Bi-lingual Family Support Specialist

POSITION SUMMARY:

The Family Support Specialist (FSS) provides home visitation services to pregnant and parenting families with children ages 0-5 who demonstrate an increased risk of child abuse and neglect. The goal of home visitation is to promote positive parent-child interaction, support healthy childhood growth and development, and enhance family functioning, Home visits involve planned, focused interventions and delivery of the evidence based Growing Great Kids curriculum. The FSS utilizes a strength-based and family-center perspective to build rapport and empower families to meet their goals. This is achieved by decreasing risk and increasing protective factors such as knowledge of child health and development, nurturing skills, parental resilience, confidence, problem solving, and social/concrete support networks. The FSS also provides case management, crisis intervention, advocacy, and linkage to wraparound services as needed, working collaboratively with other community agencies. The FSS may remain as a resource to families for up to five years.

DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES:

• Maintain a caseload of 15-20 families. An FSS will start with a caseload of 10-12 families for the first and second years of the role.
• Provide regular home visits that meet Health Families America standards to all assigned families. This includes travel to various localities and neighborhoods within the service area.
• Complete all home visit documentation, measurement tools, and outcomes reporting in a timely manner determined by the Director and Supervisor, effectively utilizing all required components of the site’s data management system.
• Maintain confidentiality of families’ private information, unless a situation is identified wherein mandated reporting is necessary.
• Participate in weekly one-on-one supervisory sessions that last at least 1.5 hours per session.
• Develop Family Goal Plans in collaboration with families and Family Service Plans in collaboration with Supervisor, updating regularly according to site policy.
• Teach families child development and parenting skills using the Growing Great Kids curriculum.
• Teach problem solving and appropriate coping skills to enhance family functioning.
• Monitor and coordinate compliance with medical and immunization needs of the child.
• Collaborate with and have basic knowledge of all HumanKind programs, referring to wraparound services as needed.
• Assist families with accessing needed community resources and act as advocate and liaison between families and other community agencies, providing crisis intervention and/or transportation as necessary.
• Attend, participate in, and successfully complete all required training and ongoing agency and program meetings (some travel required.)
• Assist with planning family education, socialization, and support groups.
• Bilingual FSSs will translate program materials for families with limited English proficiency, and will provide culturally competent and family-focused home visiting services as described above. Bilingual staff will also act as a liaison between the family and community services as necessary and will ensure the family is connected to appropriate cultural and social supports.

KNOWLEDGE AND ABILITIES:

• Ability to effectively communicate orally and written.
• Ability to work well on a team, collaboratively with peers, and closely with supervisor.
• Ability to engage, build rapport, and develop positive, trusting relationships with families while maintaining professional boundaries.
• Ability to advocate for the needs of families and children.
• Ability to maturely assess stressful situations by identifying areas of concern, helping families problem solve, and responding in the best interests of the child.
• Ability to be open minded, humble, and accepting of individual, cultural, and lifestyle difference; also must be self-directed and flexible.
• Ability to observe and report accurately and objectively on the functioning of individuals and families.
• Ability to teach child development and parenting skills in strength based and family-centered manner.
• Ability to continually build reflect capacity with supervisor and teammates (self-identifying own strengths, abilities, areas for growth, emotional responses, and goals), and integrate feedback in a positive manner in order to learn and grow.
• Knowledge of pregnancy, infant and child development, and parenting skills and strategies.
• Knowledge of family systems and experience working with diverse populations.
• Knowledge of resources and referral services available within the Central Virginia Community.
• Strong technology skills including knowledge of Microsoft Office Suite (Word, Excel, Access & Outlook), and must be willing to learn the site’s case management software/data system (Casie).

MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS:

• Minimum of high school diploma or equivalent.
• Experience in working with or providing services to children and families.
• Experience and humility to work with culturally diverse families.
• Acceptance of individual differences and can establish trusting relationships.
• Infant Mental health endorsement preferred.
• Valid Driver’s License and acceptable driving record.
• Complete, pass and maintain all required background checks and drug test.