Family Specialist

Description

To ensure child safety by working with families involved with Child Welfare and Juvenile Justice cases, assisting them to improve on safety concerns in their parenting skills and household management and to develop positive coping mechanisms.

After initial orientation and training, the Family Specialist is expected to routinely flex their schedule and/or create an alternative schedule that may include working nights and/or weekends with parents and families per the families' schedules.

Examples of Duties

• Works with families to teach basic parenting skills and strategies to promote safety in family functioning and the home, including skills such as positive parenting, hygiene, housekeeping, age-appropriate recreation, and education, etc. Develops activities to engage parents in improving these areas.
• Conducts home visits to assess family needs and provide case management, when necessary, while promoting self-sufficiency.
• Provides psycho-educational services on family related matters, such as: child development, parenting, life skills, home management, personal problem solving and accessing community resources as needed.
• Establishes trusting relationships with primary caregivers and children, encouraging positive family dynamics and teaching skills to provide them with a safe, protected, home environment.
• Works with parents to facilitate transportation
• Supervises family visitation and provides oversight when needed
• Maintains the family recovery room. Monitors and replenishes supplies and organizes the room to ensure it is appropriate for visits at all times.
• Acts as an advocate for child(ren) and mentor for the parent(s).
• Sets appropriate boundaries and limits with children and families.
• Provides access duties for the Family Services Section as needed.
• Coordinates with the Child Protection social workers, develops and encourage good holistic outcomes for families.
• Attends court hearings, staffing and other Family Treatment Court meetings and family functions as needed.
• Maintains strict confidentiality of all information pertaining to families and related work performed
• Participates in supervision/consultation.
• Performs other duties as assigned.

Qualifications

A. Associate Degree in Human Services, Criminal Justice, or other related field.
B. Two year working experience with children and families.
C. Knowledge of drug/alcohol dependence and the needs of individuals in recovery,
D. Knowledge of child development and positive parenting.
E. Demonstrated ability to perform work in an independent manner, with minimal supervision from the Family Services Manager.
F. Microsoft Office Word and Excel intermediate level with ability to type 40wpm.
G. Valid Wisconsin driver's license and reliable transportation.

Physical Demands
A. Ability to sit or stand for extended periods of time while performing duties in an office or home environment.
B. Ability to drive
C. Light lifting – up to 40 pounds
D. Ability to work out in the field (e.g. climb stairs, move through a facility or home)
E. Requires physical demands such as seeing, hearing, and color perception to make judgments both in the office and out in the field

Supplemental Information

Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities

A. Interpersonal Skills
1) Recognizes and acknowledges the feelings of others and demonstrates respect for families
2) Recognizes the importance of dealing with difficult issues within families in a purposeful and meaningful manner to facilitate hope/vision/change.
3) Identifies, with the family, strengths that can be linked to promoting change.
4) Facilitates a team approach with the family and other providers.
5) Persists in engaging families, gathering information, and seeking out resources.

B. Personal/Professional Awareness
1) Recognizes/respects needs and beliefs of individuals of diverse cultures.
2) Understands that people can change and integrates this belief into case practice.
3) Understands how values, style and background can impact objectivity/bias.
4) Identifies personal strengths and limitations and understands how this is related to their professional role.
5) Displays an ability to be decisive.
6) Displays openness to new information.
7) Seeks out and applies evidence based practices and applies them to working with children and families.

C. Analytical Thinking
1) Displays an ability to gather information from a variety of sources and understands family situations/conditions/dynamics.
2) Ability to identify and successfully apply strength based and solution based strategies when working with children and families.

D. Communication Skills
1) Creates situations that allow for open communication with families and collateral providers.
2) Communicates clearly and accurately, orally and in writing.

E. Organizational Skills
1) Completes required documentation accurately.
2) Meets all required timelines.

Shifts and Work Hours:
Generally, the courthouse is open from 8:00am until 4:00pm, Monday through Friday. Depending upon the position, full-time employees may be scheduled either 37.5 or 40 hours per week.

Shifts for Dispatch personnel will vary, but cover 24-hours per day, 365 days per year. Applicants for these positions must be flexible. .

Insurance:
Health insurance is available to regular employees that work 26 hours per week or more and those that are eligible for participation in the Wisconsin Retirement System. Coverage is effective upon completion of one full calendar month of employment.

Both Disability and Life Insurance are available.
A Section 125 Plan (Flexible Spending) is available.

Sick Leave:
Sick time is accumulated at the rate of eight (8) days per year for full-time employees and is pro-rated based on hours worked for employees working 50% time or more. New employees are provided with 37.5 or 40 hours upon hire (in addition to the monthly allocation), which may be used for any purpose during the first year of employment.

Vacation for full-time employees scheduled 1950 hours per year:
Upon Hire: 37.5 hours
After One (1) year: 75 hours
After Five (5) years: 112.5 hours
After Ten (10) years: 150 hours
After Fifteen (1) years: 187.5 hours

Vacation for full-time employees scheduled 2080 hours per year:
Upon Hire: 40 hours
After One (1) year: 80 hours
After Five (5) years: 120 hours
After Ten (10) years: 160 hours
After Fifteen (1) years: 200 hours

Up to five (5) days equivalent of vacation may be carried over to the next year and must be used within the first 6 months of the new year.

For employees working more than 50% time, but less than full-time, vacation time is pro-rated based upon the regular number of hours scheduled.

Holidays:

New Year's Eve, New Years Day, Memorial Day, Labor Day, Veteran's Day, Spring Holiday (Friday before Easter), Christmas Day, Thanksgiving Day, Day After Thanksgiving, Fourth of July, Christmas Eve

Retirement:
Wisconsin Retirement System (Employee and Employer each contribute).

An optional Deferred Compensation Program is available.

Additional voluntary insurances are available, including: Vision, Dental, Accident, Disability and Critical Care. Premiums are payroll deducted for those who choose to enroll.