Family Support Specialist

Overview

Licensed or 2 Years Post Grad. Must have Masters in Social Work (MSW). The Family Support Specialist (Social Worker) is a grant‑funded position responsible for working in collaboration with professional social/educational services and agencies to obtain health, financial, vocational, and social services for students and families. The role models and enforces company policies and procedures and reports to the Regional Director or Executive Principal.

The Specialist works collaboratively with the entire staff, students, and families to address, mitigate, and/or remove personal, social, and behavioral barriers that prevent students from succeeding.

• Coordinate, develop, and implement support systems to meet students’ social, emotional, behavioral, medical, financial, and life skills or other needs in alignment with the School’s vision and mission.
• Use counseling strategies or ensure that on‑site providers use counseling strategies to help students so they can be emotionally and socially prepared to maximize their instructional time.
• Build and maintain positive, cooperative, and effective relationships and conduct skill‑building seminars with staff, students, families, community, and colleagues.
• Secure MOUs with local colleges and universities to establish ALS schools as clinical internship sites for students in the schools of Social Work, Mental Health, School Counseling, and any other related programs. Perform all required tasks relating to the supervision of clinical interns in each of these programs.
• Support the student orientation process.
• Effectively document all services provided to students and families as defined by ALS policies and procedures and any other regulatory reporting requirements.
• Conduct home visits to facilitate home‑school connections.
• Coordinate home, school, and community resources in addressing crisis situations.
• Lead all tasks and initiatives defined by the School’s Mental Health Plan, including required outcome reporting.
• Stay abreast and informed of current trends, research, and community agency providers and keep teachers, staff, and administrators informed of the same.
• Perform all other duties as deemed necessary, aligned with Company’s policies and procedures to ensure student educational and behavioral goals and objectives are achieved.

• Counseling and/or social work theory and practice
• School, local, state, and federal policies and laws relevant to student services, including FERPA, HIPAA, child abuse, and bullying/harassment
• Community social and family resources, trends, and opportunities
• Correct English usage, grammar, spelling, punctuation and vocabulary
• Record‑keeping techniques
• Oral and written communication skills
• Telephone techniques and etiquette

• Master’s Degree from an accredited college or university with major coursework in social work, and credentials required to serve as an official clinical field supervisor for clinical interns in Social Work and Mental Health as defined by local and state postsecondary institutions. License in social work or mental health counseling preferred.
• Minimum of three (3) years’ experience working with at‑risk youth is preferred.
• Experience in education, social services, and community services that will utilize all skills necessary to assist students in becoming high‑school graduates and acquiring 21st‑century skills to become productive and participating members of their communities is required.
• Valid driver’s license required.
• Effective oral and written communication skills required.
• Computer literacy required.
• Bilingual preferred.