Family Support Specialist Jobs

About The Position

Requirements

• One year of full-time experience in home management, home maintenance, and/or child care.
• Reliable daily transportation for work and transporting others; vehicle operators must have a valid driver's license and proof of insurance.
• Ability to maintain strict confidentiality in accordance with agency requirements.
• Ability to work 40 hours per week and remain available during core hours of 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. Monday through Friday and 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturdays.
• Ability to meet the physical demands of the role, including climbing and maneuvering stairs and narrow spaces; tolerating strong odors; lifting and physically manipulating up to 60 pounds; reading in poorly lit areas; operating standard office equipment and a motor vehicle; and responding rapidly to rescue a child.
• Ability to evaluate sounds, interactions, movements, and environmental safety using sight, hearing, and smell, including assessing potential child abuse and neglect.
• Ability to communicate with and teach parents and children with varying intellectual capabilities.
• Ability to work in environments where exposure to infectious diseases, substances, and contaminated articles may occur.
• Communication skills, both verbal and written.
• Relationship- and rapport-building skills.
• Ethical practice and a trauma-informed approach.
• Critical thinking, resiliency, continuous learning, personal accountability, and problem-solving skills.
• Demonstrates maturity.

Nice To Haves

• Experience working with families, parents, or children in a human service organization.
• Life or job experience caring for children.

Responsibilities

• Maintain an active caseload and meet productivity requirements and service contract outcomes.
• Provide crisis intervention, intakes and family assessments, safety planning, treatment planning, interventions, and aftercare planning.
• Complete Motivational Interviewing certification within the first 90 days of employment and required training in Nurturing Parenting, Trauma Focused Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, and 24/7 Dads within 12 months.
• Provide multiple hours of in-home services each week and complete at least 20 hours of face-to-face services weekly.
• Collaborate with referral sources, courts, DCS, probation, foster parents, guardians ad litem, CASA volunteers, colleagues, supervisors, and team members.
• Complete assessments, clinical recommendations, progress notes, treatment plans, monthly reports, and other required paperwork in the appropriate databases by established deadlines.
• Implement evidence-based models and meet required fidelity measures and timeframes.
• Use customer service strategies and creative outreach to engage and enroll clients, including visits, drop-ins, calls, texts, and social media.
• Build and maintain emotionally supportive, nonjudgmental, trusting relationships with parents, using independent judgment and adapting services as needed.
• Establish and regularly review case plans with clients, setting goals, objectives, and activities based on referral-source, staff, and client-identified needs.
• Help clients achieve case-plan goals, incorporate client feedback, and exercise discretion in selecting appropriate actions.
• Advocate for clients and connect families with additional community resources and services.
• Learn and implement Motivational Interviewing, 24/7 Dads, Trust Based Relational Intervention, and Nurturing Parenting.
• Provide client transportation as needed to achieve program and case-plan goals.
• Provide crisis assistance as needed, including hands-on lice treatments.
• Teach and model approved parenting techniques and, as appropriate, home management, financial management, childcare, discipline, nutrition, and personal skills.
• Immediately report cases involving imminent or threatened harm to a supervisor.
• Attend 8 to 12 in-service training sessions annually and continually develop customer service and case management skills.
• Meet with the supervisor as required and collaborate with supervisors and team members on customer service practices.
• Attend court hearings, case conferences, team and department meetings, and other required meetings.
• Travel within the assigned region, which includes Allen, Whitley, DeKalb, Noble, Steuben, and LaGrange Counties.
• Submit mileage and enter payroll on time each week.
• Perform other duties as assigned.