Family Support Specialist, 2024 - 2025

Position Title: Family Support Specialist

Payroll/Personnel Type: 11 Month

Job #: 8653

Reports to: Director of Family and Community Engagement (FACE)

Shift Length: 6.5 Hours a Day

Union Eligibility: Eligible

Starting Salary: $40,000

Position Summary:

The Family Support Specialist is pivotal in aligning school, family, and community efforts to deliver a holistic support system, with a keen focus on enhancing attendance, academic performance, and literacy. Reporting to the Director of Family and Community Engagement, the Family Support Specialist will work closely with school leaders, educators, support staff, and community agencies to bridge the gap between educational settings and home environments. The Specialist is responsible for ensuring policy compliance family engagement and integrating resources to foster an environment conducive to student achievement. Key duties include implementing family support programs, leading outreach for homeless and foster families, and facilitating school crisis response. This role is critical to nurturing strong school-family-community ties and elevating educational outcomes in the district.

Key Responsibilities

Resource Management and Outreach:

• Serve as a key resource on family needs, community resources, and outreach for program support, including identifying funding opportunities.
• Assist school staff in establishing family centers and integrating services and activities; provide support during family crises.

Family Engagement and Community Relations:

• Design and deliver presentations to boost family participation in school activities and student achievement; connect families with appropriate community resources.
• Act as a liaison with external agencies and community resources that support families and children, facilitating access to necessary services.
• Act as liaison and provide cultural mediation between health care and social services and their communities

Record Keeping and Compliance:

• Maintain accurate records and files; compile data and reports to adhere to federal and local grant and program requirements; manage and track Title I.A family engagement budget expenditures in line with district and grant stipulations.

Program Development and Evaluation:

• Stay updated on trends in family support training; evaluate and recommend resources and methods for implementation in programs and schools.
• Develop methods for assessing the effectiveness of projects, programs, community resources, and family services; propose modifications as necessary.

Training and Professional Development:

• Design and produce training materials; coordinate the procurement of program training materials, audio-visual aids, etc.
• Collaborate with Professional Development staff to determine training needs; plan and conduct workshops and sessions on family involvement.

Professional Growth and Collaboration:

• Engage in and contribute to family support initiatives led by public and private agencies; attend workshops, conferences, and seminars to keep abreast of other community programs and enhance professional expertise.

Knowledge and Skills

• Proficient in engaging and communicating with diverse stakeholders.
• Community health worker training and certification
• Demonstrates a collaborative approach to achieve organizational objectives.
• Deep understanding of educational equity and the ability to apply it in practice.
• Open to and adept at applying feedback for continuous improvement.
• Detail-oriented, ensuring precision in all aspects of work.
• Capable of inspiring action at all levels of the organization.
• Knowledgeable about Saint Louis Public Schools' data systems and educational policies.
• Committed to promoting racial equity, using Equity Analysis Tools, and mitigating bias in educational settings to enhance educational strategies.
• Experienced in managing projects, with an emphasis on quality and collaboration.
• Knowledge of Multi-Tiered Systems of Support and related educational tasks.
• Effective leader, capable of guiding teams and influencing without direct authority.
• Excellent communication skills, and adaptability to various audiences within the school district.
• Maintains confidentiality and navigates public agency communications with tact.
• Fosters a collaborative team environment to maximize productivity and engagement.
• Prior experience in educational leadership roles is beneficial.

Experience:

• Working with culturally diverse parents and families in an urban educational setting
• Collaborating with community agencies
• Serving effectively in a collaborative team setting

Education:

• High School Diploma or Equivalent (required) AND
• A minimum of 60 college credit hours OR
• Passing score on the ParaPro/Paraprofessional Assessment OR
• Certificate of completion of the 20-hour Frontline Substitute Training Course

Physical Requirements:

• Must be physically able to operate a motor vehicle
• Must be able to exert up to 10 pounds of force occasionally, and/or a negligible amount of force constantly to lift, carry, push, and pull or otherwise move objects, including the human body
• Light work usually requires walking or standing to a significant degree

Working Conditions and Environment:

• Work is routinely performed in a typical interior/office environment
• Very limited or no exposure to physical risk