Family Support Specialist

This is a full time position in the Early Childhood Services Department, located in Greenwood and part of Carolina Health Centers, Inc.

Vaccination against COVID-19 is a condition of employment for all Carolina Health Centers Inc. employees. For questions, please contact 864-396-0121.

GENERAL DESCRIPTION:

The Family Support Specialist (FSS) is responsible for the engagement and enrollment of families in the Healthy Families America program. The Family Support Specialist will complete the validated Family Resilience and Opportunities for Growth (FROG) Scale with families to identify family strengths and areas to address at the start of services with parents. This role may include activities such as managing referrals, outreach to families referred, determining eligibility for services, offering HFA services, connecting families to additional resources in the community, and maintaining relationships with referral sources.

The Family Support Specialist (FSS) is responsible for initiating and maintaining regular and long-term (up to four years) contact and support with families according to the critical elements of the program model. Contact will occur primarily within the family’s home with visits lasting at least one hour. Virtual visits may take place as needed. The interventions should be family-centered, strength-based, and directed at establishing a trusting relationship; strengthening the parent-child relationship; promoting healthy childhood growth and development; and enhancing family well-being by reducing risk and building protective factors. The FSS partners with families and honors diverse family structures and parenting practices. The Family Support Specialist must have good communication and writing skills and knowledgeable of community resources to offer referrals to the appropriate community-based agencies, depending on the family’s needs. The Family Support Specialist will report to the Clinical Supervisor.

This is a grant-based position and dependent on funding availability.

REQUIREMENTS:

All employees of Carolina Health Centers, Inc. are expected to perform the duties of their job and behave in a manner consistent with the Corporate Philosophy which supports the values of: honesty, integrity, openness, the pursuit of individual and collective excellence, and unwavering mutual respect and appreciation.

In addition, this position requires:

Education:

• Bachelor’s degree in Social Work, Human Services, Psychology, or related field; or Bachelor’s degree with advanced training or education in child development, family studies, nursing, infant mental health, or related field.

Work Experience:

• Experience in working with or providing services to children and their families.
• Experience in human service programs and home visitation
• Experience working with culturally diverse communities/families

Licensure and Certification:

• Infant Mental Health Endorsement preferred

Skills:

• Able to read, write, and communicate effectively orally and in writing
• Proficient use of computers, word processing, and other software programs
• Ability to complete project/task with a specified deadline
• Demonstrates excellent writing and organizational skills
• Possess excellent interpersonal skills and have acceptance for individual differences
• Ability to establish trusting relationships
• Knowledge of HIPAA and ability to maintain confidentiality
• Knowledge of infant and child development, case management, and health and community resources
• Ability to provide services that are strength-based and family centered even in a chaotic and stressful environment
• Experience and humility to work with culturally diverse populations
• Willing to engage in building reflective capacity (e.g., capacity for introspection, communicating awareness of self in relation to others, recognizing value of supervision, etc.)
• Must have valid driver’s license, proof of auto insurance, and a safe driving record
• Must be able to work overtime and flexible hours as needed
• Must be willing to travel
• Bilingual in English and Spanish is preferred but not required
• Pass a background check

Physical Abilities:

• Sit or stand for extended periods of time
• Able to push, pull and reach, sit, stoop and stretch
• Have full range of body motion
• Have the hand-eye coordination and manual dexterity needed to operate a computer, telephone, copier, and medical equipment
• Required to talk and hear
• Vision abilities required for this job include close vision, distance vision, color vision, peripheral vision, depth perception, and ability to adjust focus

DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES:

• Participate in the enrollment of a new family in the program and completing the intake process
• Perform outreach efforts to families referred to the program
• Build trusting relationships with families to engage and retain families in the program
• Visit and make contact with families as prescribed by the program parameters
• Complete the validated Family Resilience and Opportunities for Growth (FROG) Scale with families to identify family strengths and areas to address at the start of services with parents
• Maintain accurate and complete documentation on each family
• Complete timely and accurate data entry and reports as required
• Assisting the family in establishing goals and making a plan for the accomplishment of those goals
• Utilizing the ASQ-3 and ASQ-SE developmental screening to regularly assess the growth and development of the child
• Administering other screening tools such as the depression screen, intimate partner violence screen, and parent-child interaction screen as required by program
• Participate in individual weekly reflective supervision with immediate supervisor (minimum 1 ½ hour)
• Provide information on child development and parent/child attachment utilizing appropriate curriculum. Encourage and provide opportunities for positive parent/child interactions
• Assess and provide guidance related to child safety
• Track child immunizations and encourage regularly scheduled well child visits
• Makes appropriate referrals to community resources, if needed
• Participate in staff meetings and other events as required
• Attend workshops, conferences and other trainings to enhance professional development and to keep updated on new development in the field

Reporting Relationships

Responsible to:

• Directly supervised by the Healthy Families America Clinical Supervisor

Workers supervised:

• None

Interrelationships:

• Works in cooperation with staff and effectively serves clients

This job description is not designed to cover or contain an exhaustive listing of activities, duties, or responsibilities that are required of the employee for this job. Duties, responsibilities, and activities may change at any time with or without notice.

Job Type: Full-time

Pay: From $46,071.07 per year

Benefits:

• 401(k)
• 401(k) matching
• Dental insurance
• Employee assistance program
• Employee discount
• Health insurance
• Life insurance
• Paid time off
• Vision insurance

Schedule:

• 8 hour shift
• Day shift
• Monday to Friday
• No nights
• No weekends

Education:

• Bachelor's (Required)

Work Location: In person

Salary : $46,071