Job Details
** Family Support Specialist *Bilingual Preferred* - McLean & Champaign Counties**
**Job Category****:** Child and Family Services **Requisition Number****:** FAMIL001415 Showing 1 location **Job Details**
**Description**
The Baby Fold is a leader in trauma-informed practices, employing the most effective treatment plans in every facet of our work. We focus on the physical and emotional safety of our families first, build on their strengths, and then guide them with skill and compassion to be their best selves. Our expert staff create a personal plan for each family to address their current situation and lead them to independent success in the future.
The Family Support Specialist serves and assists young parents who voluntarily participate in the Healthy Start program to help them feel confident in their new role as mother/father. In-home services begin during pregnancy and can continue until the child successfully transitions to other developmentally appropriate services or settings, including but not limited to, pregnancy and parenting information, child development education, parent-child activities, connecting them with community resources, and assisting with baby items.
**Benefits** would include medical, dental, vision, tuition reimbursement, 403B and ROTH retirement plan options, unique opportunities for high levels of professional training, meaningful work, collaborative team culture, discounted health club memberships, paid vacation, sick and personal time, and paid agency holidays.
**WORK HOURS:** Full-time, 37.5+ hrs/wk, requires evening and weekend availability
**OFFICE LOCATION:** This position will assist in both McLean and Champaign Counties.
**ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS:**
- **Assessment:** Provides a trauma-informed screening and assessment including obtaining client and family histories to determine exposure to trauma/childhood adversity, risk factors. Assesses the strengths and needs of clients, initially and throughout the period of service provision. Uses a strength-based, family-centered, and relationship-based approach in providing services to young families, recognizing the importance of involving clients/parents/caregivers as partners throughout service provision.
- **Service Planning:** With the input of client families, plans services that will strengthen and support the families. Employs strength-based approaches to maximize safety for all and opportunities for client/parent/caregiver choice and control. Conducts developmental screenings, provides car seat training, models parenting skills, and makes referrals to community service providers to address issues such as prenatal care, baby items, job placement, child care, mental health or substance abuse treatment, housing, or financial assistance.
- **Case Management, Advocacy, Education and Support:** In accordance with the service goals, provides mentoring, advocacy, support, and education that will protect children, preserve families, and enhance the mental health of children and families by:
- Creating environments that are safe, comfortable and welcoming for all children, families and staff.
- Facilitating trauma-informed collaborative relationships with children, parents, caregivers and colleagues which demonstrates care, respect, cultural competence and developmental sensitivity.
- Identifying key signs, symptoms, impact and manifestations of trauma, disrupted attachment, and childhood adversity in children and adults.
- Educating parents/caregivers about the risk and protective factors associated with trauma/childhood adversity, healthy child development, and assisting them with developing tools/strategies to strengthen development.
- Encouraging and assisting parents and caregivers in recognizing and addressing their own trauma and providing referrals as appropriate.
- Demonstrating a knowledge of human development and how people can be affected by trauma, abuse, adversity and stress at various stages.
- Understanding how behaviors, including those that appear to be problems or symptoms often reflect trauma-related coping skills.
- Demonstrating knowledge of the ARC model (Attachment, Self-Regulation and Competency) and its individual stage one building blocks which focus on safety and stabilization.
- Demonstrating the ability to teach children and parents/caregivers de-escalation, calming, mindfulness and affect regulation techniques to assigned population.
- **Recordkeeping and Reporting:** Completes and maintains case notes, client records, reports and other required documentation according to agency guidelines for completeness, accuracy, and timeliness
- **Legal and Ethical Responsibilities:** Complies with all pertinent state and federal laws, DCFS rules and procedures, and the Code of Ethics for Child Welfare Professionals.
- **Travel and Transportation:** Provides transportation for children and/or family members to family visits, approved activities, court and other appointments, as assigned. Requires regular travel throughout McLean County to perform job responsibilities.
- **Community Relations:** Represents the agency in a positive light to active and potential clients, referral and funding sources, and the general public. Utilizes community contacts to advocate for clients and to promote child and family welfare. Demonstrates the ability to communicate and collaborate with children, families, professionals and communities to establish supportive relationships.
- **Professional Development:** Enhances professional competence through ongoing awareness of developments in the field of child welfare. Assists with training, supervision, and evaluations of student interns. Assists with the training of new staff.
- **Quality Improvement:** Participates in the Peer Review process for client files. Contributes to quality improvement through active participation in Quality Improvement activities.
**MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS:**
* Bachelors degree in Social Work or related field required.
* Two years of relevant work experience in the field of child welfare or early childhood programs strongly preferred.
* BILINGUAL STRONGLY PREFERRED.
**PHYSICAL DEMANDS:** 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. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.
While performing the duties of this job, the employee is regularly required to read, write, talk, and hear. The employee is frequently required to sit. The employee is occasionally required to stand, walk, use hands to type, write, or handle objects, reach with hands and arms, climb or balance, stoop, kneel, or crouch. Must have hand and eye coordination and manual dexterity necessary to operate a computer keyboard and basic office equipment.
The employee must sometimes lift and/or carry small children, records and/or other items up to 50 pounds. Must have the physical ability to enter homes and other work-related environments that are not handicap accessible.
**Vision and hearing requirements:** Close vision, depth perception and ability to adjust focus; visually and auditorily assess a childs well-being and provide auditory assessments of the mental and emotional condition of a child; visually assess the safety and condition of home environments; and communicate effectively with, staff, clients, and others in person, by telephone, and in writing.
**Cognitive abilities:** Employees must be able to use deductive reasoning to apply general rules to specific problems; demonstrate problem sensitivity to tell when something is wrong or likely to go wrong; demonstrate Social perceptiveness by being aware of others reactions and why they act as they do; and use self-awareness to be aware of ones feelings and behaviors.
**Qualifications**
**Skills**
**Behaviors**
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**Moti