Family Specialist

Project DULCE (Developmental Understanding and Legal Collaborations for Everyone) supports families for the first six months following the birth of a new infant. Project DULCE is a collaborative Medical-Legal Partnership (MLP) model that seeks to identify and address infant/family risks and needs and build family protective factors for the family in a primary health care setting.

The DULCE Family Specialist joins the healthcare team by providing information on healthy child development, parenting support, and by helping parents connect to both formal and informal community resources. The DULCE Family Specialist meets with families at routine well-child visits as well as through home visits and telephone check-ins, providing information on child development and supporting unmet legal needs.

The social worker/family specialist will work directly on site within the pediatric clinic and will also be expected to conduct in-home visits and assessments as needed. The Family Specialist should have experience with families with children 0 to 6 months.

• Meet with families at all routine well-child visits to strengthen their knowledge of their baby’s development, identify parenting strategies and strengthen their relationship with their child’s patient- centered medical home.
• Collaborate with Medical-Legal Partnership to ensure that families in vulnerable situations are provided with available concrete supports.
• Administer relevant screening instruments to help the parent better understand their child’s development.
• Provide ongoing parent/newborn support through home visits, telephone, email and Community visits.
• Continually assess the need for extra resources for the family, especially relating to developmental concerns.
• Maintain regular communication with the care team, including pediatrician, behavioral health professionals, nurses, medical assistants and support staff to share relevant information on patient care.
• Participate in weekly case conferences with DULCE Clinical Team
• Participate in DULCE quality improvement activities.
• Documents all visits, telephone calls and other client activities in the electronic health record and project database, in a timely manner.
• Accesses entitlement and/or financial assistance for the client.
• Ensures clients is in a safe, appropriate environment, free from potential harm.
• Attends staff and other meetings in the community as assigned.
• Maintains strict confidentiality of clients’ personal and fiscal information.
• Stays current on emerging professional information and incorporates into case management services on an ongoing basis.
• Complies with all agency policies and procedures.
• Works with other staff members to form a positive, supportive team atmosphere.
• Other duties as assigned.

• Ability to observe adults and babies.
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills in Spanish/English.
• Ability to provide advocacy and community resources to families or knowledge of where to refer families for advocacy.
• Knowledge about providing services in the home and natural environment.
• Knowledge about infant development particularly related to developmental milestones,
• Temperamental styles and goodness of fit, attachment and self-regulation
• Knowledge of adult development particularly around parenthood
• Knowledge about cultural influences on individuals and families
• Ability to efficiently and effectively perform tasks independently with only moderate supervision.
• Must maintain courteous, professional and effective working relationships with employees and clients of the organization.
• PC Proficient (Word, Excel, Outlook, PowerPoint)
• Ability to review, understand, and apply concepts presented in training programs, conferences, and/or professional literature.
• Possessing experience related to delivery of services in a social service setting.
• Willingness and ability to work flexible schedule, including evenings.

• Ability to endure short, intermittent, and/or long periods of sitting and/or standing in
• Performance of job duties.
• Accomplish job duties using various types of equipment/supplies, e.g. pens, pencils, calculators, computer keyboard, telephone, etc.
• Ability to lift and carry objects weighing 25 pounds or less over distances of 100 yards.
• Ability to move, stack, and store education and prevention materials and supplies in storage area, including lifting materials and placing on shelves at levels 5’ 6” and lower.
• Ability to transport self to other departments, conference rooms, and on occasion to off-site locations to accomplish job responsibilities, attend meetings, workshops, seminars etc.
• Project DULCE targets infants ages 0-6 months and their families and provides a continuum of enhanced services aimed to identify and address civil legal needs that impact the infant and the family’s health and well-being.

• Bachelor’s degree required; master’s degree preferred.
• Background in child development or a related field and experience working with newborns and their families.
• Working experience and knowledge of the services provided by the Palm Beach County social service agencies, particularly with regards to children 0 to 6 months and their families.
• Excellent working knowledge of computer software and databases such as Word Perfect and all Microsoft-based programs required.
• Effective and excellent communication skills, both orally and in writing, organizational and planning, problem-solving, and interpersonal skills required.
• Ability to effectively communicate with clients, families, and staff from community agencies and engender cooperation from same. Ability and willingness to participate in ongoing professional development activities in order to keep current on new developments in the field and to enhance skills already maintained.
• The satisfactory completion of a criminal history investigation. Florida driver's license automobile insurance and reliable automobile.