Family Support Specialist I (Part-time)

National Children's Advocacy Center•Huntsville, AL

6d•Hybrid

About The Position

The National Children’s Advocacy Center (NCAC) is seeking a part-time Family Support Specialist to join our team of professionals who encourage positive parent-child relationships in a culturally sensitive and informed manner. This opportunity requires a dependable, self-motivated, patient, and caring individual who is passionate about supporting the NCAC’s mission to champion and strengthen the global response to child abuse. As a member of our team in Huntsville, AL, you will provide parent education and support services to first-time, at-risk parents using the Healthy Families America national home visitation model developed by Prevent Child Abuse America. This model is designed to build partnerships and engage overburdened families in home visiting services; cultivate and strengthen nurturing parent-child relationships; promote healthy childhood growth and development; and enhance family functioning by reducing risk and building protective factors. You will primarily work one-on-one with parents and their infants, toddlers, and preschoolers, conducting individual home visits in sometimes challenging settings, and providing transportation assistance as needed to medical appointments or child development services.

Requirements

Possess working knowledge of family dynamics, parenting, and child development
Understand and respect a variety of different backgrounds and family dynamics
Have excellent interpersonal skills with the ability to build trusting relationships with families and colleagues
Demonstrate good observation skills
Maintain working knowledge of community resources and can use them appropriately to meet client needs
Maintain working knowledge of substance use disorder and domestic violence, and their effects on families
Establish and maintain effective working relationships
Excel in maintaining accurate and timely documentation of services
Possess flexibility for responding to clients in crisis during non-standard work hours
Remain calm in stressful situations
Work effectively in a highly collaborative environment
Have reliable transportation on an insured vehicle and are comfortable making home visits
Read, write, and speak English required
Associate's degree or higher in child development, early childhood education, counseling, or related human services field, or two (2) or more years of college and related experience working with children and/or families
Minimum of three (3) years of experience working with or providing services to children and families
Experience with and knowledge of the field of child development and maltreatment
Must possess a valid U.S. driver’s license
Must possess a registered passenger vehicle with current liability insurance

Nice To Haves

Bilingual in Spanish strongly preferred
Case management experience in family support services and child maltreatment cases preferred
Prefer Infant Mental Health Endorsement (IMH-E) Levels I or II

Responsibilities

Meeting with a family in their home for their weekly home visit and supporting the parent in learning nurturing parenting skills through education and developmental activities
Attending an online training session to build child development knowledge and creating a handout or activity to share information with parents
Answering a call from a client who is struggling with a toddler behavior issue and seeking advice on how to address it appropriately
Searching community resource lists to link parents and caregivers with needed services
Brainstorming with a colleague on how to help a family with a unique parenting challenge
Meeting with your supervisor to review case plans and services provided to families
Maintaining accurate and timely documentation, updating case records and program database
Assisting a parent in making and attending medical appointments or child development services and providing transportation to and from the appointments
Teaching or supporting logistics for the weekly parenting class
Accompanying a client to hearings or meetings with community agencies
Other duties as assigned