Family Support Specialist

Job Description

Job Description

OVERVIEW

Provides home visiting services and coordination of community resources for at-risk, first-time parents to prevent child maltreatment and increase school readiness through the Healthy Families Model of services. Work is performed under regular supervision and is guided by Healthy Families program policies and guidelines, agency policies and procedures, professional practices and including ethical standards related to client interactions and agency policies and procedures.

DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES

• Makes home visits and counsels and educates parents to nurture parent / child interactions, child development, prenatal and child health and problem solving skills.
• Develops, maintains and monitors Individual Family Service Plan (IFSP) in collaboration with Program Supervisor.
• Links families to and / or acts as a liaison between families and other agency and community-based service providers and monitors services.
• Records and documents observed family parental and health behaviors and staff intervention and activities.
• Performs developmental screenings.
• Links and coordinates target children with a medical and other service providers and promotes and facilitates immunizations for target children.
• Develop relationships with community agencies and maintain data on available services, application processes, and timeframes for frequently used referral agencies.
• Identifies and sources program curricula, toys, media and other tools.
• Coordinates community-based events for families.
• Manages and screens program referrals.
• Compiles, organizes and summarizes data on screenings, referrals and assessments and prepares related records and reports.
• Fosters relationships with community agencies.
• Maintains data, application procedures and timeframes on frequently referred services.
• Reports observed or suspected child abuse and neglect. Immediately within same working day, bring concerns related to potential child abuse and neglect to Program Supervisor as required by role of mandated reporter.
• Reviews case status with Program Supervisor.
• Participates in staff meetings, case conferences, training and other meetings.
• Performs related duties as assigned

KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS, AND ABILITIES

Considerable knowledge of family services involving family-centered and strength-based concepts including in-home visitation, primary prevention services to the

TYPICAL EDUCATION, TRAINING AND WORK EXPERIENCE

Bachelor's Degree in the Behavioral Sciences or Human Services and considerable experience providing services to infant, young children and their parents in families at risk.

LICENSURE AND CERTIFICATIONS

Valid VA driver's license.

OTHER

Must possess all qualifications and skills required by federal and state regulations to bill Medicaid for the services provided. See Medicaid Billing Addendum.

ENVIRONMENTAL AND PHYSICAL EXPOSURE

Work involves considerable exposure to disagreeable environmental conditions such as the requirements to interact with clients having unsanitary behaviors, poor hygiene and contagious illness and / or are potentially violent in unsafe or unsanitary residences or other locations; drive a vehicle, and / or transport clients in inclement, if not severe weather; occasionally physically assist and / or lift clients in the course of care.

RELATIONSHIPS

Relationships require excellent communication, social and interpersonal skills, tact and the use of specialized techniques to elicit information from and convey information to clients including hostile and abusive individuals; represent the agency, program and individual to clinical professionals or other service providers; make presentations.