Parenting Support Specialist
Listed on 2026-07-01
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Social Work
Family Advocacy & Support Services, Child Protection, Child Development/Support, Community Support Services
Parenting Support Specialist
The role of the Parenting Support Specialist is to provide trauma informed, individualized intervention that includes parenting skills assessment and development, family case management, and crisis management. The Parenting Support Specialist will provide Supervised Parenting time and Supervised Visitation using the Coached visitation model developed by OCFS. The Parenting Support Specialist will meet with families a minimum of once/week for one hour or more based on the individual needs of the family and as identified by Niagara County Department of Social Services (NCDSS).
The Parenting Support Specialist will carry a caseload ranging from 7-13 families.
New Directions Youth & Family Services is an equal opportunity employer committed to championing the principles of anti-racism, justice, and equity. We welcome prospective employees from diverse cultures and backgrounds, for all positions, who will uphold our values and contribute to our mission. We aim to have a leadership and workforce that is reflective of the communities we work in partnership with.
Pay and Benefits:
- Master's Degree- $24.12 – $25.34/hour
- Bachelor's Degree- $20.14 - $22.20/hour
- Flexible 35-hour schedule
- 105 hours of paid time off in the first year, plus 13 agency holidays
- Medical, dental, and life insurance at affordable rates
- 401k with up to 3% agency match
- A supportive agency culture where over 30% of staff have been with us for 10+ years
Professional Development Opportunities:
- Ongoing training and supervision
- Opportunities to strengthen skills in parenting support, crisis management, and trauma-informed care
- Required certifications and continuing education provided or supported by the agency
Position Specific Duties/Responsibilities:
Assessment
- Engages family in a comprehensive assessment process that helps to identify family strengths, needs, and goals. Reviews family life areas including: educational/vocational, home/parenting, community, medical/mental health/substance abuse, and legal/financial.
- Partners with parents to complete self-assessments
- Utilizes evidence based assessments as available including AAPI and Ages & Stages Questionnaire
Permanency and Care Planning
- Support families with identification of additional family resources that can contribute to increased time spent as a family while the children are in care and/or provide alternative discharge resources
- Partner with parents to identify goals and methods of achieving goals
- Support parents with understanding goals identified by Family Court and Social Services
- Works with family to develop a crisis management plan and list of resources to ensure safety of all family members.
Intervention and Skill Development
- Support parents whose children are placed outside the home with achieving goals that will expedite the children returning home from foster care
- Support parents with addressing safety and risk concerns in the home that could prevent their children from returning home, or for children living at home will prevent removal
- Provide coaching and feedback during Supervised Parenting sessions and Supervised Family Visitation sessions using the OCFS Coached visitation model
- Provides family with information about and linkage/referral to relevant community-based services.
- Provides information related to child developmental stages and appropriate expectations/rules/limits, engages family in skill-building activities, and models appropriate interventions.
- Provides 24-hour emergency crisis interventions services as necessary and participates in rotating weekend on-call duties.
- Advocates on the individual, agency, and system level to secure needed services, supports parents and caregivers with development of self-advocacy skills
- Meets with families for a minimum of one hour/week, or more as identified by the permanency plan
Communication and Collaboration
- Maintains routine contact with NCDSS Case Manager and other service providers.
- Attends NC Family Court and periodic FASP Service Plan Reviews as needed.
- Supports co-workers with case coverage during absences. Ensures coverage is available for own absences
Documentation
- Completes well composed progress notes reflecting…
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