Family Support Specialist

Family Support Specialist

This position is for 7.5 hours per day at 190 days per year. Pay for position: PSE Salary Schedule Level 10 - $29.99 (25-26 PSE SALARY SCHEDULE)

General Summary: This position's responsibilities are to serve as liaison between families, schools and community service resources to provide social services to preschool students and family members who are eligible for the Early Childhood Education Assistance Program (ECEAP) or Head Start program and/or students with developmental handicaps (Special Education Preschool). Responsibilities include performing home visits, recruiting and enrolling families, meeting with parents and facilitating parent involvement, providing crisis intervention services, serving as liaison with community resources, advocating for families and disseminating pertinent information.

Essential Functions: Depending upon the individual assignment, the Family Support Specialist for ECEAP, Head Start, and Preschool programs may perform all or a combination of the following:

• Recruits and enrolls students to maintain full enrollment for the program through a variety of mailings, flyers, information to the community, door-to-door visits and referrals.
• Provides an orientation for families and students as they enter the program.
• Conducts family needs assessment, develops a program of services, implements services and coordinates intervention to assist families.
• Performs home visits; provides a variety of consultation and advice on issues such as behavior management, social service referrals, parenting skills and a wide variety of other matters to assist parents in improving the home environment to benefit the child's education.
• Acts as a liaison between parents and school; provides for and/or conducts parent meetings, parent classes, newsletters and flyers about special events; promotes communication between parents, school and social service agencies. Attends parent meetings and classes that are scheduled during day and evening hours.
• Serves as parent advocate at multi-disciplinary team meetings, staff meetings, pre-meetings for individual learning plans (ILPs), individual education plans (IEPs), and in agency contacts.
• Provides support for families in crisis; coordinates efforts for consistent behavior and environment for the child.
• May administer assessment tests to determine appropriate student placement.
• May provide health services such as review of immunization records, preparation of annual state immunization report.
• May administer prescribed meds under the supervision of a nurse.
• Serves a caseload of families; serves as member of case management team; performs a variety of referral and follow-up services for families in conjunction with community resources. Provides leadership and guidance to center committee and coordinates activities for parents. May transport students and/or families in district vehicle.
• Works with parents and provides a variety of feedback and assistance to parents to enhance preschool program through volunteering in the classroom, producing newsletters, and other ways to participate.
• Establishes and maintains a network with social service agencies; provides a variety of inter-agency services. Provides follow-up on child abuse reports as per program guidelines.
• Maintains a variety of program records, files and documents according to program standards and established guidelines as mandated by Washington State, ESD, and the school district.
• Compiles and distributes a wide variety of information on issues of concern to parents of preschool children.
• Attends and/or schedules a variety of meetings with other staff; discusses families' progress and further needs. May have flexible hours to allow employee to participate in family and community activities related to the program. Attends out-of-district meetings as required by ESD.
• Meets with parents to allocate assigned budget.

Other Functions:

• May record and distribute minutes of meetings; maintains records.
• May assemble newsletters; may coordinate with printers.
• Assists in a variety of activities to transition preschool children to kindergarten; provides a variety of coordination and scheduling of transportation. Consults with social service providers in schools to ensure continuation of needed services.
• Performs a variety of public relations activities in support of the program.
• May serve on various district committees and/or departmental work teams. Models appropriate and cooperative behavior, including protecting confidential information, consistent with district ethical guidelines.
• Performs related duties consistent with the scope and intent of the position.
• Attends conferences and workshops to enhance professional skills.

Reporting Relationships: Reports to the Director of Support Services and Early Childhood Education.

Mental Demands: Required to shift priorities in response to program changes; frequently deals with distraught or difficult individuals; required to deal with the emotional and physical needs of families; required to adapt to a variety of home environments and to model appropriate and effective behavior therein. Experiences frequent interruptions from various sources.

Physical Demands: Required to travel to various sites; potentially exposed to ordinary infectious diseases in the classroom and while making home visits. Home visits require safety awareness and precautions against unrestrained animals and possible domestic disturbances, substance abusing adults, and/or hostile parents.

Minimum Qualifications: Education and Experience Bachelor's degree in social service or social science and experience with social service programs and agencies preferred. Associate's degree in social service and two (2) years of related field experience required.

Required Knowledge, Skills and Abilities: Skill in written and oral communication. Ability to display sensitivity to at risk families. Knowledge of social services delivery programs. Knowledge of and ability to implement accepted methods of counseling and interviewing. Knowledge of early childhood development. Knowledge of community resources. Skill in creative problem solving. Skill in dealing with frustrated and/or difficult people. Effective time management skills. Knowledge of child development. Skill in crisis intervention. Ability to assess family needs for services. Ability to work independently and with minimal supervision. Ability to maintain strict confidentiality. Ability to establish and maintain effective relationships with students, parents, teachers, specialists and outside agencies. Ability to maintain and submit accurate records according to established timelines. Knowledge of child protective laws and procedures.

Licenses/Special Requirements: Requires fingerprinting and background check to determine that there have been no convictions involving physical molestation, abuse, injury or neglect of a minor. Must complete training in and adhere to district infection control plan. Valid Washington state driver's license with Class 2 endorsement to travel between sites and to homes.

Unit Affiliation: Other Services

Wages and Benefits: Click here to access details on the following: Salaries/Wages Insurance Retirement Plans Paid Time Off or Vacation Paid Holidays Other Compensation

Non-Discrimination Policy: Bethel School District does not discriminate in any programs or activities on the basis of sex, race, ethnicity, color, religion, creed, national origin, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, homelessness, immigration or citizenship status, disability, neurodivergence, the use of a trained dog guide or service animal, age, and honorably discharged veteran or military status and provides equal access to the Boy Scouts and other designated youth groups. The following employees have been designated to handle questions and complaints of alleged discrimination: Civil Rights Compliance / Gender-Inclusive Schools Coordinator, Debbie Carlman, View email address on click.appcast.io, View phone number on click.appcast.io; Title IX Coordinator, Mel Boyd, View email address on click.appcast.io, View phone number on click.appcast.io; and 504 Coordinator, Melissa Munson-Merritt, View email address on click.appcast.io, View phone number on click.appcast.io. All individuals may be reached at this address: 516 176th Street East, Spanaway, WA 98387. Title IX inquiries may also be directed toward the U.S. Department of Education, Office for Civil Rights (OCR). Information about the nondiscrimination and sex-based discrimination policies and grievance procedures, and how to report a concern or complaint: bethelsd.org.