The Family Support Specialist supports the delivery of home-based parenting education services. They play a crucial role in providing support, information, and resources to parents to help them create a positive and nurturing home environment for their children.

The Family Support Specialist plays a key role in providing services to families with the fewest possible barriers.

Schedule: 20-40 hours per week, Monday-Friday some evening and weekend availability required

essential duties

Administrative Tasks

• Follow up with assigned families and initiate enrollment.
• Maintain accurate and up-to-date records of home visits, assessments, and family goals.
• Participate in reflective supervision and team meetings.
• Receive and maintain Parents as Teachers (PAT) certification.
• Collaborate with other professionals, such as healthcare providers and social workers, as needed.

Service Delivery Tasks

• Ensure services provided are high quality, consistent, and responsive to client needs.
• Conduct initial assessments of families to identify their strengths, needs, and goals.
• Provide home visits to families using the Parents as Teachers (PAT) Affiliate foundational visit plans and other PAT supplemental materials, maintaining required service levels.
• Ensure services focus on child development and parenting practices, activities to foster participant observation of their child's behavior and parent-child interaction, and family goals.
• Complete required child development screenings as required by PAT.
• Provide referrals and linkage to a wide variety of community resources to support family needs and goals.
• Participate in monthly group connections for families.

job requirements

a. Education and Experience

• High School Diploma or General Education Diploma (GED).
• Minimum of 2 years of relevant work experience with children and families.
• Demonstrated knowledge of MS365 Power Platform.

b. Additional Requirements

• Must satisfactorily pass criminal history check.
• Must satisfactorily pass tuberculosis (TB) test.
• Must have reliable transportation and a valid Washington State driver's license (or be able to obtain one by date of employment).
• Employees and volunteers who operate their own or Friends of Youth vehicles on Friends of Youth business, must have a safe driving record as defined by Friends of Youth.
• Employees and volunteers who operate their own vehicle(s) on Friends of Youth business must carry auto liability insurance that complies with the requirements of Friends of Youth.
• Must successfully complete the following health certification requirements within 30 days of employment: CPR, First Aid and Bloodborne Pathogens.
• Proof of COVID-19 vaccination is required. There are no exemptions.

c. Knowledge, Skills and Abilities

• Able to engage with diverse populations in a culturally responsive manner.
• Demonstrate a commitment to the values of diversity, equity, and inclusion by honoring and celebrating diverse characteristics and expressions of personal identity.
• Strong commitment to Friends of Youth’s mission, vision, and values.
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills.
• Knowledge of coping skills, crisis intervention, and supportive strategies for individuals experiencing homelessness and trauma.
• Strong group process and facilitation skills.
• Able to communicate effectively with a wide range of professionals.
• Able to maintain strong personal and professional boundaries.
• Able to learn and implement relevant Council on Accreditation (COA) standards and participate in Performance and Quality Improvement (PQI) processes.
• Knowledge of infant and child development.
• Proficient skill set with Microsoft Office programs.