Bilingual Family Support Specialist FSC/DHS

Job Goal:

Implement family strengthening services with families in Family Support & Connections and provide wraparound services to meet the multiple needs of families who are needing supports and maybe systems involved.

Essential Responsibilities:

• Oregon Parenting Education Collaboration:
  • Provide needed assistance to OPEC Coordinator on tasks as assigned.
  • Regularly refer clients to Parent Education opportunities.
  • Support Parent Circle support group
  • Ensure families enrolled in home visiting programs are aware of parent education offerings in their communities.
• Family Support & Connections program:
  • Receive referrals DHS, Child Welfare, and other community partners and follow-up with face-to-face contact with clients.
  • Attend assigned trainings
  • Complete Family partnership assessment with each family, assist in developing family goals, provide community resources, and complete follow-up home visits with families to ascertain progress towards meeting goals.
  • Act upon all referrals of potential clients living in Umatilla and Morrow Counties as assigned.
  • Quickly identify formal and informal support systems and assist family in contacting potential resources that can meet each family’s identified needs, and then guide and encourage families to take the necessary steps to access help (i.e. refer to mental health counseling, parenting classes, housing)
  • Provide a combination of in-home and community-based supports as well as a combination of individual and group supports.
  • Provide most services in the community, meeting families where they live; in domestic violence cases assure the meeting place does not endanger any family members; make multiple contact with the family and support system members.
  • Support caregivers in attaining necessary parenting skills through the approved curriculum.
  • Provide intensive services per contract requirements.
  • Make regular contact with clients through home visits, when unable to meet in person, voice-to-voice contact with family member must be therapeutic in nature – therapeutic is defined as conversation about the client’s case.
  • Maintain a system that ensures the Family Satisfaction Surveys (DHS 234) are completed by each family. These will be collected and submitted to team lead.
  • Attend monthly DHS/Child Welfare meetings to discuss client’s progress.

General Staff Responsibilities:

• Participate in staff meetings, conferences, training sessions and workshops as assigned
• Demonstrate familiarity with employment policies, performance standards, work plan and objectives of Agency
• Maintain congenial and respectful relations with staff, children, families and community
• Keep current and accurate records and file reports on time
• Maintain confidentiality in regards to staff and family information
• Maintain objectives and professional standards
• Improve self‐skills and education
• Fulfill role as mandated reporter as stated in Child Abuse and Neglect Policy
• Be present at work in order to provide consistency of services
• Be a contributory team member in a positive/productive manner
• Demonstrate commitment to mission, values, and policies in the performance of daily duties
• And or any other duties deemed necessary by your supervisor

Education Requirements:

• HS/AA/BA degree in Human Services Early Childhood education or related field.

Experience and Skills Requirements:

• Experience, and certification verifying proof of working with caregivers and families in group and one-on-one settings.
• Two year experience working with children and families.
• Current First Aid/CPR
• Knowledge of early childhood
• Skills in working with children
• Ability to keep accurate records
• Knowledge and skills in working with adult learners.
• Salary is commensurate with education and experience.

Physical Requirements:

The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. While performing the duties of this job, the employee is required to:

• Observe, compare, and monitor behaviors, records and data to determine compliance with prescribed standards
• Comprehend, analyze, and make inferences and references from written material
• Lift and move heavy and/or bulky objects up to 50 lbs.
• Sit for long periods of time with keyboard and do data entry at a computer.
• Occasionally required to stand, use hands to finger, handle, or feel and reach with hands and arms.
• Frequently required to drive, walk and climb stairs in the office and in a variety of community- based and home settings.
• Drive a private or Agency vehicle; must possess a valid driver's license and personal automobile or provide a plan that will allow fulfillment of position requirements. (A DMV Record check will
• be conducted prior to hire)
• Occasional filing is required. This would require the ability to lift files, open filing cabinets and bending as necessary;
• Produce written documentation with clearly organized thoughts using proper sentence construction, punctuation and grammar.

Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable qualified individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

Work Environment/Conditions:

• The work environment includes indoor office environments or comparable spaces, families’ homes and community spaces, with frequent exposure to outdoor weather when traveling to home visits and meetings. The noise level varies by sites, home visits, and meetings.
• Job tasks are performed in close physical proximity to other people

Safety:

Apply safe practices in the performance of duties

• Reporting of unsafe or hazardous working conditions and/or any injury immediately
• Complying with Agency safety standards
• Participate in emergency drills
• Promote a culture of safe environments in the workplace

Agency-Wide Requirements:

• Current enrollment in the Child Care Division’s Central Background Registry
• Current physical examination, drug screen, and TB screen documentation prior to hire
• Ability to drive a private or Agency vehicle; must possess a valid driver's license and personal automobile or provide a plan that will allow fulfillment of position requirements. A DMV Record check will be conducted prior to hire.
• Desire to work with low‐income children and their families
• Communicate effectively with staff, families, children, and the public using the telephone and in face‐to‐face, one‐to‐one, and in group settings
• Fluent in English both verbally and written

The job description does not constitute an employment agreement between the employer and the employee and is subject to change by the employer as the needs of the employer and requirements of the job change.

Umatilla-Morrow Head Start, Inc. is committed to providing equal employment and advancement opportunities to all individuals in all aspects of employment, including, but not limited to, recruitment, hiring, job assignments, promotions, career advancement opportunities, working conditions, scheduling, disciplinary action, termination of employment, compensation, and access to benefits and training. We recruit, hire, and promote into all job levels the most qualified applicants without regard to legally protected characteristics.