Family Support Specialist - Child First
The Village was one of the first agencies in the country to provide homes for neglected children. Today, we continue to achieve our mission to build a community of strong, healthy families who protect and nurture children by providing a full range of behavioral health, early childhood and youth development, substance use treatment and support services for children, adults and families in the Greater Hartford, Connecticut region. Named a Connecticut Top Workplace for six consecutive years with national distinction for workplace culture and diversity, equity and inclusion practices, you can be part of an organization that's as committed to your success as we are to those we serve.
Starting salary: $53,000
About the role
The children served within the Child First program range in age from prenatal to six years old. Child First operates from a team approach and consists of a Clinician and Family Support Specialist, both of whom participate in sessions and treatment meetings. The Family Support Specialist provides intensive home-based case management services to children and families, and participates in implementation of the treatment plan, modifying as appropriate during the course of service. Services are provided in the home, office, or host setting to meet the unique needs of families served. Each team member is provided weekly individual, team, and group reflective supervision and is responsible for maintaining documentation according to licensing, accreditation, Medicaid, and Child First requirements.
Purposes of services are to facilitate the attachment relationship between the child and caregiver, improve family functioning overall, and connect the child and family with the community and community service providers in a positive way. There is expected consultation and care coordination with medical and psychiatric providers if appropriate. Must maintain productivity targets determined by the Scope of Service and remain current on all model training requirements.
Responsibilities
- Provides direct services to children and their families which may include:
- Conducts comprehensive assessments and engagement
- Develops treatment plans and contracts for services
- Implements treatment plans, modifying as appropriate during the course of treatment
- Discharge planning, which may include plans for follow-up treatment and connection to community services and programs
- Provides case management services
- Works with community groups in collaborative ventures
- Completes clinical documentation and reports, as well as any other documentation and reports required by agency and program policies and funding sources, accurately and timely
- Develops and maintains collaborative relationships with other community agencies and organizations to provide comprehensive and effective treatment services for clients (i.e., schools, courts, hospitals, etc.)
- Works as a team member with other clinical and administrative staff to respond to client and programmatic needs
- Contributes to agency organizational life by participating in agency-wide task forces, committees, or problem-solving teams as appropriate
- Contributes to agency visibility and development of community linkages by representing The Village in community groups or committees, as assigned by supervisor
Requirements
- BA in the human services field or BSW required
- Three years' experience in a comparable position in a human services agency preferred but not required
- Excellent oral and written skills and ability to communicate comfortably with children, parents, and school personnel
- Organized and able to work independently with minimal supervision
- Flexible and able to multi-task
- Cultural competency to serve targeted populations
- Bilingual skills preferred
- Experience working with inner-city children
- Commitment to Results/Performance-Based Accountability
- May be required to maintain a valid driver's license and ability to drive or otherwise obtain transportation to provide services throughout the service area
- Proficient with Microsoft Office and spreadsheet applications
- Possess solid general computer skills; familiarity with specific applications used by The Village a plus
Skills
- Clinical Assessment
- Treatment Planning
- Case Management
- Crisis Intervention
- Care Coordination
- Family Engagement
- Community Outreach
- Documentation & Compliance
- Interdisciplinary Collaboration