Family Support Specialist

Job purpose

• The Family Support Specialist/FSS is a mentor, educator, and advocate to parents.

Duties and responsibilities

• • Provide In-Home Training/Support/Modeling: Teach skills on housekeeping, budgeting, smart shopping, nutrition/meal planning, wellness, healthy hygiene, self-care plan development, safety plan development, organization, quality family time, time management, and transportation/travel training.
  • Assist all services utilized in teaching and modeling effective parenting
  techniques and behavior management skills in the home utilizing various agency-approved
  parenting curricula such as NICASA, Sanctuary® Parent Training, LSCI and Conscious Discipline.
  • Implement the tools of the Sanctuary® Model with families with fidelity.
  • Under supervision of Clinical Supervisor assist parents by providing information related to their child regarding: Diagnosis, symptoms, resources, treatment, support groups.
  • Facilitate Parent Group with support from Clinical Supervisor, Principal and program staff.
  • Assist with transportation of parents to and from appointments with PEP psychiatrists and other appointments when needed.
  • Provide support to parents as they transition from PEP services.
  • Participate in data collection regarding parent satisfaction.
  • Educate staff regarding family related issues, needs, and perspectives.
  • Assist all services that interface with staff with on-going ecological assessment of client and family.
  • Contact families and complete follow-up surveys and related paperwork in a timely manner.
  • Complete assigned duties with accuracy and within expected time frames.
  • Utilize knowledge of community systems and supports to assist families.
  • Facilitate communication between parents/center staff and vice versa.
  • Ability to collaborate and coordinate with case management services staff.
  • Follow procedures for providing respectful and appropriate assistance to students for personal grooming, hygiene and toileting.
  • Participate (and pass requirements where applicable) in all required trainings, including but not limited to, Vehicle Safety, First Aid, CPR, Therapeutic Crisis Intervention, Blood Borne Pathogens, and Standards of Practice.
  • Participate in staff development activities, parent conferences, team meetings, and staff meetings as scheduled or assigned.
  • Ability to work respectfully with a culturally diverse population of clients.

Qualifications
• Minimally High School Diploma.
• Prior successful experience as a receiver of services from a PEP Day Treatment Program.
• Educational Aide Certificate required under Ohio Department of Education, as applicable.
• Ability to complete assigned tasks under stressful situations.
• Demonstrate effective decision-making skills, utilizing good judgment under routine and stressful conditions.
• Communicate effectively, both written and orally.
• Displays professionalism and team-oriented attitudes.
 
Physical requirements
• Ability to participate in physical interventions, when necessary, and with fidelity to the        methods taught through the Therapeutic Crisis Intervention model.  Physical interventions require intense physical exertion. The object is to safely control/maintain a struggling and aggressive young person ranging from 50 – 250 pounds.  Physical requirements include, but are not limited to: kneeling, possibly for extended periods of time on hard surfaces, bending, twisting, and holding.
• Ability to participate in therapeutic outdoor education/field trips which may involve hiking, biking, climbing, and swimming.
• Ability to use a computer and keyboard (eye-hand coordination and repetitive movements related to keyboarding).
• Ability to move around the classroom/center/community and sit and stand for more than an hour at a time. 
• Ability to visually and auditorily assess and monitor the mental health status of students for safety purposes.
• Ability to meet driver eligibility standards and operate an agency leased vehicle.
 
Direct reports
None