Family Specialist

Family Wise University Ave
Mpls, MN 55414, USA

Family Wise has been keeping children safe and helping families lead stable, healthy and productive lives since 1976. Our programs help families build resiliency, identify and harness their strengths, and connect to other resources. We promote individual and community-led actions that enhance supports for children, parents, and families across Minnesota.

Our mission is to strengthen families by promoting the safety, stability, and wellbeing of children, and our vision is for a world where every child thrives. As a multi-service, multi-cultural agency, Family Wise focuses on nurturing children, families, and communities through culturally competent services. Our staff reflect the communities we serve through shared lived experiences and cultural background, and many can provide services in languages other than English.

Our programs focus on natural supports, experiential learning, education, and a therapeutic approach with expertise in trauma-effective care.

$23.00 per hour

• Paid vacation and sick time
• Nine paid holidays and three floating holidays
• Competitive health, dental, and vision insurance
• Health Savings Account (HSA), and options for Flexible Spending Accounts (FSA)
• Long-term disability insurance – the employer pays the premiums
• Employer-paid basic life insurance with the option for additional coverage paid by the employee
• Voluntary benefits:
  Accident, hospital indemnity, critical illness, short-term disability insurance
• FWS sponsors a retirement plan with 3% employer match and immediate vesting

Because Family Wise is a member with Metropolitan Alliance of Connected Communities (MACC) who partners with St. Mary’s University, Family Wise employees and their spouses are also eligible for the following benefits y’s University:

• Discounted tuition for Bachelor’s, Master’s, and Doctorate programs
• Access to advancement (internships, job placement, field practice)

This is a regular, full-time, hybrid position that requires some evening and weekend work as necessary and the ability to travel to client sites within a 15-mile radius of the office.

Family Wise is hiring a Family Specialist to work as part of a multidisciplinary team to provide parent education and therapeutic coaching to clients referred by County systems. Services occur in-home or at community sites in a 1:1 format with a parent and/or families. The goals of the programs are to eliminate child abuse and neglect by parents, improve parenting skills, and reunify children with their parents when possible.

• Provide a secure and neutral environment for parents and their children.
• Assess parent/family social, emotional, and cognitive skills.
• Teach parent education sessions based on curriculum and expertise.
• Conduct parenting observations and provide parents feedback on their interaction skills.
• Model appropriate social skills for parents and their children.
• Provide life skills education to increase parental capacity for positive family dynamics.
• Prepare timely monthly written reports.
• Attend all appropriate collateral meetings with counselors and referring agencies.
• Develop and implement service plans with clients.
• Coordinate and communicate with county workers, referring partners, and other stakeholders.
• Facilitate meetings of family, professionals, and natural supports.
• Collaborate with community partners.
• Teach parenting groups monthly for a group setting option.

• A Bachelor’s Degree in Early Childhood Development, Child Psychology, Family Social Science, Special Education, or a related human service field (2-year degree with 2+ years of experience providing parenting services also considered).
• 2-3 years…