FCS-Family Support Specialist -- Grinnell

Four Oaks Family & Children Services•Grinnell, IA

1d•$45,000 - $47,000•Onsite

About The Position

Four Oaks is seeking a Family Support Specialist to work directly with children and families to create safe, stable, and supportive home environments. The role provides family support, care coordination, skill development, and crisis intervention to help families overcome challenges, strengthen relationships, and pursue reunification or other permanency goals. The specialist works with families, therapists, program coordinators, referring workers, and community partners to develop and carry out individualized service plans focused on family strengths and needs. The position is based at the Grinnell Campus in Grinnell, Iowa, and requires frequent travel of up to 50%.

Requirements

Meet one of the following: a bachelor's degree from a four-year college or university, preferably in a social services-related field; or an associate's degree in a human services-related field plus two years of related experience.
Compassionate, resourceful, dependable, and passionate about helping children and families succeed.

Responsibilities

Provide individualized support to children and families to build stability, strengthen relationships, and work toward safe, lasting permanency.
Build trusting relationships with families through consistent communication, encouragement, and guidance.
Partner with families, therapists, program coordinators, and referring workers to develop individualized service plans.
Provide family functioning interventions and support to improve communication, problem-solving, and everyday life skills.
Help families identify and access community services and support systems.
Maintain regular communication with families, referring workers, and community partners, including weekly coordination with therapists and program leadership.
Provide supervision, safety monitoring, and coordinated crisis planning to support safe home environments.
Respond to challenging situations with crisis intervention and participate in assigned on-call responsibilities.
Assess family needs, use established assessment tools, and develop structured service agendas supporting treatment goals.
Coordinate quarterly case staffing meetings, evaluate progress, and participate in permanency and discharge planning.
Use appropriate counseling and intervention techniques to support healthier coping strategies and positive behaviors.
Maintain accurate and timely documentation of services, interventions, and family progress while managing caseload and productivity expectations.