Steps•Columbia, SC

About The Position

The Family Support Advocate provides prevention-focused home-based services to pregnant women and families with children ages 0–5 who are involved with the State Child Welfare system in Richland County. Using the Parents as Teachers curriculum, the Advocate visits families weekly or biweekly according to risk factors and provides child development education, parent education, case management, and family support. The Connected Families Program aims to promote family permanency and child well-being, prevent unnecessary removal of children from their homes, and reduce further involvement with the Child Welfare system by connecting families with voluntary, coordinated services and community resources. The role is grounded in positive, ongoing, goal-oriented relationships with families. Desired outcomes may include stronger parent-child relationships, improved family well-being, families acting as lifelong educators and learners, stronger connections with peers and the community, and families becoming advocates and leaders. The Advocate maintains a caseload of 12–15 families and completes documentation, data entry, referrals, and transition planning for each child and family. The schedule is Monday through Friday, 8:00 AM–5:00 PM, with occasional evenings and weekends for community events. The role uses a computer, Zoom, the MS OneDrive suite, and several documentation databases and family-support curricula, screening, and assessment tools. Training is provided for the listed databases and tools.

Requirements

At least an associate degree in Early Childhood Education, Social Work, Psychology, or a closely related field.
Experience working with infants, toddlers, and families from varied educational and socioeconomic backgrounds and cultural groups.
Experience working in varied settings with culturally diverse families and communities, with the ability to be culturally sensitive and appropriate.
Experience working with families in crisis situations, especially families involved with the Welfare System.
Ability to establish rapport with assigned families.
Proficiency with technology and ability to learn new database systems used for documentation.
Reliable transportation and a valid driver's license.

Nice To Haves

Bachelor’s degree.

Responsibilities

Conduct weekly or biweekly home visits using the Parents as Teachers curriculum.
Provide child development education, parent education, case management, and family support to participants.
Connect families with community resources, including medical homes, counseling, community assistance, employment, and training.
Follow up with families and agencies as appropriate to document referral use and outcomes.
Treat participants, community members, and fellow staff with positive regard.
Complete required documentation in a timely manner, including visit logs, child assessment and screening information, and activity reports.
Enter accurate and complete information for all families into the appropriate databases.
Create, maintain, and break down comprehensive binders for each family.
Participate in reflective supervision with the Director of Home Visitation, as well as staff meetings and trainings.
Establish age-based transition plans for each child and family.
Maintain a caseload of 12–15 families.