Family Support Specialist

POSITION SUMMARY:

The Family Support Specialist (FSS) maintains an outreach recruitment and enrollment process throughout the school year. The FSS works in partnership with the site team to encourage and plan for parent participation in their child’s education. The FSS works together with families in an effort to support them in recognizing and building upon their family strengths and improving the conditions and quality of their family’s life. The FSS’s work will adhere to ECEAP Program Standards, Service Plans, and the principles of best practice in the field of family support.

This position has access to protected healthcare information (PHI) or confidential identifiable information (CII), both paper and electronic, as necessary, to perform related job duties and responsibilities.

ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS:

• Team Player: Contributes to the development of positive communication, mutual respect, mutual support, competence, and creativity among all members of the ECEAP staff.
• Recruitment: Organizes and conducts ongoing recruitment to ensure full enrollment in the ECEAP center. In collaboration with other site staff, participates in ongoing recruitment.
• Enrollment: Organizes and conducts enrollment activities, interviews parents to determine program eligibility, verifies income and obtains necessary parent permission for ECEAP activities.
• Orientation: In collaboration with site staff, organizes and conducts parent orientations to ECEAP, including orienting parents to their rights and responsibilities in ECEAP and explaining relevant ECEAP policies and curriculum approaches.
• Family Support: Assists families in recognizing their strengths and supports them in setting goals and planning how to meet the goals through the development of a Family Partnership Plan. Works in partnership with families to overcome barriers, meet their stated goals and achieve economic success and prosperity. Provides family support services through at least three hours contact with each family during program year. Accesses ESD ECEAP Counseling Fund as needed when referring an ECEAP child/family to counseling services. Works collaboratively with center mental health professional in addressing mental health issues of the enrolled children and their families. Works with diverse populations and accesses interpreters and the Language Line as needed through ESD ECEAP Interpreter Fund.
• Home Visits. Visits family’s home as appropriate for the purpose of enrolling children in program, interviewing parents, informing parents of school and/or community resources and providing child development and parenting information.
• Health Information. Collects and identifies health and nutrition information including medical, dental, immunization records and other information from parents and health providers for the purpose of providing health summaries and information reports to center staff and coordinators and referring to health treatment as appropriate.
• Health Plans. Develops individualized child health and/or nutrition plans, as necessary, for the purpose of supporting the child’s success in school. At the end of the school year, evaluates and documents in child’s file the family’s experience with working on their child’s health plan.
• Crisis Intervention: Provides support to families experiencing a crisis and refers them to emergency assistance and crisis intervention providers, as appropriate.
• Parent Partnerships: Partners with parents for the purpose of assisting with access to health providers, obtaining exams, identifying obstacles to completing exams and securing appropriate treatment and follow-up on referrals for children. Promotes parent, staff and community partnerships in the ECEAP program through various methods (e.g., parent meetings, parent leadership, Parent Professional Development opportunities, newsletters, parent trainings, home visits, Policy Council, volunteer opportunities, and other strategies). Encourages parents to participate in the decisions concerning the education of their children and supports families involved in site leadership activities.
• Health Screenings. Provides or assists with providing health screenings, immunization verifications, and outside agency referrals (e.g. hearing, vision, immunization compliance, height/weight relationships, etc.) for the purpose of promoting needed treatment and complying with program requirements.
• Transitions: Works with families and site team to ensure smooth transitions for children and families to after- and after-school care and between ECEAP and Kindergarten.
• Family Events: In collaboration with site staff and families, plans and facilitates family events that respond to specific training interests and information requests as indicated on a Parent Interest Survey or through other parent input throughout the year. Works with the site team and parents to schedule family events at times that are convenient for families.
• Health Education. Provides health, nutrition and oral health education to children and families including education of parents about advocating for the child’s health needs. Also provides health education materials and resources.
• Documentation: Maintains accurate records including enrollment information, family resource checklist, documentation of referrals made and follow-up and adult contact hours according to ECEAP program standards, compiles and submits monthly activity report information and other required records.
• Interdisciplinary Staffings: Participates in interdisciplinary planning for children and families to include staffings, multidisciplinary teams, individual education plans and other cross-component coordination efforts.
• Professional Development: Participates in PSESD in-service staff trainings, staff meetings, and other education opportunities to gain knowledge and skills throughout the year.
• Community Collaboration and Communication: Establishes linkages with community members and agencies in order to promote and enhance services for ECEAP families and maintains linkages through attending pertinent community-based meetings. Develops and maintains an updated list of community resources including community health/oral health/nutrition resources.
• Site Budget Accountability: Responsible for keeping a record of parent activity fund and other job-related expenses. Regularly shares information with parents about the site parent activity fund and supports parents in planning use of parent activity fund.
• First Aid/CPR. Maintains first aid kit supplies and provides first aid as needed to ill or injured children. Maintains first aid and CPR certification.
• Complies with CHSW policies and procedures.
• Responsible for keeping informed of ongoing program changes and updates.
• Performs other duties as assigned.

KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS, and ABILITIES:

• Ability to participate as a positive, productive team member of the site’s multi-disciplinary team.
• Knowledge of community resources for families and appropriate referral procedures
• Ability to effectively communicate with preschool age children, family members, outside agencies, co-workers and other district staff
• Ability to organize own work and to work independently.
• Access to personal vehicle and proof of insurance
• Ability to embrace and support Akin’s commitment to fostering an inclusive organization

WORKING ENVIRONMENT:

This job is performed in a professional office environment. The following list is representative of the work environment employees encounter while performing the essential functions of this job:

WORKING REMOTELY:

Working remotely is a benefit of Akin’s flexible workplace, but remote work cannot be offered for all positions. Some positions require daily presence in the office. Remote work arrangements may be adjusted or rescinded based upon business needs.

PHYSICAL DEMANDS:

• While performing the essential duties of this job, the employee is regularly required to stand, sit, talk, hear, and use hands and fingers to operate a computer and telephone keyboard; occasionally to reach, stoop and kneel
• Specific vision abilities required by this job include close vision requirements due to computer work
• Regular, predictable attendance is required

Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS:

• An associate or higher degree with the equivalent of 30 college quarter credits* of adult education, human development, human services, family support, social work, early childhood education, child development, psychology, or another field directly related to their job responsibilities. These 30 credits may be included in the degree or in addition to the degree.
• Fingerprinting and background check.
• Valid Washington State Driver’s License
• Completion of a one-step Mantoux tuberculosis (TB) skin test, unless there is written proof of one of the following:
• A negative Mantoux TB test in the 12 months prior to hiring.
• Medication therapy to treat TB.
• A recent negative chest X-ray and a statement from a health care provider that the individual does not pose a risk to others.

*C-5 College Credit

• When college credit is required for ECEAP staff, the following applies:
• College credit must be earned from an accredited institution of higher education.
• One college semester credit equals 1.5 college quarter credits.
• Staff may replace up to 1/3 of required college credits with workshop hours related to the job description, at the rate of ten classroom hours to one college credit. This does not apply to requirements for a college degree. Acceptable workshop hours are Washington State Training and Registry System (STARS) approved training, Office of the Superintendent of Public Instruction (OSPI) approved clock hours, in service training, conferences, or training provided by agencies specializing in professional development.
• Credit counted for staff qualifications, such as specific 12 or 30 credit requirements for teachers and family support specialists must be directly related to the job description.
• Early childhood education (ECE) credit is coursework with content closely related to the Washington State STARS Core Competencies and predominantly addresses children ages birth to eight.
• Staff requirements for an associate degree allow any “two-year” community or technical college degree of 90 quarter credits or more, including degrees designated as AA, AAS, AAS-T, ATA, or AD.
• Equivalent degrees and credentials from other states and countries are accepted.

PREFFERED QUALIFICATIONS:

• Bilingual

SALARY RANGE AND BENEFITS:

The salary range for this position is $21.44 - $27.13.

Employees will also receive 10 days of vacation leave each year, three Employee Appreciation Day each year, and will accrue one sick day per month (pro-rated for part-time employees). Employees will also enjoy 15 paid holidays throughout the calendar year. We also offer EAP and mental health benefits.