Youth & Family Support Specialist

Job Details

Location: Pathways Abilene – Abilene, TX 79605
Education: Bachelors Degree
Salary: $18.00 – $21.00 per hour
Travel: Up to 50%
Shift: Flexible

The Youth and Family Support Specialist provides continuous monitoring, support, and coordination of services for foster, adoptive kinship families, and families caring for youth aged 14 and older. The role supports clients by acting as a liaison between families, service providers, and the organization to ensure consistent, quality care.

• Provide assistance and support to foster families to remain in compliance with DFPS Minimum Standards and Pathways’ policies.
• Assist foster parents with documentation as per Pathways’ policies.
• Conduct and document regular visits to all assigned kinship and foster/adopt homes.
• Provide and assist with training during regular visits.
• Create and ensure compliance with action/safety plans.
• Upload/complete all documentation within two business days.
• Link families and clients to community supports and services based on need.

• Identify and assist in preparing kinship families and children for placement with Pathways.
• Identify and assist in preparing youth for transition support services and aftercare services.
• Assess and ensure the child’s well‑being and safety on an ongoing basis.
• Assess ongoing needs of kinship families and families caring for youth 14 and older, including completion of the Casey Life Skills Assessment, Preparation for Adult Living classes, and other services to support independent living.
• Monitor kinship and foster/adopt homes and services provided to children through regular contact.
• Upload/complete all documentation within two business days.
• Participate in Service Plan, Transitional Plan and Aftercare Plan development for assigned clients.

• Assess, assist, and support the needs of parents and/or subsequent caregivers and family.
• Assist with school enrollment (if applicable per the child’s age) and ensure enrollment prior to discharge when possible.
• Organize and facilitate transition to other medical and mental health providers as needed, ensuring no lapse in therapy or medication.
• Engage with the child and families to support transition and maintain healthy connections for up to six months post‑discharge.
• Upload/complete aftercare documentation within two business days.
• Maintain all applicable service expectations outlined in the T3C Blueprint related to Aftercare Services, which vary by Service Package/Add‑On Service.

• Assist in facilitating initial orientation and ongoing training to prospective and licensed kinship families/support providers and staff via in‑person, in‑home, online, and audio/visual applications.
• Provide recommendations regarding abilities, skill level, and appropriateness of families that have completed applications, cleared background checks, and attended training.

• Participate in joint recruitment area events and activities with other supporting agencies.
• Facilitate initial orientations and informational meetings as needed.

• Assist with tracking onboarding progress for kinship families/support providers to ensure efficiency, productivity, and compliance, including due dates, training compliance, background checks, inspections, etc., prior to verification.
• Upload/complete all documentation within three business days of receipt.

• Prompt applicants, licensed kinship and foster/adopt parents, and applicable support providers to attend/receive all required training.

Program Manager/Area Development Manager/Regional Director.

Estimated 30 clients/homes.

Full‑time; minimum 40 hours per week with allowances in scheduling to meet with staff, children, and families during evenings and weekends.

Non‑exempt.

Option 1: Master’s degree in a human services field from an accredited college or university and one year of supervised child‑placing experience; the degree must include the following: minimum of 9 credit hours in graduate‑level courses that…