Family Advocate Worker; Bilingual English​/Spanish

Family Advocate Worker (Bilingual English/Spanish)

Family Focus is your partner in building strong families across Chicago and Northeast Illinois! We're here to support families and their children including emergency assistance, immigration programs, child welfare services, family support services, educational programs, and more. Our goal? To help our community thrive and reach its full potential! With 11 centers around Chicagoland, we're eager to expand our reach and make an even bigger impact.

That's why we're on the lookout for passionate individuals who share our vision to join our team as we grow and serve more families. Are you ready to make a difference? We want you to be a part of our journey!

The Family Advocate Worker supports the coordination and delivery of high-quality services through the Family Advocacy Center (FAC). FAC is a community-based program funded by the Illinois Department of Children and Family Services (DCFS) that provides comprehensive, family-centered services to children and families. Services support families experiencing parenting challenges, families at risk of child removal, foster families working toward reunification, and community members seeking assistance.

The Family Advocate Worker builds trusting relationships with families, provides individualized support, and connects participants with resources that promote family stability, safety, and self-sufficiency.

Duties include, but are not limited to:

• Assist with planning and implementing Family Advocacy Center programs and services.
• Establish and maintain trusting, respectful relationships with children, parents, caregivers, and families.
• Conduct home and site visits to provide support, assess needs, and monitor progress.
• Complete family intake, assessments, and service documentation.
• Develop and implement Individual Family Support Plans in partnership with families.
• Accompany and assist participants in accessing community resources and service providers when needed.
• Facilitate and co-facilitate support groups, parent education classes, and other family-focused activities.
• Develop and maintain effective working relationships with case managers, social service providers, and other professionals.
• Advocate for families and provide appropriate referrals to internal and external community-based resources.
• Conduct outreach and recruitment activities to engage families and increase awareness of available services.
• Present program services, outcomes, and community needs to partner agencies and community organizations.
• Develop collaborative partnerships with community-based organizations to expand resources and services available to FAC families.
• Participate in monthly FAC staff meetings and other program meetings as required.
• Maintain accurate documentation while adhering to confidentiality, ethical standards, and agency policies.
• Work collaboratively as part of a multidisciplinary team to support the safety, stability, and well-being of children and families.

The ideal candidate will have the following education and experience:

• Bachelor's degree in Human Services, Social Work, Early Childhood Education, or a related field.
• Minimum of two (2) years of experience providing strengths-based services to children, youth, and families; five (5) years of progressively responsible experience is preferred.
• Experience working with vulnerable populations and families experiencing crisis or complex social, behavioral, or family-related challenges.
• Knowledge of child development and family-centered, strengths-based practices.
• Strong communication, interpersonal, and relationship-building skills with families, staff, and community partners.
• Ability to work effectively with individuals from diverse cultural, socioeconomic, and personal backgrounds.
• Bilingual English/Spanish required.
• Must have reliable access to transportation and the ability to travel for work-related activities.
• Must be available to work occasional evenings and weekends as required.

Salary: $54,361/year This is a full-time exempt position