Family Support Specialist

Family Support Specialist Job Description

Position Overview

All Achievement Centers for Children & Families (ACCF) employees are required to uphold the mission and vision of ACCF, and to foster an environment that promotes the academic, social, emotional and physical development of each child enrolled.

The Family Support Specialist (FSS) partners with families enrolled at ACCF and from the surrounding community to support children's academic, cognitive and social-emotional success. The FSS builds trusting relationships with families and encourages family participation and involvement in their children's development. The FSS works with children and families in creating a care plan; evaluates needs and documents progress; encourages behaviors that support positive outcomes; connects families to resources that will support their success; and helps families navigate systems essential to this process.

Classification: Exempt / Salaried

Schedule: Full Time

Reports To: Director of Family Support Program

Duties & Responsibilities

• Develop trusting relationships with students and families enrolled at ACCF or living in Delray Beach's priority neighborhood
• Create and maintain relationships with families to foster positive experiences for children and families
• Participate in daily family greeting activities
• Track needs of all children and families enrolled at assigned site
• Work in coordination with staff and families to monitor and support children’s developmental progress and address any barriers to success
• Assist in conducting screenings and assessments of all children and communicate results to families
• Conduct comprehensive interview will all ACCF families to support the development of a thorough care plan.
• Manage and conduct all linkages and referrals for ACCF families and community members
• Create and maintain a caseload of children and their families with identified need for developmental and case management support.
• Provide coaching and problem-solving to overcome obstacles for children and families and to bolster developmental and resource gains
• Support children and families in setting and reaching Achievement Plan objectives, connecting within the program and facilitating other community supports
• Provide families access to wrap-around resources from ACCF collaborative partners
• Develop and track care plan objectives and action steps to encourage and facilitate progress
• Recruit, coordinate and host family involvement in ACCF workshops and parent engagement activities
• Manage and maintain recruitment, enrollment, parent access to funding, parent communications, fee and documentation collection, etc.
• Explain absentee guideline process to families enrolling an "At Risk" child during intake
• Report client progress and enrollment status
• Assist in processing tuition payments
• Work with the program staff to create a socially and emotionally healthy and responsive environment
• Partner with COO to develop and run Parent Forum
• Keep all family and process related documentation up to date in client files
• Document and record all contact, referrals, care-planning conversations and progress for program evaluation purposes
• Maintain and keep up to date, all contact, referral and restorative practice logs
• Facilitate community building circles, responsive circles and formal conferences, engaging key stakeholders in the child's life
• Serve as a classroom staff and count in Health Department ratio if needed
• Attend weekly program staff meetings and represent ACCF at community meetings
• Provide assistance with translating information for all Creole speaking families
• Identify and assess families to determine who may be at risk of poor health outcomes
• Implement a solution focused plan for all family members that is SMART
• Act in the best interest of families by advocating for them during meetings with partnering agencies
• Engage children through play to support their learning and development in conjunction with the Teaching Strategies Gold Objectives for Development and Learning, VPK Standards and Head Start Statewide School Readiness Standards
• Assist in the planning and delivery of information to families
• Report on all safeguarding matters to leadership staff and ensure adherence to staff and organization safeguarding and Child Protection Policy and Procedures
• Other duties as assigned

Education & Experience

• Associate Degree in Human Services or related field, education, counseling (or similar) from an accredited college or university and experience in community organizing, or a combination of equivalent experience and training
• 1 years’ experience with case work / social work
• Required DCF Childcare Training Credential or willingness to obtain within first year of employment (Must be started within 60 days of start date.)

Knowledge & Values

• Knowledge or willingness to learn Restorative Practices, Wrap-Around and Motivational Interviewing
• Knowledge or willingness to learn about cultural and community strengths
• Knowledge or willingness to learn about race equity and systems barriers to school and college readiness
• Strong commitment to the expectation that all children regardless of their wealth, home language, zip code, gender, race or disability should have access to opportunity
• Strong commitment to ameliorating the social challenges faced by low-income children and families through high-quality programming and support
• Commitment to respectful, positive behavior toward, and interactions with, children and families, colleagues, volunteers and visitors is a must

Essential Skills & Abilities

• Bilingual (Creole-English) is required
• Strong organizational skills
• Ability to learn and grow through professional development within a results-oriented culture
• Devotion and ability to build close relationships with students, families, partner agencies and the community
• Ability to manage time effectively
• Strong communication skills and interpersonal skills
• Ability to work with diverse groups
• Positive approach to changing priorities and demands and work assignments
• Computer proficiency preferred

Essential Physical Abilities

• Be able to lift 25-30 pounds
• Be able to walk, see, hear, speak with children to ensure children's health and safety
• Must be able to utilize a computer for extended periods of time
• Must be able to endure repetitive wrist, hand and/or finger movement while operating office equipment
• Requires clarity of vision at close distances while operating a computer

Additional Employment Information

• Pre-employment training may be required
• Pre-employment and ongoing background checks required
• Pre-employment and random drug testing & alcohol screening
• 90-day initial probation period
• Delray Beach resident preferred
• Must have a flexible schedule to work mornings and evenings as needed

Equal Opportunity Employer Statement

ACCF is an equal opportunity employer. A non-discrimination clause concerning employment opportunity is incorporated in the Employee Policy and Procedure Manual. ACCF will make reasonable accommodations in compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 as Amended (ADA).