Family Support Specialist (Family Preservation)

About the role

The Family Support Specialist (FSS) provides trauma-informed, non-clinical, hands-on support to parents/caregivers receiving child welfare or juvenile probation services and interventions.

Responsibilities

• Engages with children and caregivers with professionalism, empathy, genuineness, and respect.
• Provides support and services that build on the strengths of the family to help them achieve desired outcomes.
• Mentors and educates caregivers to enhance overall parenting skills and knowledge.
• Works with the Child and Family Team to build family resilience and improve functioning across all life domains.
• Ensures child safety in the family home a minimum of once weekly.
• Navigates and connects families to sustainable community resources to help prevent future involvement in child welfare or juvenile justice systems.
• Communicates directly with the parent/caregiver to ensure their needs are being met and interventions are effective.
• Rehearses crisis responses with the family as identified in the Plan of Care and the Crisis Plan.
• Assists parents in effectively advocating for culturally appropriate services.
• Manages competing priorities with minimal supervision.
• Completes other duties as assigned to advance the mission of Choices.

Qualifications

• At least 21 years of age.
• A high school diploma or its equivalent.
• Experience with child serving systems (mental health, child welfare, probation, special education).
• Prior experience with Wraparound services or Child and Family Teams preferred.
• Demonstrated leadership and advocacy skills.
• Strong communication skills.
• Bilingual skills (Spanish) a plus.
• Strong organizational skills.
• Enthusiasm about advancing system change within the community.
• Valid driver’s license in state of residence and auto insurance.

Benefits

• Medical
• Dental
• Vision
• Employer Paid Life Insurance
• Short & Long Term Disability
• Tuition Reimbursement
• Paid Parental Leave
• Generous PTO plan

Pay

Hourly rate: $19.95/hr

Schedule

Not specified