Description

Family Support Specialist Job Description 

Position Overview: All positions are responsible for upholding the mission and vision of Achievement Centers for Children & Families and fostering programs and activities that promote the academic, social, emotional and physical development of each child enrolled. 

Family Support Specialist partners with families enrolled at ACCF and from the surrounding community to support children’s academic, cognitive and social-emotional success. The Family Support Specialist builds trusting relationships and engages families participation and involvement with their children’s development. They work with students and families in creating a care plan; encourage behaviors that support positive outcomes; and connect to resources/ navigate systems that support success. 

Classification: Exempt – Salaried 

Reports to: Director, Family Support Program 

Duties & Responsibilities

• Develop trusting relationships with students and families enrolled at ACCF or living in Delray Beach’s priority neighborhood. Engage and create relationships with families to foster positive experiences for children and families. 

• Participate in daily family greeting activities.

• Track needs of all children and families enrolled at assigned site. 

• Work in coordination with ACCF Program staff and parents to monitor and support children developmental progress and address any barriers to success. 

• Assist in conducting screenings and assessment of all children along with ensuring to communicate and translate results to parents

• Conduct comprehensive interview will all ACCF families to support the development of a thorough care plan. 

• Manage and conduct all linkages and referrals for ACCF families and community members. 

• Recruit and maintain an individualized care plan for all families for developmental and resource access support. Provide coaching and problem-solving to overcome obstacles for children and families to bolster developmental and resource gains. 

• Support children and families in setting and reaching care plan objectives, connecting within the program, and facilitating other community supports. 

• Provide families’ access to wrap-around resources from ACCF collaborative partners. 

• Develop and track care plan objectives and action steps to encourage and facilitate progress.

• Recruit, coordinate and host family involvement in ACCF workshops and parent engagement activities. 

• Manage and maintain recruitment, enrollment, parent access to funding, parent communications, fee and documentation collection, etc. 

• Explain absentee guideline process to families enrolling an “At Risk” child during intake

• Report client progress and enrollment status 

• Assist in processing tuition payments 

• Work with the program staff to create a social and emotionally healthy and responsive environment. 

• Partner with site program to develop and run a Parent Advisory Council

• Keep all family and process related documentation up to date in client files. Document and record all contact, referrals, care-planning conversations, and progress for program evaluation purposes. Maintain and keep up to date, all contact, referral, and restorative practice logs. 

• Facilitate community building circles, responsive circles, and formal conferences (engaging key stakeholders in the child’s life). 

Family Support Specialist  Created 11/29/2021 Page 1 of 2 

• Serve as a classroom staff and count in Health Department ratio if needed. 

• Attend weekly program staff meetings and community meetings and represent Achievement Centers.

• Provide assistance with translating information for all Creole speaking families. 

• Identify and assess families through an assessment process who may be at risk of poor health outcomes.

• Implement a solution focused plan that is SMART for all family members to achieve.

• Act in the best interest of families by advocating for them during meetings with partnering agencies.

• To be able to engage children through play to support their learning and development in conjunction with the Teaching Strategies Gold Objectives for Development and Learning, VPK Standards, and Head Start Statewide School Readiness Standards. 

• Manage the planning and delivery of information to families.

• Report on all safeguarding matters to leadership staff and ensure adherence to staff and organization safeguarding and Child Protection Policy and Procedures. 

• Other duties as assigned

Education and Experience

• B.A./BS in social work, education, counseling (or similar) and experience in community organizing, or a combination of equivalent experience and training 

• Delray Beach resident preferred 

• Bilingual (Creole-English) is required 

• Required DCF Childcare Training Credential or willingness to obtain within first year of employment (Must be started within 60 days of start date.) 

Essential Skills/Abilities

• Strong organizational skills 

• Ability to learn and grow through professional development within a results oriented culture 

• A devotion and ability to build close relationships with students, families, partner agencies, and the community 

• Ability to manage time effectively

• Strong communication skills and interpersonal skills 

• Ability to work with diverse groups

• Positive approach to changing priorities and demands and work assignments

• Computer proficiency preferred 

• Strong commitment to the expectation that all children regardless of their wealth, home language, zip code, gender, race, or disability should have access to opportunity 

• Knowledge or willingness to learn Restorative Practices, Wrap-Around, and Motivational Interviewing 

• Knowledge or willingness to learn about cultural and community strengths 

• Knowledge or willingness to learn about race equity and systems barriers to school and college readiness 

Work Environment

• Be able to lift 25-30 lbs. 

• Be able to walk, squat/kneel, sit on floor, see, hear, speak with children to ensure children’s health and safety 

• Must be able to frequently walk, grasp, push, kneel and stand while setting up and taking down events. 

• Must be able to sit for extended periods of time while operating a computer 

• Frequently required to speak and listen while communicating 

• Must be able to endure repetitive wrist, hand and/or finger movement while operating office equipment 

• Requires clarity of vision at close distances while operating a computer 

• Must have a flexible schedule to work mornings and evenings as needed. 

• Regular attendance is a necessary and essential function 

Other Employment Information

• Fingerprinting and background check 

• Pre-employment and random drug screening 

• 90-day initial review period 

Achievement Centers for Children & Families is an Equal Opportunity Employer. This job description is not an employment agreement or contract. Management has the exclusive right to alter this job description at any time. 

Requirements

• Strong organizational skills 

• Ability to learn and grow through professional development within a results oriented culture 

• A devotion and ability to build close relationships with students, families, partner agencies, and the community 

• Ability to manage time effectively

• Strong communication skills and interpersonal skills 

• Ability to work with diverse groups

• Positive approach to changing priorities and demands and work assignments

• Computer proficiency preferred 

• Strong commitment to the expectation that all children regardless of their wealth, home language, zip code, gender, race, or disability should have access to opportunity 

• Knowledge or willingness to learn Restorative Practices, Wrap-Around, and Motivational Interviewing 

• Knowledge or willingness to learn about cultural and community strengths 

• Knowledge or willingness to learn about race equity and systems barriers to school and college readiness