Number of hires for this role 1 **Qualifications**

Bilingual (Preferred)

Driver's License (Preferred)

US work authorization (Preferred)

**BenefitsPulled from the full job description**

Health insurance Dental insurance 401(k) Flexible spending account Paid time off Vision insurance 401(k) matching Professional development assistance Flexible schedule **Job details**

Salary $36,000 - $61,320 a year Job Type Full-time **Full Job Description**

**This position will serve the city of Bettendorf in Scott County and surrounding areas in Iowa; travel is expected.**

Family Support Specialist positions within the agency consist of a tiered, level program with each level/tier comprised of a specified salary range. Several factors including but not limited to years of experience, education and training will determine level/tier qualifications, eligibility and placement.

Families First is one of the leading providers of family based, in-home and in-office services in the State of Iowa.

We are accredited by the Council on Accreditation.

Employ approximately 230 employees.

Serve approximately 3,000 individuals through our various programs in forty-four counties within the State.

Our employees assist entire families with the daily stressors enabling them to balance a family, work and school.

**Essential Functions and Responsibilities:**

**Open Agency & Non-Agency Child Welfare Cases:**

Will accept and review Open Agency and Non-Agency Family Centered Service referrals

Will provide Solution Based Casework, shall be trained and certified in SBC or working towards training and certification.

Will provide Solution Based Casework in accordance with model fidelity.

Family Support Specialist (FSS) shall be responsible for delivering and/or coordinating all services and supports provided for the case and preparing and submitting required reports on the case to the DHS worker throughout service delivery meeting all internal and contractual timelines.

Family Support Specialist (FSS) shall not have more than 14 Families Assigned to their caseload at a time.

Family Support Specialist (FSS) shall have case management and decision-making responsibilities on Non-Agency involved cases and will ensure minimum casework contacts are met.

FSS and the Intervention Specialist assigned to the same Case shall work collaboratively as a team and provide necessary interventions and/or supports to address Family needs.

FSS will participate in a case transition meeting (handoff) with the assigned DHS worker.

Complete required documentation prior to service initiation, including:

o Patient Bill of Rights

o Client Grievance and Appeals Procedure

o Informed Consent

o Release of Information

Administer the North Carolina Family Assessment Scale G R (NCFAS).

Complete the Signs of Safety Assessment and Crisis Planning tool.

Administer agency endorsed screening tools that evaluate the individual and collective needs of the family unit.

Complete with the family an Eco-Map to outline informal and community supports.

Work to connect family with community resources and informal supports as identified in the Genogram and DHS case Plan.

In the initial session, the FSS will complete Visitation and Supervision Planning Schedule with the family to coordinate interactions, supervision and instruction for when children are placed out of the home.

Align the specific range of delivering services and supports with the results of these meetings and the familys Department Case Plan.

Attend all court hearings and other meetings on the children and family while the case is open.

The FSS will make 4 SBC Face-to-Face contacts per full calendar month during service delivery.

If SafeCare is provided to the family in addition to SBC, FSS will provide 2 Face-to-Face Casework contacts per calendar month.

Casework Contacts will be at least 45minutes in length for SBC.

FSS will submit all casework contact notes timely, meeting all internal and contractual deadlines.

FSS will attend all court, Family Team Decision Making (FTDM) meetings, Youth Transition Decision Making (YTDM) meetings and Child Safety Conferences (CSC) held on the Child/youth and family while the FCS case is open.

FSS will complete an Initial Service Plan and all Case Progress Reports timely, meeting all internal and contractual deadlines.

FSS will complete a Service Termination Summary at case closure and will submit the report timely, in line with all internal and contractual deadlines.

Identify and address any concerns relating to Immediate Threat during service delivery and report concerns of Immediate Threat immediately and directly to the DHS worker or their supervisor by telephone or electronic communication.

FSS shall utilize individualized case needs and results of the FTDM, YTDM meetings, and/or CSC to direct the blend of services and supported provided to address Safety, Risk and Permanency issues.

Promptly notify the Department worker concerning any children or adults exiting the household or new children or adults entering the household, while the case is open.

On an ongoing basis throughout service delivery, assess the educational, physical and mental health conditions, strengths and needs of all children in cases open for services; and, in consultation with the Department worker, refer children for additional evaluation or services that may be necessary.

Coordinate service planning, including planning for parent/child and sibling interactions, with staff from the childs/childrens placement setting.

Coordinate the contractors services with services and supports children and families may be receiving from other sources, including both public and private organizations and informal community networks.

Implement plans to connect children and families to other community resources and informal supports, such as local community centers, mentors, or community support groups, and reduce their reliance on formal services.

Adhere to all requirements and expectations of completing high quality documentation, using forms developed for

the Family Centered Services and Solution Based Casework.

Complete Mandatory Child and Dependent Adult Abuse Training and be familiar with and follow all aspects of

mandatory child abuse training.

Provide agency endorsed evidenced based curriculum and interventions to the family to decrease the threat of maltreatment.

**Family Preservation Services:**

Will accept and review Family Preservation Services referrals.

Family Support Specialist (FSS) shall be responsible for meeting with the family unit within 24 hours of referral and will be responsible for delivering and/or coordinating all services and supports provided for the case and preparing and submitting required reports on the case to the DHS worker throughout service delivery meeting all internal and contractual timelines.

FSS providing Family Preservation Services (FPS) shall be trained and certified in Motivational Interviewing or working towards training and certification.

FSS will not have more than 4 FPS Families assigned for this service to their caseload at a time.

FSS will at a minimum, make 8 Face-to-Face Casework Contacts within each unit of service, with one of the 8 to include the Child Safety Conference (CSC).

Casework Contacts will be at least 60 minutes for FPS.

FSS shall ensure a 2-hour response time, either Face-to-Face or by phone to provide crisis intervention to crisis situations that present significant risks to the safety, permanency, or well-being of the children.

FSS shall utilize individualized case needs and results of the CSC to direct the blend of services and supports provided to maintain children safety in the home or with kin/fictive kin while addressing individual and family needs.

FSS shall complete the FPS Substance Abuse, Int