Sandra Rosenbaum School of Social Work

Family Support Specialist Early Childhood Initiative

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ECI Family Support Specialist 2023

RISE is an emerging leader in coordinated care, crisis respite, and mental health service delivery in Dane County and the Greater Madison area. We embrace a strengths-based approach in partnering with others to address the mental health and wellness needs of our community. We value collaboration, learning, and growth. We encourage personal and professional growth in all positions in our agency and seek new talent that will continue to enrich and diversify our workplace perspective and our connection to the community.

Early Childhood Initiative (ECI) is a voluntary home visiting program in Madison/Dane County, WI for pregnant caregivers and families with children ages 0-4 years old. ECI offers strengths-based, individualized, and comprehensive support for parents and caregivers. ECI knows that caregivers are the experts on their families and supports them in working towards their goals for parenting, health and wellness, relationships, school and work, and benefits and resource assistance.

The Family Support Specialist (FSS) is responsible for developing strong relationships with enrolled families to serve as a support and resource person.  The FSS is responsible for assessing, developing, and implementing family support services that strengthen family relationships, enhance parent and child physical and emotional health, and broaden community supports for enrolled families.  The FSS serves as a liaison between the family and other community agencies and assumes a lead role in care coordination until the family is able to successfully lead this charge.

As with all positions at our agency, it is the duty of the individual to fully support the mission, vision, values, and diversity statement of the agency. The individual must work in a coordinated manner with other employees and community partners to provide culturally relevant, equitable, and inclusive care while demonstrating professional and personal confidence in the service delivery model taken by the agency.

Position Responsibilities:

Support Services, Intervention, and Direct Service
  1. Meet with families/participants in their homes or preferred community-based setting.
  2. Engage referred expectant caregivers and families with a child aged 0-2 years of age.
  3. Partner with families to establish a plan of action in response to assessed needs and stated goals.
  4. Assist the individuals and families with identifying and establishing personal and professional support in the community. Advocates for families within the community to address barriers which may interfere with family growth and access to services.
  5. Provide supportive intervention and services that are trauma-informed, culturally relevant, and non-stigmatizing. Direct service to individuals, families, and groups, with the appropriate level of education, training and supervision may include: parenting support and education, crisis intervention, intervention related to mental health/trauma/AoDA, facilitation of groups, parent-child relational support, infant mental health services, and family team meeting facilitation.
  6. Maintain contact with individuals and families to a degree sufficient to monitor and assist progress, typically at least one face to face contact per week.
  7. Maintain a flexible schedule to accommodate program and participant needs that may include evenings.
  8. Build and maintain working relationships with community agencies for outreach and participant recruitment. This includes coordination and participation at outreach and community events.
Administration
  1. Complete and submit billing for all services.
  2. Collect all necessary data for program evaluation as assigned.
  3. Complete all participant-related and program-related paperwork according to established guidelines for quality and timeliness.
  4. Follow guidelines for agency-specific paperwork, including staff-related items (e.g. time logs, EIO, expense reports, earned time requests, etc.) and participant-related items (e.g. wraparound requests, card/petty cash logs, etc.)
  5. Regularly update and maintain calendar to reflect day-to-day duties.
Program Development & Implementation
  1. Consult regularly with supervisor and colleagues regarding participant strengths, needs and progress.
  2. Continually develop therapeutic skills through weekly reflective supervision, reflective groups, training, and independent study.
  3. Attend and actively participate in program and agency meetings.
  4. Contribute to growth, development, and enrichment of program and agency.
  5. Plan, attend and participate in in-service trainings, conferences, and outside training programs as authorized and directed.
  6. Provide case related back-up and coverage services to colleagues as needed.
  7. Assist in the development of program special events which provide opportunities for parent and family connection and growth.
Agency
  1. Engage in ongoing examination of and engagement with one’s own biases and continued work toward cultural humility.
  2. Work with everyone embracing different perspectives and life experiences beyond one’s own experience and perspective.
  3. Attend and actively participate in program meetings and agency meetings.
  4. Follow RISE’s confidentiality guidelines to ensure program participant privacy.
  5. Follow RISE’s policies and procedures as cited in the Employee Handbook.
  6. Perform other duties as requested by the direct supervisor or agency director that enhance the overall agency operation.
  7. Hold a valid driver’s license, have access to reliable transportation, and have a driving record that enables purchase of automobile insurance, in accordance with agency guidelines.
  8. Any and all additional tasks as assigned.

Required Qualifications:

  • High school diploma or GED
  • Demonstrated experience working with individuals or families on matters related to parent education and support, connecting to community resources, care management and/or advocacy, and health and mental health
  • Experience working with others from diverse cultural backgrounds
  • Commitment to strength-based, recovery-focused and trauma informed programming
  • Commitment to cultural humility
  • Ability to drive self and others via vehicle
  • Daily access to a reliable vehicle, with valid drivers’ license and insurance
  • Demonstrated written and verbal communication skills
  • Ability and willingness to meet with participants in their homes or other community locations
  • Demonstrated flexibility, initiative, and creativity in community and participant engagement
  • Proficient computer skills, specifically in current versions of Microsoft Office Suite; and willingness to learn new skills as needed or required
  • Ability to pay attention to detail and a commitment to quality and timely completion of duties
  • Demonstrated ability to work as a member of a team
  • Ability to maintain a schedule that accommodates program and participant needs

Preferred Qualifications:

  • Bachelor’s degree in social work, psychology, child development or closely related field
  • Bilingual in Spanish, French, Arabic, Hmong, or another language as deemed necessary by program (in addition to English) as determined by ALTA test and within RISE’S acceptable range
  • Infant, Early Childhood and Family Mental Health Certification
  • Knowledge of Dane County’s community resources which benefit adults and families
  • Knowledge of implementation of comprehensive individualized assessments which may include written psychosocial assessment; standardized developmental, sensory and relational assessments; and with appropriate education, training, and supervision, development of diagnostic profile using DSM 5 or DC 0-3.

HIPAA Regulations:

As a required part of employment with RISE, the employee must preserve all rights and protections under the Health Information Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) of 1996 for the participant population served by this agency; it is the obligation of the employee to ensure that private health information is protected and that disclosures are permitted only with appropriate authorization. The employee is required to comply with all Federal and State regulations as part of the organization’s HIPPA training which describes the policies and procedures for the agency.

Accountability:

The Family Support Specialist is accountable to the Lead Family Support Specialist.

Employment Status: Regular, Full-time (40 hours/week).

FLSA Status: Non-exempt

Physical Demands:

In the office, the employee is required to sit at a desk and computer for long periods of time, is occasionally required to stand; use hands and fingers to operate and handle keyboards and computer controls. May be requested to lift materials of up to 20 lbs. Specific vision abilities required include close vision reading. The position requires sitting, standing, stooping, bending, lifting, walking, climbing, speaking and driving. The functions of this position are varied in nature and require the ability to make clear and concise presentations and to respond in an effective and appropriate manner during crisis. The employee is required to communicate effectively via verbal, audible and written means.

Home visiting duties of this position require employees to sit, stand, stoop, bend, lift, walk, climb, and speak.  The functions of this position are varied in nature and require the ability to make clear and concise presentations, and to respond in an effective and appropriate manner during crisis.

The Bilingual Family Support Specialist may be requested to lift children and/or materials of up to 35 lbs. unassisted, while also accessing a second-story location. This position requires dexterity with ability to push, pull, carry, balance and kneel to assist and perform activities with children. The employee must be able to supervise children through sight and sound. This position requires routine local driving. Specific vision abilities required include close and distance vision. The employee is required to communicate effectively via verbal, audible and written means.

Work Conditions/ Hours:

Office: Heated and air-conditioned open office/office environment. The noise level is usually low to moderate. Significant travel by vehicle required.  The employee may be requested to drive self and others via vehicle. Regular schedules are flexible, depending on program participants’ needs. May be required to work some evenings, depending on program and participants’ needs.

Offsite visiting: This position requires the employee to provide services in the homes of families within the community. As such, work conditions in program participant homes will vary. The noise levels in the work environment may vary, as is expected when working with young children and families. Regular schedule is Monday through Friday, with some scheduling flexibility.  The FSS position is an in-person role with limited opportunity for remote work.

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

RISE is an Affirmative Action/Equal Opportunity employer. RISE offers equal employment opportunities to all employees and applicants for employment, upgrading, demotion or transfer, recruiting, layoff or termination, rates of pay or other forms of compensation, selection for training including apprenticeship insofar as it is within our control  without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, national origin or ancestry, income level or source of income, arrest record or conviction record, less than honorable discharge, gender identity, physical appearance, political beliefs, student status, genetic information, marital status, age, disability, or any classification protected by federal, state, or local laws.

The information written in this job description indicates the general nature and level of the work to be performed.  This job description is not designed to contain or be interpreted as totally comprehensive of every job duty, responsibility, or qualification required by an employee assigned to this position.  While employed in this position, an employee may be required to perform other duties not listed in the description. This document does not create an employment contract, implied or otherwise, other than an “at-will” employment relationship. RISE retains the discretion to add duties or change the duties of this position at any time.