Bilingual Family Support Specialist

Are you looking for a career where you can make a real difference in your community? At Family Lifeline, we provide a supportive, flexible, and fun work environment where your contributions truly matter.

We celebrate diversity, value our employees, and are committed to fostering a workplace where everyone feels included and empowered. If you’re passionate about helping families thrive and want to be part of an organization that makes a lasting impact, we’d love to hear from you!

The Family Support Specialist provides culturally informed early childhood home visitation services according to the Parents as Teachers model. The Family Support Specialist partners with the parent/s to strengthen the parent-child relationship by improving parenting skills and empowering parents toward self-sufficiency. The Family Support Specialist establishes a trusting relationship with families by providing services in their homes and in groups.

Responsibilities

• Working in the office is a key obligation that all employees are expected to meet.
• Incorporates program essential elements into service delivery to families.
• Implements standardized screening/assessment instruments as defined by the organization’s protocols and procedures.
• In partnership with the family, establishes individualized, short, and long-term goals that are measurable and based on the family’s strengths.
• Develops and implements activities that are designed to teach parents skills and abilities in the areas of early childhood growth, development, and appropriate health outcomes.
• Develops and implements activities that enhance parent-child interactions and enhances parents’ learning and knowledge base.
• Develops and implements activities to enhance family coping and problem-solving skills while fostering the independence of the family.
• Provides information to families regarding community resources and services and assists the family with accessing those services including housing, financial management, education, and job placement/ sustainability.
• Provides information and implements activities designed to teach parents effective and non-abusive discipline and behavioral management techniques.
• Acts as an advocate and liaison between the family and other service providers to ensure the family’s needs are being met.
• Leads parent groups as assigned.
• Reports all suspected incidents of abuse and neglect according to the laws of the Commonwealth of Virginia.
• Takes new Family Support Specialists as well as community members for observational shadow visits as assigned.
• Actively involved in outreach efforts to increase awareness of services and build a caseload.
• Assists with organization wide administrative duties as needed.
• Performs other duties as assigned.

 DOCUMENTATION      

• Ensures accurate data and documentation are entered and maintained in both the family record and ETO (efforts to outcomes) database, in accordance with agency policy, accreditation, and best practices.
• Completes all required documentation in a timely manner.
• Ensures all program evaluation data is accurate and reported in a timely manner.

 TEAM ACTIVITIES                                                     

• Actively participates in all team meetings and activities.
• Participate in organization’s meetings when appropriate.
• Serves on community committees as assigned.
• Participates in education, fund raising, and other community activities as assigned.

 PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT 

• Attends trainings and meetings to stay informed and educated on best practices.
• Assesses professional development needs in collaboration with supervisor and develops a plan to meet these needs. 

 REQUIRED TRAINING

• Program Core training
• Completes Program Foundational Curriculum training 
• Completes Family Lifeline trainings
• Completes Early Impact Virginia trainings for home visitors

Qualifications

• High school diploma or equivalent (required); Bachelor’s degree in Social Work, Early Childhood, or Family Studies in a related field (preferred).
• Knowledge of factors that promote optimal parent-child interaction; infant, toddler, and child development; and effective parenting skills preferred.
• Excellent organizational, interpersonal, and communication skills
• Demonstrates the ability to be reflective.
• Accurate documentation skills.
• Ability to communicate clearly with individuals and families of varied cultural and socio-economic backgrounds.
• Demonstrates organization, assertiveness, creativity, flexibility, and cooperation in performing job responsibilities.
• Proficient in Microsoft Office Suite (Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook), with the ability to learn common Family Lifeline software applications.
• Able to maintain a flexible work schedule.
• Possesses and maintains valid Driver’s License and reliable transportation.
• Ability to speak and write in English.
• Fluency in Spanish is required.