Family Support Specialist

Why work with YWCA Seattle King Snohomish? YWCA SKS is the region’s largest non‑profit organization with a 120+ year legacy, focused on the needs of women, with programs serving 7,000 people each year. When you work with YWCA, you make a difference. We’re women and BIPOC‑led, family‑centered, and supportive of employees. As a full‑time YWCA employee (30+ hours) you’ll enjoy a benefits package including medical insurance, generous vacation, holiday, sick leave and an outstanding retirement plan. Put your passion for racial equity and social justice to work – apply today! What You’ll Do This position has a social justice component that requires critical thinking around how external systems impact our work through the lens of racism and intersections with poverty. Knowing the core principles of antiracism and grounding those principles in everyday work, as well as working well in non‑white environments and championing anti‑racism policy, are required job skills and core values. The Lead Family Support Specialist delivers strength‑based, personalized services that equip families with the skills and support to achieve housing stability. An initial assessment identifies strengths, barriers, and required services, and the specialist helps residents reach personal and housing goals. The role also supports community members with job readiness skills, connects them to WorkSource resources, conducts assessments, provides job‑training workshops, and assists clients with job retention, wage progression, and money‑and‑time‑management skills. The specialist maintains records of client progress, completes reports on demographics and program outcomes, enters data into the Safe Harbors HMIS system, works with employers to develop job opportunities, helps clients meet workplace expectations, and may facilitate resident meetings, support groups, job clubs, and workshops. Office Management Work with the Director to develop office protocols for a strength‑based, culturally relevant, holistic approach. Provide coordination, support, supervision and scheduling for support staff including Family Support Specialists, Custodian, Office Assistant, Volunteers, Interns and Practicum Students. Review, complete and submit timesheets for all support staff. Ensure Family Support Specialists complete their internal tracking sheet on or before the 25th of each month. Ensure that all health and safety practices are followed by YWCA policies and procedures. Housing Case Management Assess clients’ basic needs at entry and ongoing. Provide clients with support services and/or make referrals or linkages to other community agencies to resolve barriers to housing, employment and other basic needs. Work as part of the case‑management team and in partnership with other community service providers to deliver services and ensure follow‑through; develop and maintain these collaborative relationships. Maintain complete and accurate client files. Prepare and submit reports that meet YWCA and program contract requirements. Facilitate resident meetings, educational classes, workshops and presentations. Meet with clients regularly, maintain case files, document services and track client progress and referrals. Employment Initiate and develop relationships with local employers to create job and internship opportunities and place clients. Support clients in maintaining employment after placement by making regular direct contacts and/or working with job‑retention specialists to provide needed services. Identify employer needs for skills and training. Other Responsibilities Implement all work by incorporating the YWCA’s Social Justice Initiative, understanding how racism, sexism, classism and other oppressions intersect and are embedded in all institutions and systems. Recognize that solving racism is the root of how we understand and heal from these –isms. Develop and implement quality assurance, procedural flow charting and system development for housing services in collaboration with housing operations. Qualifications Experience working with communities of color. Demonstrate understanding of the intersection of racism and poverty. Two (2) years professional experience in providing case‑management services to families. Professional experience as a service provider in areas of crisis intervention, domestic violence, substance abuse, mental health, employment services, low‑income and homeless families. Knowledge of community services available in Seattle–King County for low‑income families. Knowledge of Seattle–King County low‑income, public and subsidized housing programs. Excellent communication, organizational and interpersonal skills. Basic computer literacy. Valid Washington State driver’s license, reliable transportation and insurance. Core Competencies Expected Communication: oral and written Attention to detail Relationship building Crisis management Resilience Analytical thinking Coaching Discernment/judgment Organizational understanding Problem solving Social justice advocacy Compensation & Hours Hourly rate: $28.00 Hours: 40 hours per week Benefits Medical insurance, retirement plan, generous vacation, holiday and sick leave. Employees may enroll voluntarily in the Fidelity 403(b) Plan at the time of hire. After two years of employment, employees are eligible to participate in the YWCA Retirement Fund. Physical Demands Continuously exchanges information through listening and talking with clients, agency staff, employers, representatives of community organizations and other individuals in the community. Frequently stands, walks, sits and climbs in performing duties in the office and traveling to off‑site meetings. Frequently reaches and grasps in using telephones, computers, fax machines and other office equipment and supplies. Frequently lifts and carries up to 5 lbs. of paperwork, files, and training materials, occasionally up to 40 lbs. Frequently to occasionally performs close work while updating files, reading program information, and using computer. Occasionally kneels, bends, pushes and pulls to obtain files in drawers. Psychological Risks All employees of the YWCA interact with clients who have experienced or are experiencing trauma in various forms, including but not limited to racial trauma, domestic violence, sexual violence, homelessness, unemployment and financial hardship. Employees are at risk of secondary trauma. We encourage employees to seek support inside and outside the workplace and maintain self‑care routines. Equal Opportunity Employment YWCA Seattle King Snohomish is an Equal Opportunity Employer. View the EEO is the Law Poster and the EEO is the Law Poster Supplement for more information. For More Information Contact us at View email address on click.appcast.io with any questions or if you need accommodation for your application. #J-18808-Ljbffr