Family Assessment Specialist

Job Description

Job Description

Starting Salary : $45,000 / year

Position Summary : The Family Assessment Specialist provides care coordination for families with present danger due to mental health, behavioral health and / or substance abuse to assist, teach, and empower families in navigating the child welfare and behavioral health service system to achieve resiliency and recovery. The Family Assessment Specialist will provide community referrals, service authorizations and crisis intervention linkages to ensure family stabilization. This position also provides mentoring, support and advocacy to caregivers and children under investigation and engages, links, and monitors the family’s adherence to recommendations, including follow up for status reports with service providers. This position requires knowledge of Safety Decision Making Methodology and serve as a representative and advocate for families in a caring and respectful manner to promote engagement in services and treatment, as recommended. The Family Assessment Specialist works in partnership with DCF to link families to needed services and activities that promote recovery and resiliency based on their strengths, needs and desires while serving as a mentor or a role model of recovery and resiliency for caregivers and families.

Technical / Functional Expectations :

• Educate, Supports and Guides Families - This position educates and supports families involved in the child welfare and the dependency system and guides families in navigating multiple service providers. This position assists caregivers and children in accessing community resources and navigating the system; accompany family as needed to hearings, appointments, and other recommended services.
• Creates Family Service Plans- This positions helps identify and build families’ social support, strengths, and needs while assisting families to identify and build natural supports as well as self-advocacy and self-efficacy skills. This includes helping families identify strengths and recognize successes to promote self-esteem and empowerment.
• O utreach, Family Engagement, and Intervention : This position provides outreach and family engagement of families determined to be safe that includes review and discussion of family situation and risk level, barriers, intervention, and options that would effectively lower current risk.
• K nowledge of Safety Decision Making Methodology : This position must possess strong knowledge of Safety Decision Making Methodology. This position receives referrals, assists with family engagement, and provides case consultation. This position engages in joint home visits with Child Protective Investigators when indicated.
• I n t ake Management and Timely Service Referrals : The Family Assessment Specialist is responsible for managing the intake of referrals and coordination of staffing with Child Protective Investigators. This position tracks the status of referrals and initiates a secondary review and staffing when indicated for families determined to be at risk.
• FSFN Documentation Case Activity : Brevard C.A.R.E.S. maintains a case record for each family served and documents all case activity into FSFN. This position ensures that case documentation complies with all legal requirements and contains information necessary to provide services. Brevard C.A.R.E.S. complies with case record guideline and best practice standards related to documentation of case elements. This position documents all telephone calls and / or visits with caregivers and families into FSFN, completes monthly status reports for each assigned family to document progress and barriers to family engagement and treatment. This position also participates in staffing’s / team meetings involving assigned families and complies with requirements for FSFN documentation based on policies and procedures including updates received via email, trainings, staff meetings, and other written communication
• Ot her duties as required : Performs other tasks to contribute to the team effort.

Behavioral Competencies :

Business Experience :

Salary : $45,000