Family Connections Consultant II

About the Role

The Family Connections Consultant (FCC) provides home-based and community services in Maricopa and Pinal Counties to families referred by the Department of Child Safety (DCS) to participate in the Family Connections program. This evidence-based practice focuses on helping families identify strengths and areas of need, empowering them toward solutions, and alleviating the reasons for DCS involvement.

Responsibilities

• Attend in-depth training provided by DCS.
• Provide direct services to program participants, including:
  • Outreach and engagement
  • Assessment and personalized service planning
  • Tailored interventions based on assessment and service plan
  • Coordination of care and collaboration with DCS and other involved services
  • Guiding families to obtain needed resources (e.g., housing, counseling, Title XIX or XXI services)
• Conduct home visits once or twice per week at times convenient for the family, which may include evenings and weekends.
• Observe children in the home once per week and report any suspected child abuse or neglect to DCS.
• Promote positive parenting skills and recommend referrals to the Nurturing Parenting Program or other relevant programs.
• Communicate directly and regularly with DCS Specialists and outside agencies regarding participants’ needs and progress.
• Complete all appropriate documentation within 48 hours of any communication with or regarding the family.
• Participate in regular staff meetings and trainings as required by JFCS and DCS contractual obligations.

Family Consultant II Additional Responsibilities

• Review reports written by team members and identify needed corrections.
• Upload required reports into Guardian.
• Assist in the onboarding, training, and scheduling of new hires.

Key Performance Indicators

• Working knowledge of the child welfare system.
• Familiarity with skill-building, psycho-educational work, and motivational interviewing.
• Knowledge of techniques to identify underlying, unmet needs of children and families.
• Ability to adjust schedule to client needs, including evenings or weekends.
• Working knowledge of NextGen EMR system with minimal documentation errors.
• Ensure all corrected and completed reports are uploaded into Guardian within timelines required by the DCS contract.

Metrics

• Successfully manage a caseload of 4 to 6 families at any given time.
• Conduct 6-8 home visits per week.
• Participate in weekly individual and group supervision.
• Complete documentation in the Electronic Medical Record system within 48 hours.
• Initiate contact with the family within one business day of referral receipt.
• Complete Family Assessments within 30 days of referral using a computer-assisted self-inventory and interviews with family members and providers.
• Develop an individualized service plan with UBSMART goals.
• Complete weekly reports for DCS regarding communication and progress for each family, uploaded to the DCS website weekly.

Requirements

• Bachelor’s degree in a social service field required.
• One year of social service work experience required.
• One year of experience as a Family Consultant I.
• Familiarity with the child welfare system strongly preferred.
• Experience in skill-building and psycho-educational work strongly preferred.
• Experience working with children and families strongly preferred.
• Reliable transportation required.
• Ability to obtain and maintain a Level 1 Fingerprint Clearance Card without restrictions.
• Valid Arizona Driver’s License required.
• Active/valid Arizona auto insurance with appropriate liability limits to meet contractual obligations.
• MVR report that meets JFCS criteria for driving positions (obtained prior to employment and bi-annually during employment).
• Ability to pass pre-employment and random drug screens.
• Must be able to perform essential job functions, including prolonged sitting, driving, lifting up to 20 lbs, walking, standing, and dexterity with a keyboard or smart pad.