Family Service Specialist (bilingual English And Spanish Required)

Job Responsibilities

Supports outreach and enrollment efforts by communicating the program's eligibility, selection, and enrollment policies and practices to families, other service providers, and the general public. Recruits children by coordinating with and accessing a wide range of community contacts and resources and engaging them in the recruitment process.

Prepares intake/enrollment applications, documents eligibility information, and determines eligibility for the Program and USDA programs.

Engages families as full partners by helping families develop and reach realistic and achievable long-and short-term goals, engaging them in assessing their needs and strengths, and supporting them in taking actions to reach their goals.

Supports families in addressing challenges (e.g., mental illness, substance abuse, disabilities, family violence) that affect their well-being, by discussing issues and/or linking them to community resources.

Works collaboratively with a range of specialists (e.g., medical, dental, speech, nutrition, mental health) by sharing child and family information, identifying approaches to solving issues, and developing follow-up plans.

Assumes responsibility for primary health care of assigned children at the center level in states where applicable. Prepares and maintains all required health records on enrolled children.

Where assigned and trained, administers medications in accordance with policy. Provides first aid when needed.

Where applicable, schedules health and dental examinations with contracted physicians and dentists. Provides or arranges for transportation for appointments or emergencies as needed.

Where applicable, participates and/or conducts screenings on children, including children with disabilities, as well as in developing individual service and health plans.

Provides information and education to parents and the community about available programs and other community resources. This can be done in-person, by telephone or a group presentation format.

Meets federal, state, and program documentation requirements by maintaining accurate, objective, complete, timely, and well-organized child and family records.

Develops and sustains relationships with families by maintaining frequent contact (e.g., home visits, phone calls, informal contacts) with them. Tracks progress toward child and family goals established informal plans (e.g., family partnership agreement, IEP, IFSP) by reviewing and documenting family achievements.

Promotes a unified approach to sharing child information with families by engaging in joint planning with teachers and other specialists to prepare for home visits and other family contacts. Participates in case management and transition meetings.

The person in this position must have the ability to work in a constant state of alertness and safe manner.

Protects the safety of children by ensuring the implementation of active supervision techniques to ensure no child is left alone or unsupervised at any time.

Ensures the mobilization and documentation of matching/in-kind funds.

Works in cooperation with supervisor to develop and document progress on professional development plan. Actively engages in professional development activities to increase qualifications in accordance with Corporation's Core Values.

May perform duties of other staff members (Teacher, Bus Monitor, Center Aide, Teacher's Assistant) in time of staff shortage.

Fills in on a temporary basis for facility staff when the staff member needs to leave the classroom for a short duration.

Attends center and home base functions such as staff meetings, parent meetings and special events.

Plans and implements parent meetings and training sessions.

Work may require the flexibility to stay until all children have left the program.

May translate.