Family Support Specialist

JOB SUMMARY

Supports child welfare‑involved families through client‑directed services. Provides a combination of services to improve family stability that includes supervising parent-child interactions, housing and home‑management assistance, parenting education, and in‑home services to support biological parents, foster parents, and relative caregivers. In conjunction with Case Managers, engages with families around their strengths and needs through assessment, goal setting and coaching.

• Engages families using a trauma‑informed and strengths‑based approach through modeling, goal‑setting, and coaching.
• Uses evidence‑informed assessment tools to identify parent and child needs to support appropriate service intervention.
• Delivers services and support to families using evidence‑based coaching curricula and parent education models that address safety, stability, and permanency.
• Ensures immediate child safety at all times, providing guidance to participants in crisis situations and teaches problem‑solving and executive‑functioning skills.
• Completes timely and accurate documentation including progress notes, pre/post parent assessments, goal action plans, and other related file maintenance. Progress note documentation must be submitted within 72 hours of service provision.
• Advocates for what families need to achieve reunification, in‑home stability and other court‑ordered conditions.
• Communicates and collaborates regularly with the Child Welfare Case Manager and other child welfare team members, providing timely information about the family’s progress in services.

Exhibits guiding behaviors that reflect Children’s values and support our mission and vision.

• High School graduate or Certificate of General Educational Development (GED) or High School Equivalency Diploma (HSED) is required.
• Bachelor’s Degree is preferred.

• 2+ years experience working with families of diverse ethnic, cultural and socioeconomic background is required.
• Previous experience in child welfare, visitation, or other related experience is preferred.

• Ability to model, redirect and coach parents in their guidance and nurturing of children.
• Ability to engage families and children who are dealing with child maltreatment, safety issues and other related problems to improve family functioning and ensure positive child development.
• Excellent judgment skills. Learns quickly when facing new problems and makes good decisions based on a mixture of analysis. Ability to make sound judgments, to use supervision effectively and to take independent action if needed to ensure child safety. Remains calm under pressure and can effectively cope with change.
• Ability to approach clients with positive regard and assume positive intent with all parties.
• Ability to work independently in a fast‑paced environment.
• Excellent verbal and written skills, including the ability to write factual progress notes and effectively present information in individual and group settings with a variety of audiences.
• Strong computer skills.
• Capacity to help families make strong connections with community resources and knowledge of community resources/services available to support program participants.

• License Driver’s License – State of Wisconsin is required.
• Social Worker LICENSE (120) – State of Wisconsin is preferred.

This job primarily operates in a setting that routinely requires use of standard office equipment and/or where there is no reasonable potential for exposure to blood and other high‑risk body fluids.