Family Support Specialist - Healthy Families

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Job description

Overview:
Learn. Play. Lead from Children's Home Society Florida on Vimeo.

Since opening our doors in 1902, CHS became a part of Florida's history.

CHS has been committed to growing and evolving to provide the right services and solutions to address the needs of children and families throughout the changing times. Every day, our team works with parents and kids to empower them and encourage them. With innovative technology solutions and a dedicated, experienced team throughout the state, we're changing the face of foster care and positively impacting children and families' lives for generations to come.

Join our team to continue to do good and create history serving Florida's children and families!

The Family Support Specialist (FSS) provides appropriate modeling techniques, education and other supportive services to families at risk to assist in the prevention of child abuse and neglect. Overall, the Family Support Specialist contributes to the CHS high performance culture by exhibiting our values and providing quality results that position CHS as the leader in delivering proactive behavioral health, case management, community and early childhood solutions for children and families.

WHY JOIN CHS
- Uplifting mission-driven work culture
- Make an impact in your community and become a part of Florida's history!
- Growth and professional development opportunities
- Great benefits package, including generous paid time off and holidays
- Opportunity to make a positive difference in children and families within your own community!

To learn more about the Healthy Families program,please click here!

Responsibilities:
Primary Job Functions
1. Provide appropriate modeling techniques, education and other supportive services to families at risk to assist in the prevention of child abuse and neglect.
- Screen and assess families referred to the Healthy Families program to determine eligibility and individual needs.
- Develop comprehensive Family Goal Plans for each client that clearly identifies specific goals, objectives and service needs.
- Maintain a minimum of 85% completed home visits for active clients, establishing a trusting relationship with at-risk families by initiating and maintaining regular client contact.
- Provide 1:1 support to clients through intensive home visitation, group facilitation and enhanced case management.
- Supervise children during scheduled visits, in-home services, visitations or in other situations as directed.
- Support healthy childhood growth and development by ensuring all children and families have access to health services.
- Facilitate access to community resources.
- Directly transport, when necessary, or arrange for client transportation for activities such as medical appointments, counseling, parent leadership meetings, other social service agency meetings or emergency services.
- Facilitate parent groups, where appropriate, to enhance family functioning through identified strength-based strategies to support family well-being and improve self-sufficiency.
- Assist in strengthening parent-child interaction by teaching positive parenting skills and age-appropriate discipline options.
- Administer educational developmentally focused home visit lessons and activities.
- Provide appropriate modeling techniques, education and other supportive services as delineated in service plan.
- Create and maintain client case records, documenting activities as required by the contract and CHS standards. This includes initial assessments, goal planning, progress notes, termination summaries and other records.
- Enter necessary information into required software systems in a timely and accurate manner.
- Meet with supervisor on a weekly basis to evaluate client status.
- Perform all job functions, using approved curriculum and tools, as set forth by the Healthy Families Florida contractual requirements to ensure the delivery of quality services.
2. Contribute to a positive, engaging work environment.
- Develop a strong knowledge base and stay current on dependency-related issues and trends.
- Participate actively in departmental meetings, training and education, and the quality management process.
- Comply with CHS's code of conduct, policies, practices, contracts and other legal obligations.
- Assist with training other team members and providing back up when necessary.
- Pick up projects on the fly; perform other duties as assigned from time to time.
- Demonstrate the CHS Common Bond Values in the performance of all job duties.

Qualifications:
Job Qualifications
Education, Licenses & Certifications:
- High school diploma or GED equivalent, required.
- AA/AS or BA/BS degree in Child Development, Education or Social Sciences from an accredited university, strongly desired.
- Florida driver's license within 30 days of hire and daily access to a reliable and insured vehicle, required.
Experience:
- Minimum of one year of experience working with culturally diverse young children and families in a human services or early childhood education setting, required.
- Equivalent combination of education and experience may be considered.

Competencies
Knowledge of:
- CHILD DEVELOPMENT | VARIOUS COMMUNITY RESOURCES

Skills and Proficiency in:
- Have skill in computer systems and MS Office, including Word, Excel and Outlook
Ability to:
- Make home visits and travel to local business-related activities with personal vehicle.
- Recognize social, economic, cultural and environmental factors in family and personal problem resolution.
- Communicate and interact effectively with team members and clients from diverse backgrounds.
- Set appropriate limits and boundaries with clients; act decisively to protect clients, when necessary.
- Assess and apply proper intervention strategies; be open to reflective practice.
- Identify and understand environmental stressors.
- Build trusting relationships with clients.
- Observe and report accurately on the functioning of individuals and families.
- Perform at a high level of autonomy with general supervision under strong demands in fast-paced, diverse, sometimes ambiguous environments.
- Handle stressful, sensitive, potentially life-threatening situations; preserve confidentiality and professional boundaries.
- Commit to providing high customer satisfaction with positive service delivery results.
- Meet critical deadlines, while maintaining attention to detail, accuracy and quality.
- Use sound judgement to solve practical problems; act decisively to protect clients.
- Demonstrate the behaviors of our CHS Common Bond Values, with acceptance of individual differences.

Schedule Expectations
The incumbent will work a standard scheduled week, which may include weekends, holidays and evenings. The ability to work flexible hours is required to meet business needs. If working remotely, incumbent will be required to be available by telephone and email during specified hours. Travel will be on an as-needed basis to conduct business-related activities. In the event of a declared disaster or emergency, an Essential Services Delivery position will be required to provide for the overall welfare of CHS clients when interruption of services could endanger their life, health or personal safety.

Together, good can be done.