Family Support Specialist 1st shift

Position: Family Support Specialist - Full-time - 1st shift - Mon-Fri
# Family Support Specialist
- Full-time - 1st shift
- Mon-FriNWR
- Waterbury , CT 06702## RTFT Family Support Specialist
** Why CMHA?
** Community Mental Health Affiliates, Inc. (CMHA) is a private non-profit treatment provider headquartered in New Britain, with seven locations throughout the city and in Waterbury. We partner with clients and the community to promote recovery from mental illness and substance use, treating more than 7,500 adults and children each year. CMHA is Connecticut’s first fully Joint Commission accredited Behavioral Health Home and is a SAMHSA Certified Community Behavioral Health Clinic (CCBHC).

Visit cmhacc.org to learn more.

Internal mobility and career pathing is a focus at CMHA with many employees growing from individual contributors to leaders.

CMHA is looking to hire a full-time Family Support Specialist for our RTFT team. This position will be located at 255 Bank St, Waterbury, CT 06051. Monday-Friday, and evenings and weekends as needed to accommodate clients' schedules.  
** Summary**:
Provides support, education, and intervention in the home, community or office setting to assist caregivers in optimizing functioning in order to minimize family risk factors. Family Support Specialists (FSS) will work independently and part of a team in a solution-focused manner to help families develop the skills necessary to ensure a safe and secure home environment for their children. Such tasks may include, supporting families to access basic needs, household organization, parenting strategies and attachment, support around mental health and substance use challenges and reintegration of the children back into the family.

FSS candidates should have a passion for supporting families outside of a traditional behavioral health office setting, ability to independently problem-solve in times of crisis, flexibility in scheduling, strong decision-making and organizational/documentation skills.

** Essential Responsibilities and Target Outcomes:*
* • Implement responsibilities set by specific scope of service.  
• Conduct thorough assessments based on program responsibilities.  
• Provides short-term case management services, advocacy, and linkages to services.  
• Develop an understanding of parenting skills, child development and caregiver/child attachment.  
• Develops, implements, and reviews on an ongoing basis targeted treatment/service plans.  
• Maintains appropriate caseload as determined by CMHA and funders.  
• Collaborates with community providers and funders as needed.  
• Performs other duties as assigned.

** Principal Customers:
** Clients referred by DCF, Community Partner Agencies and self-referrals.

** Critical Work Relationships:
** Director of Home-Based Services, DCF, and Community Partner Agencies.## Qualifications
*
* Education:

** Bachelor’s Degree preferred in behavioral health (Social work, Human service or related field).  Relevant experience equal to a bachelors’ degree will be considered.
** Credentials and Licenses:*
* * Valid CT driver’s license and ability to provide own transportation.
* Certified in BMT, First Aid, and CPR.
* Accredited Triple P Parent Educator (all training provided).
** Experience**:

* Successful experience working with children and families in child welfare, daycare, school settings; preferably a minimum of three years.
* Beginner to intermediate experience with Microsoft Office products including Word and Outlook.
* Experience in or the ability to learn how to use an Electronic Medical Record (EMR) system; which includes appointment scheduling, authorization tracking, assessments, treatment plans, progress notes, and discharge summaries.
* Ability to learn and use date collection systems to help increase compliance with funders.
** Competencies**:
* Effective interpersonal skills, ability to problem solve and use good judgment.
* Flexibility and ability to adapt creatively to stressful situations.
* Awareness/sensitivity to all types of issues related to client diversity.
* Ability to ensure the security and confidentiality of client information and records in a manner consistent with professional and CMHA codes of ethics.
* Strong organization abilities.
*…