What are the responsibilities and job description for the Family and Health Services Coordinator position at Lutheran Services Florida?
Lutheran Services Florida (LSF) envisions a world where children are safe, families are strong, and communities are vibrant.
LSF is seeking a talented Family and Health Services Coordinator who wants to make an impact in the lives of others.
Purpose and Impact:
Primary responsibility is performing duties that requires advanced knowledge in the field of social services and using such knowledge and prior work experience to exercise discretion and independent judgment in providing the most appropriate services and support to children and families in the Head Start/Early Head Start program. 1) Facilitate in parent engagement, 2) Provide high- quality health, mental health, nutrition, and disability support and resource linkage, 3) Build partnerships with families to assist them in identifying their own goals, strengths, needed services and support system, 4) Develop, and implement, and maintain the family partnership agreements that outline families strategies and timetables for achieving their own goals, and 5) Responsible for the management and recordkeeping of the family comprehensive file to its entirety. 6) Assist with enrollment and monitors attendance as part of assigned caseload.
Essential Functions:
- Case Management of Social and other Wrap-Around Services
- Initiate collaborative partnerships with parents to establish mutual trust and respect.
- In collaboration with each family assess their need for social services; develop an individualized plan that responds to the family’s need; deliver and/or coordinate the delivery of needed social services to each family through referral or providing direct services; review and update as necessary.
- Conducts and documents follow-up on all referrals.
- Establish and maintain Family Partnership Agreements (FPA) with families and identifies family’s strengths, needs and interests to help parents develop and achieve goals within 45 days of enrollment.
- Facilitate follow-up on Family Partnership Agreement (FPA) goals with families within 90 days and on-going at a minimum of 90 days or more frequently if necessary.
- Provide comprehensive community resource information to families, individualizing to respond to the family’s needs and concerns to the maximum extent possible.
- Refer families to community agencies/programs; assess accessibility, relevance and usefulness of assistance received.
- Assist with the establishment and maintenance of ongoing collaborative relationships with community organizations responsive to the concerns of the families of children birth through age 5, pregnant women and their families; participate in community awareness events.
- Report suspected child abuse and/or neglect following program procedures and Florida law.
- Serves on a community board located in the area of assigned Head Start/Early Head Start site.
- Develops a working knowledge of community resources, and visits, at least annually, with major agencies for service delivery updates and community resource guide updates.
Health, Nutrition and Wellness Services
- Coordinate and monitor compliance with Head Start Performance Standards and Florida licensing requirements related to child health, nutrition, and safety.
- Assist with completion, tracking, and follow‑up of required health, dental, vision, developmental, and nutrition screenings and assessments.
- Coordinate implementation of individual health, nutrition, and treatment plans, including follow‑up on referrals and ongoing monitoring of child needs.
- Promote child and family wellness, including establishment of medical and dental homes for children and pregnant women.
- Provides health, safety and family literacy activities to parents, as appropriate.
- Assist and support families with engaging and completing the appropriate disability paperwork for their child requiring services.
- Provide health, safety, nutrition, and family literacy education to parents through individual consultation and group activities.
- Monitor nutrition services, including CACFP documentation, meal observations, and coordination of nutrition‑related supplies.
- Data Management, Documentation & Compliance
- Enter, track, and maintain accurate child and family data in Child Plus, including health records, referrals, FPAs, and service follow‑up.
- Track and maintain parenting curriculum platform including on-going monitoring through monthly usage reports.
- Maintain accurate, confidential child and family files in accordance with federal, state, and agency requirements.
- Generate reports and documentation to support program monitoring, audits, PIR reporting, and CQI activities.
- Participate in internal monitoring, Quality Assurance efforts, and preparation for federal, state, and local reviews.
- Program Operations & Team Collaboration
- Participate in team planning, implementation, and evaluation of health, nutrition, and family engagement goals.
- Collaborate with education staff to ensure integrated child and family services and coordinated school readiness efforts.
- Attend required meetings, trainings, parent conferences, and professional development activities.
- Maintain strict confidentiality and adhere to agency policies, procedures, and Standards of Conduct.
- Perform other related duties as assigned to support program operations. Implement enrollment of potentially eligible children birth through age 5, pregnant women and their families in collaboration with Child Health and Safety Manager.
- During peak enrollment season, assist Recruitment and Community Relations Assistant with recruitment and enrollment efforts.
- Monitor attendance and maintain an average daily attendance above 85%.
- Follow up with any families experiencing participation or attendance problems.
- Other related duties as assigned.
Parent Engagement
- Coordinate and implement monthly parent committee meeting at your assigned center site(s). Maintain accurate
- records and documentation (e.g. meeting minutes, agenda, training, sign-in sheet, and PC members’ eligibility paperwork).
- Ensure the elected Policy Council representative and/or alternate for assign center site(s) are in attendance for the Program’s Policy Council monthly meeting.
- Ensure parental participation in the program’s approved parenting curriculum.
- Coordinate monthly parent engagement activities through the A Man Everybody Needs (AMEN) and Ladies of Victory and Empowerment (LOVE) support groups.
- Implement a comprehensive, individualized and developmental parent engagement and education program responsive to parent needs, concerns and requests that supports parents in their role as the primary influence in their children’s lives.
- Ensure comprehensive, timely two-way communication between parents, Head Start staff, and as appropriate, community individuals and organizations at a rate of no less than once per month or more for high risk/need families
- Encourage parent volunteerism throughout the program.
- Provide parents regular opportunities to work together and with other community members on activities they helped develop and in which they expressed an interest.
- Encourage parents to take an active role in making community services more responsive to their goals and needs.
- Promote full child/family participation in program activities and assist with monitoring and resolution of any problems.
- Assist parents, including pregnant women, with the transition process into Head Start from Early Head Start or other settings, and from Head Start to kindergarten.
Health
- Assists with the completion of the child health screening, other required screenings and assessments and is familiar with referral requirements.
- Promote child and family wellness and the establishment of a medical and dental “home” for each HS infant, toddler and preschool child and each pregnant woman;
- Provide physical/dental/mental health and nutrition education activities that are responsive to the ongoing and expressed needs of parents as individuals and in the parent committee meetings.
- Provides health, safety and family literacy activities to parents, as appropriate.
- Assist and support families with engaging and completing the appropriate disability paperwork for their child requiring services.
Recordkeeping
- Ensures an appropriate written transition plan is prepared for all Early Head Start children, six months prior to their third birthday.
- Documents all efforts to assist families, tracks family partnership efforts and outcomes, records, monitors and follows up on referrals, and submits reports as required.
- Collect child and family data and enter into ChildPlus; monitor; update; prepare data reports for program use and complete all Program Information Report (PIR) indicators within ChildPlus.
- Maintain accurate, objective, timely and confidential records documenting all child, family, staff and agency contacts; disseminate appropriately; and document recruitment and enrollment activities.
School Readiness
- Coordinate with center staff to integrate family partnership goals with classroom efforts and to ensure integrated child and family curriculum.
- While respecting family confidentiality, regularly share information with teachers to ensure coordinated services that meet the individual needs of children and families.
- Attend parent/teacher conferences as requested.
- Attend multi-team development meetings and staffings as requested.
- Ensure an appropriate written transition plan is prepared for all children, six months prior to their third birthday
Other Functions:
Note: The duties above are illustrative and not exhaustive. The omission of specific statements of duties does not exclude them from the position if the work is similar, related, or a logical assignment to the position. Depending on assigned area of responsibility, incumbents in the position may perform some or all of the activities described above.
Physical Requirements:
- Ability to sit, stand, and walk for extended periods; perform frequent computer work and communicate effectively in person, by phone, and virtually.
- Occasional bending, reaching, and lifting up to 45 pounds.
- Ability to travel locally to program sites, homes, and community locations.
- Work performed in office, classroom, and community settings with moderate noise levels and occasional outdoor exposure.
- Regular interaction with children and families, including those in high-stress situations, and use of standard office equipment.
- Reasonable accommodation may be made for otherwise qualified persons with disabilities.
Education:
Bachelor’s Degree is required in Health, Social Work, Human Services or related human services field.
Experience:
At least two years of experience working with children and families in a social services environment. Head Start/Early Head Start experience preferred.
Also required:
- Certification in First Aid and CPR within three months of the date assigned to this position; and successful completion of a Level II background screening and drug screening prior to hiring.
- Bilingual preferred: English/Spanish or English and other languages present in the local area.
Skills:
- Considerable knowledge of the principles and practices of health, nutrition, disabilities, social work, and human behavior.
- Knowledge of human development and health.
- Knowledge of computer data entry systems and processes.
- Knowledge of family-centered wrap-around practices.
- Ability to read, write, and speak English clearly and professionally for documentation, reporting, and communication processes.
- Ability to write reports and business correspondence.
- Ability to speak before groups of individuals, such as Committees and Staff meetings.
- Ability to calculate amounts by adding, subtracting, multiplying, dividing and figuring percentages.
- Ability to interpret an extensive variety of instructions.
- Ability to define problems, collect data, establish facts and draw valid conclusions.
- Ability to make recommendations and develop implementation strategies.
- Intermediate computer skills, including MS Office Suite (Word, Access, Excel, PowerPoint, etc).
Other:
Must demonstrate sensitivity to our service population’s cultural and socioeconomic characteristics and needs.
Principal Accountabilities:
- Team player with co-workers and central service office staff.
- Cost effective program operations.
- Adherence to agency policies, procedures and performance standards.
- Effective customer service and group leadership.
Why work for LSF?
LSF offers 60 programs across the state of Florida serving a wide range of populations in need. Mission Driven staff members become part of the LSF community while transforming the lives of those in need. Our staff additionally find growth opportunities as they explore areas of interest within the organization.
Amazing benefits package including:
- Medical, Dental and Vision
- Telehealth (24/7 online access to Doctors)
- Employee Assistance Program (EAP)
- Employer paid life insurance (1X salary)
- 13 paid holidays 1 floating holiday
- Generous PTO policy (starting at 16 working days a year)
- Note: Head Start employees paid time off and holiday schedule may differ
- 403(b) Retirement plan with 3% discretionary employer match OR 3% student loan repayment reimbursement
- Tuition reimbursement
LSF is proud to be an equal opportunity employer.
Lutheran Services Florida is mandated to perform background screenings for employment in accordance with the Florida Care Provider Background Screening Clearinghouse as outlined in Section 435.12, Florida Statutes. Additionally, pursuant to House Bill 531 (2025), Lutheran Services Florida must ensure that all job vacancy postings and advertisements include a clear and conspicuous link to the AHCA Clearinghouse website and its requirements. For more information on background screening requirements please visit: https://info.flclearinghouse.com