Family Support Worker

The Family Support Worker (FSW) is responsible for establishing and maintaining a regular and long-term relationship with the family.

Responsibilities:

·         FSW will outreach families referred to Central Intake or through a Service Provider.

·         FSW will use a standardized screening tool to determine eligibility for home visitation services.

·         Activity will occur primarily within the participant’s home; each visit should last for at least one hour.

·         The interventions should be family-centered and strength-based.

·         Interview/conduct the Family Resilience and Opportunities for Growth (FROG) Scale with parents to identify strengths/risk factors to support the family throughout home visitation services.

·         Establish a trusting relationship.

·         Assist in strengthening parent-child relationships.

·         Assist parents in improving their skills to optimize the home environment.

·         Assist in increasing the family support system and increase the family’s ability to solve problems and assume the role of advocating for themselves and their children.

·         Responsible for assisting the family in establishing goals and a plan for the accomplishment of those goals. The assessment of the normal growth and development of the target child. 

·         Identify and refer to other supportive agencies, including healthcare appointments.

Qualifications: 

Screening and selection of Family Support Workers (FSW) includes consideration of characteristics including, but not limited to the following:

·         Minimum of a high school diploma or equivalent.

·         Preferably at least 2 years of experience in working with or providing services to children and families.

·         Acceptance of individual differences.

·         Ability to establish trusting relationships.

·         Experience and humility to work with culturally diverse families, and those experiencing trauma and/or domestic violence.

·         Knowledge of infant and child development.

·         Willingness to engage in building reflective capacity (e.g., capacity for introspection, communicating awareness of self in relation to others, recognizing value of supervision, etc.).

·         Infant Mental Health Endorsement preferred.

·         Flexible availability to include weeknight/weekend hours as allowed by agency policy; and

·         Travel throughout New Jersey to obtain required multi-day training for the model and/or agency.

Health benefits, on-site childcare, and 401K plan available. Salary for this position is $45,000 - $55,000, commensurate with previous experience, references, and other factors.