Family Specialist I

About the role

We offer a competitive pay range of $28.48 - $35.02 per hour, with additional benefits including a 401K employer match up to 4%, medical, dental, and vision coverage, and a 7.5% bilingual differential. Our benefits start on day one.

Compensation

We offer a starting salary range of $28.48 - $35.02 per hour, with a 7.5% Bilingual Differential and an 8% License Differential for certain certifications. Additionally, we provide a robust benefits package including medical, dental, and vision coverage, a 401K with an employer match up to 4%, and competitive time off plans.

Benefits

We offer a comprehensive benefits package including medical, dental, and vision coverage, a 401K with an employer match up to 4%, and competitive time off plans. Benefits eligibility starts on day one.

Qualifications

• High School Diploma or GED and one (1) or more years of relevant experience required, or equivalent combination of education and experience
• Experience providing direct behavioral support to individuals with mental health, developmental, or behavioral challenges
• Demonstrated experience implementing behavior intervention plans and supporting clients with complex behavioral needs
• Familiarity with trauma-informed care, positive behavioral support, and data collection for behavioral outcomes
• Ability to work independently while collaborating with multidisciplinary teams
• Experience in school-based, residential, or community mental health settings
• Certification in CPI, PCM, or other crisis intervention models or willingness to obtain

Job Summary

Within a team process, develops a strength-based relationship with youth and caregivers. Intervenes with maladaptive behaviors while developing the youth's strengths and interests. Responsible for linking to community resources, and transferring skill sets to the caregiver. Helps to create permanent connections for youth and families. May search, locate, and engage family members for youth. Assists with transitioning kids to the lowest level of care. Works independently in the family's home and in a variety of community and/or treatment settings.

Responsibilities

• Provides direct services to youth and families
• Provides direct billable mental health services, documents in alignment with MediCal regulations, and achieves set productivity expectations
• Manages and builds alignment and relationships with parents, youth, and others in the normal course of working with the families
• Utilizes strengths of youth, families, and others to assist in the implementation and achievement of goals and outcomes
• Works with youth and family teams to support family-driven, strength-based planning and interventions
• Understands and takes advantage of therapeutic opportunities in crisis situations
• Conducts observations regarding specific target behavior, tracks progress, and modifies plans with the family to support their intended identified outcome
• Aids teams in developing a hypothesis of function and underlying unmet need in an effort to develop individualized, strength-based strategies and interventions that will result in positive behavior change
• Aids teams in developing a strategy or resource-specific to an identified need and monitors outcomes
• Participates in family finding team activities by identifying family finding needs, obtaining authorizations, creating teams, conducting searches, and setting deadlines
• Completes Connectedness Maps as needed
• Documents interactions and practices and maintains administrative expectations in a timely manner
• Meets and or exceeds all direct service expectations and documentation requirements
• Assists in developing program responses to needs identified across a number of youth and families where natural community resources are not available or appropriate
• Builds on individual strengths, concerns, and needs with a balanced focus on the family as a unit
• Facilitates and/or co-facilitates, supports, and models participation in healthy group dynamics within various settings including family homes, schools, parks and recreation centers, and treatment facilities; and provides an open forum for expression of feelings and ideas when appropriate
• Builds solid, cooperative, culturally responsive relationships with youth and families as well as community resources to assist with the planning, organizing, implementation, and evaluation of appropriate activities to achieve family identified goals
• Performs other responsibilities, as assigned, to support department/business needs

Physical Requirements

Must remain physically fit enough to keep children and self-safe. While performing these duties the employee is occasionally required to stand; walk; sit; use hands to handle, or feel objects, tools or controls; reach with hands and arms; climb stairs; balance; stoop; kneel, crouch or crawl; talk or hear; taste or smell. The employee must occasionally lift and/or move up to 25 pounds.