Human Services Counselor I - 64029131

State of Florida • Largo, FL

3d • Onsite

About The Position

The Human Services Counselor I works with pregnant women and families with infants through the Healthy Families Pinellas home-visiting program. The counselor builds trusting relationships through regular client contact, provides case management, care coordination, parent education and parenting support, and visits families in their homes for up to five years. The role coordinates with a multidisciplinary team, connects families with community services, supports ongoing prenatal and infant health care, and tracks prenatal care, immunizations and well-baby care. The counselor is a mandated reporter and closes cases when services are no longer needed or a participant is ineligible.

During home visits, the counselor uses screenings and assessments to identify participant needs, helps families establish goals, implements curriculum and referrals to address risk factors, and supports the development of protective factors and parent-child attunement. The role provides parent education using recommended curricula, as well as family-planning, healthy-delivery, tobacco-risk and smoking-cessation education and referrals.

The counselor documents client progress and services in program forms and electronic systems, maintains client health records, completes required encounters and reports, and meets program, grant, performance and funder standards. The position includes at least 1.5 hours of weekly supervision, staff meetings, parent support groups, and required training. Work is based at the Florida Department of Health in Pinellas County’s Mid-County Center in Largo, with travel throughout Pinellas County for home visits. A flexible schedule, including evenings and weekends as needed, is required.

Requirements

• At least one year of experience working with at-risk children and/or families.
• High school diploma or equivalent, as required by Healthy Families Florida policies.
• Valid driver's license and daily access to a reliable personal vehicle.
• Ability and willingness to work a flexible schedule, including evenings and weekends as needed.
• Ability to plan, organize and coordinate work assignments.
• Ability to communicate effectively verbally and in writing in English.
• Knowledge of basic computer software and ability to enter data into a computer.
• Motivation to learn and apply knowledge of child development, family development and family planning.
• Ability to apply basic counseling skills, including rapport-building, maintaining professional boundaries, active listening, reflection and empowerment.
• Ability to maintain program casework standards and complete electronic HMS documentation within two working days of service.
• Ability to maintain a dependable, punctual work schedule appropriate to program needs.

Nice To Haves

• Written and spoken fluency in English and Spanish.
• Infant Mental Health Endorsement.

Responsibilities

• Establish and maintain trusting relationships with families through regular contact consistent with Healthy Families America accreditation standards.
• Provide case management, care coordination, parent education and parenting support to pregnant women and families with infants through home visits, potentially for up to five years.
• Coordinate as the primary contact on a multidisciplinary team that includes therapists, nurses and father support specialists.
• Maintain an assigned case weight and meet Healthy Families Pinellas home-visiting and risk-appropriate care guidelines.
• Connect pregnant women, families and infants with community services and support continued participation in prenatal and infant health care.
• Coordinate with other providers, especially health care providers, and track prenatal care, immunizations and well-baby care.
• Close cases promptly when services are no longer needed or a client is ineligible.
• Conduct screenings and assessments during home visits, including initial home assessments, home-safety questionnaires, HFPIs, CCIs, Edinburgh Depression Screens and developmental screening tools.
• Help families develop goals; implement curriculum and referrals to address risk factors; and strengthen protective factors and parent-child attunement.
• Provide in-home parent education using recommended curricula, including GGK, the Gold Within and FSU curricula.
• Provide family-planning options and education, including information on planning future healthy deliveries and women's health.
• Provide tobacco-risk and smoking-cessation education, counseling and referrals.
• Document case management, client progress and home-visiting activities using program forms; maintain electronic health records and complete required data-system entries, encounters, EARS and HVRs.
• Use program data reports to ensure timely administration of required assessments and tools.
• Meet grant goals, performance measures, objectives, program requirements and funder requirements; maintain applicable personnel and medical-record standards.
• Meet with a supervisor weekly for at least 1.5 hours of reflective, clinical and administrative supervision and participate in staff meetings and parent support groups.
• Attend professional-growth and mandatory training, perform other assigned duties and complete reports as assigned.
• Travel throughout Pinellas County for home-visiting purposes.

Benefits

• Annual and sick leave
• Nine paid holidays and one personal holiday each year
• State Group Insurance coverage options, including health, life, dental, vision and supplemental insurance
• Retirement plan options with employer contributions
• Flexible Spending Accounts
• Tuition waivers

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Entry Level
• Education Level: High school or GED