Family Support Specialist

The Center for Family Development is looking for someone to serve families located in Robertson, Sumner and Trousdale counties in Tennessee. The Family Support Specialist helps to strengthen families in an intensive home visitation program to optimize child health and development in accordance with the critical elements of Healthy Families America (https://www.healthyfamiliesamerica.org/). The Family Support Specialist must promote good public relations for the program and The Center for Family Development (TCFD) while maintaining family confidentiality. The Family Support Specialist applies and implements the philosophy and mission of TCFD.

Employment qualifications

• Bachelor’s Degree in Social Work, Human Services, or related degree preferred Experience in working with or providing services to children (ages 0-5) and families.
• An ability to establish trusting relationships.
• Acceptance of individual differences.
• Experience and willingness to work with culturally diverse populations that are present among the Healthy Families Program target population.
• Knowledge of infant and child development.
• Open to reflective practice (i.e. capacity for introspection, communicates awareness of self in relation to others, recognizes the value of supervision, etc.) Infant mental health endorsement level 1 or 11 preferred.
• Strong interpersonal skills/ability to relate to people with respect for their individuality.
• Must have valid driver’s license, automobile for fulltime business use and proof of automobile insurance.
• Good writing and organization skills.
• Experience with Microsoft Office.

Principle duties and responsibilities

• Establishes a long-term (up to five years) trusting relationship with at-risk families by initiating and maintaining regular contact in the family’s home.
• Visits will last at least one hour primarily in the family’s home.
• With Supervisor and family, establishes a case plan with goals, objectives, and activities to assist the family.
• Assist parents in making and attending appointments for doctors, social service agencies, and etc.
• Acts as a liaison between families and other community agencies.
• Assures that all family members have a primary care provider.
• Familiarizes self with available community resources and knows how to access services appropriate to the needs of the family.
• Utilizes prenatal and child development curricula.
• Meets with Supervisor on a weekly basis to review cases and evaluate client status; attends staff meetings.
• Documents all service contacts with family using appropriate forms in case record in a timely manner according to program requirements.
• Completes all evaluation tools used by the program at required intervals.
• Attends and helps in preparation (as required) of family support groups.
• Attends and/or participate in conferences, workshops, and other training related to job functions.
• Timely completes and turns in monthly data tracking form.
• Participates in the development of new other staff and/or student interns.
• Complete Parent Surveys as requested by supervisor (when Parent Survey trained only) Uses their own vehicle for travel to appointments.
• Ability to work occasional evenings and /or weekends as needed.
• Able to work in a smoke-free and drug-free work environment.
• Other duties as assigned.

The Center for Family Development recruits, employs, and promotes qualified personnel and administers its personnel practices without discrimination based upon age, sex, gender identity, sexual orientation, race, creed, color, ethnicity, religion, nationality, political affiliation, citizenship status, marital status, veteran status, disability or handicap, genetic information, pregnancy, family medical history, or any other characteristic protected by applicable federal, state, or local laws of the individual under consideration.