Family Services Advocate

A.
GENERAL SUMMARY OF DUTIES

The Family Service Advocate will Identify, recruit, and enroll children and their families for the Saginaw ISD Head Start Program. The Family Service Advocate will work with the Head Start Family Services Coordinator and the entire team to support child development and positive outcomes for children and families through compliance with the Head Start Performance Standards. The Family Service Advocate will support parent engagement, and build partnerships with families via Family Partnership Agreements, assessing family's strengths, participating in goal setting, and connecting families to community resources. They will provide family intervention strategies, coordinate and/ or facilitate program services and monitor the family's progress in achieving identified goals. The Family Service Advocate will maintain accurate data.

B.
ESSENTIAL DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES

Duties of the position are described in major functional areas listed below. Additional duties may be assigned.

1. Family Support and Intervention: In cooperation with other team members, work with families through home visits and in other appropriate settings to provide a written family needs assessment, develop and implement a family partnership agreement. Implement strategies that support the family in identifying strengths, addressing concerns, dealing with challenges and achieving goals. Conduct referrals and follow up to ensure families' progress in achieving goals. Refers families for emergency or crisis assistance. Participates in child profile development.
2. Recruitment, Enrollment and Attendance: Identify, recruit, and enroll children for the Head Start program including children with disabilities. Ensure full program enrollment at all times, maintain a waiting list, and support the transition of children into and out of the program. Work with Managers and other program staff to analyze patterns of child absences and initiate appropriate family support procedures when necessary. Assist with outreach activities as needed.
3. Health/ Disability Requirements: Coordinate with other program staff and community agencies to assist families in meeting program disability/health requirements. Assist parents in finding a medical home, arranging transportation, sending appointment reminders. Understand and ensure the completion of program medical, health, dental and disability requirements. Attends IEP meetings as requested.
4. Family Involvement - Work with parents to promote participation in local Head Start parent programming as defined by the team. Display initiative and positive results in organizing, scheduling, facilitating, and presenting at these functions. Provide resources to families as appropriate. Lead, train and provide support to officers to ensure that parent club meetings run smoothly.
5. Family Engagement - Build collaborative partnerships between families, schools, and communities to support student learning, well - being, and development through compliance with the Head Start Performance Standards. Establish and maintain positive relationships with families, staff, and community partners, acting as a liaison to increase engagement and trust.
6. Event Coordination - Plan and implement school - wide workshops, meetings, and family events to enhance parent education and engagement.
7. Community Collaboration: Advocate in the community for Head Start and families. Be accessible to the community by attending committee and/or collaborative meetings, including round-ups, partnerships, collaborations, community events, open houses and individual enrollments. Build community collaborations that support the growth and development of children and families. Coordinates appropriate referrals to community agencies in areas related to family support and intervention.
8. Team and Peer Support: Act as an integral part of the team, effectively utilizing the process of communication. Participate with all team members in fulfilling program performance standards. Share program information with teachers to meet individual family needs.
9. Recordkeeping: Maintain accurate and up-to-date records, files and reports. Send for necessary documentation, track health and dental requirements and submit required paperwork in an organized and timely manner. Records, monitors and follows up on referrals. Enter Child Plus data in a timely manner. Tracks Family partnership efforts and outcomes. Maintains and provides data for the annual Program Information Review (PIR). Maintain records of family engagement activities, surveys, and assessments to evaluate program effectiveness,
   1. Understands, generates and documents in-kind and other allowable costs applied toward the non-federal share requirement.
10. Professional Growth: Attend all local and area staff meetings/trainings, orientation, pre-service, and other pertinent conferences, workshops and college course work. Read journals, etc. to stay current with job related areas. Pursue personal goals through an individually designed self-development program.
11. Facilitate parenting workshops/training opportunities for enhancing parenting skills.
12. PERFORMS OTHER DUTIES AS ASSIGNED.

C.
SUPERVISION RECEIVED

The job description and the component work plan serve as a guideline. The supervisor evaluates the performance. Outside assistance can be received from other agency staff /related resources. Head Start effectively uses the teamwork approach. All content areas are interwoven so as to better assist and support families. The immediate supervisor is responsible for appraisals of this position.

The Head Start Performance Standards and related regulations must also be followed. This position must be able to initiate, prioritize, and carry out functions without continuous direct supervision. The position may involve reassignment of caseloads and/or center location as deemed necessary for program operations.


D.
KNOWLEDGE AND ABILITIES

Knowledge


Considerable knowledge of the principles and practices of social work, human behavior, customer service delivery and health services available in the Saginaw area. Knowledge of computer data entry processes, filing and record keeping. Must have knowledge of family-centered practices. Knowledge of local resources, customs and language is helpful.

Other Skills

• Help families feel welcomed, safe, and respected by building trusting relationships over time.
• Shows respect for different families' circumstances and creates opportunities for families to consider their aspirations for their children and themselves.
• Uses appropriate communication techniques, such as verbal and nonverbal messages and reflective listening.
• Demonstrates the ability to work with families on different kinds of goals (health, nutrition, parent/child interactions, mental health, family literacy, financial literacy, etc.)
• Maintains decisions that maintain professional boundaries and family confidentiality and child information.
• Demonstrates respectful interest in learning about each family's values, beliefs, faith traditions, cultural influences, family structures, and circumstances.
• Applies this knowledge to relationship-building and ongoing interactions with each family.
• Reinforces the importance of home language and culture in a child's development during interactions with parents and expectant families.
• Increase families' awareness and ability to identify protective factors/strengths they have to overcome challenges.
• Can increase families' awareness and ability to address the risk and stressors in their lives.
• Able to conduct educational opportunities for parents and expectant families on the importance of healthy relationships and support networks.
• Knows how to identify, in partnership with the family, options and resources to address challenges and work toward aspirations and long-term family stability.
• Facilitates and/or coordinates evidenced-based parenting education opportunities for parents individually and in groups, individualizing for culture, gender, and age, as appropriate.
• Supports parents (or links parents to supports) to address challenging child behaviors in positive, developmentally appropriate ways and accesses resources as necessary.
• Works well with other program staff to support ongoing interactive literacy activities between parents and their children at home and in the community.
• Supports families in developing skills and confidence to be effective leaders and advocates for their children.
• Demonstrates group facilitation knowledge and skills.
• Is skilled at coordinating training and educational opportunities for parents (e.g. adult education, life skills, parenting courses, family literacy, employment training).
• Can communicate with families and others about the importance of health, mental health, and child development services for children's ongoing learning and development.
• Integrates data collected from parents and expectant families into individualized services, decision-making, and daily practice (e.g. survey, observational, or conversational data that includes family ideas and experiences).
• Demonstrates the ability to be self-reflective and integrate new knowledge into practice.

Abilities

• Knowledge and implementation of the Head Start Performance Standards and policies of Saginaw ISD Head Start.
• Exercise professional judgment in evaluating before making decisions.
• Establish and maintain effective working relationships with staff, children, parents, outside agencies and the public.
• Computer data entry functions.
• Maintain confidentiality
• Must possess reliable transportation for employment.
• Possess valid driver's license and have minimum automobile coverage required by state of employment. To drive agency vehicles (if applicable), must be insurable by the Saginaw ISD Head Start insurance carrier.
• To read, analyze and interpret reports, regulations and periodicals. Write reports, business correspondence and manuals. Present information and respond to questions.
• To add, subtract, multiply and divide in all units of measures.
• To climb, walk, drive, sit, stand and lift up to 25 pounds.

E.
EDUCATION AND EXPERIENCE

Associates degree or higher in Social Work, Human Services, or related human services fields is required. Bilingual (English/Spanish) preferred. Previous case management experience with young children and families preferred. Must obtain Basic First Aid and CPR Certification. Current and former Head Start employees, students and parents will receive preference for employment vacancies for which they are qualified.

F. CONDITIONS OF EMPLOYMENT

Acceptable tuberculosis screening results, a clear criminal records check, an initial health exam and drug screen are required post job offer and prior to employment.

1. G. PHYSICAL DEMANDS AND WORKING CONDITIONS

• Travel time is required to make contact with families and agencies.
• Travel by car, bus, airplane or train when associated with in/out of state attendance at conferences, or meetings.
• Occasional need to provide gentle physical restraint to children.
• Exposure to communicable diseases.
• Noise level in the work environment may be moderate to loud.
• Evenings and weekend work occasionally may be required for events such as training, home visits, parent teacher conference, Parent Committee meetings, etc.

1. H. SALARY

• Pay Range: $/annually OR /annually (Based on Credentials)

SISD - Saginaw County Head Start is a customer-driven, family friendly program. As such, all staff must value and be committed to the highest levels of professionalism, cooperation, teamwork and tolerance; this includes working well with families, children, co-workers, supervisors and the greater community.

NOTICE OF NONDISCRIMINATION

Saginaw Intermediate School District does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, sexual orientation, gender and gender identity, disability, age, or national origin in its programs and activities and provides equal access to the Boy Scouts and other designated youth groups. The following person has been designated to handle inquiries regarding the non-discrimination policies:

Executive Director of Human Resources

Saginaw Intermediate School District

3933 Barnard Road, Saginaw, MI 48603

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