Family Support & Engagement Specialist

Department: Community Programs/Healthy Families

Reports to: Family Support & Assessment Worker Supervisor (Job Code 1035)

Pay Grade/Salary Range: 105 - $38,303.03 - $61,284.85 ($18.41 - $29.46 hourly)

Posting Expires: Until Filled

A paraprofessional or professional responsible for initiating and maintaining an ongoing supportive relationship with families through the provision of regular, long‑term home visiting services. This position requires managing referrals, determining eligibility for services, offering program services, enrolling new program participants and conducting an initial assessment of needs using the Healthy Families Florida Assessment Tool (HFFAT).

The following statements describe the principal functions of the job and its scope of responsibility but should not be considered an all‑inclusive list of work requirements. Individuals may perform other duties as assigned. Duties include, but are not limited to:

• Making weekly (or less frequent) home visits for a caseload of up to twenty‑five families.
• Assist in strengthening the parent‑child relationship through improving parenting skills and modeling appropriate activities during home visits.
• Provide education on parenting, child development, child and health safety using evidence‑based curriculum.
• Work with individual participants and groups.
• Establish a trusting relationship with at‑risk families by initiating and maintaining appropriate participant contact.
• Establish a family goal plan with objectives and activities with the supervisor and follow through with implementation.
• Initiate and maintain a home visitation schedule with families according to level status.
• Timely complete required parent or child screenings including development screenings, Home Safety Checklist, maternal depression screenings, initial risk and protective factor assessments, parenting inventory, etc.
• Ensure that family is linked to a medical provider; provide information on the importance of timely immunization and well‑child checks and document dates of immunizations and well‑child check‑ups.
• Act as a liaison between families and other community agencies.
• Document services provided, interactions observed, and participant responses clearly, accurately, and timely (within 2 working days) in participant file.
• Familiarize self with community resources appropriate to needs of the families.
• Attend regular staff meetings, multi‑disciplinary staffing, in‑service training, and other meetings as required.
• Maintain confidentiality of participant information and respect diverse cultural differences of families within communities.
• Meet with Supervisor on a weekly basis for case management and review of all families on caseload.
• Participate in reflective practice/supervision while maintaining an openness for introspection. Communicate self‑awareness in relation to others and recognize the value of supervision.
• Complete initial training required by Healthy Families Florida and a minimum of 20 hours per year of training thereafter.
• Maintain a professional and safe unit and work area adhering to established safety policies and the image desired for the organization.
• Consistently follow Highlands County Board of County Commissioners, Healthy Families Highlands and Healthy Families Florida policies and procedures.
• Respond productively to change.

Any Healthy Families staff personally involved in a Department of Children and Families investigation is required to notify their direct supervisor. Due to the nature of the work done by Healthy Families, this type of incident and/or failure to report such an incident may put the program in a position of public disrepute and therefore result in disciplinary action for the employee.

• Knowledge of infant and child development.
• Experience in successfully working with children (0 to 5 years of age) and their families.
• Experience and humility to work with culturally diverse populations.
• Ability to use good judgment and make independent decisions with clear and professional boundaries.
• Ability to work independently, meet deadlines, possess good time‑management skills, and utilize initiative.
• A…