Family Services Worker

Family Services Worker Job Description Summary

MAKE AN IMPACT. CHANGE LIVES. END POVERTY.

Company Overview At Orange County Head Start, we believe every child deserves the chance to shine. That's why we're on a mission to level the playing field for children and families in poverty. We partner with families to provide high-quality education and support through our Head Start and Early Head Start programs. We're looking for passionate individuals who share our commitment to helping children reach their full potential. Be part of a team making a daily impact in children's lives. Work in a purpose-driven environment where your passion meets opportunity. Help children overcome challenges and unlock their potential. As part of our team, you'll play a vital role in shaping young lives. Do you have the purpose and passion to make a real difference? Join us and help children unleash their potential, while you unleash your own! This job description indicates the major duties required but does not include all the duties and qualifications required. Job Details Job Title: Family Services Worker Status: Non-Exempt Department: Family Services Programmatic: 100% Employment Contract: No Reports To: Family Services Supervisor Pay Grade: 7 Work Location: Center Job Purpose Summary Under general supervision, the Family Services Worker is responsible and accountable for implementing family partnerships with families and delivering quality social services. This position is also responsible for tracking families’ progress and needs, researching and updating community resources, providing families with referrals to community agencies, and participating in center-level case management and crisis intervention. In addition, this position is responsible for providing quality customer service to internal customers, OCHS families, and business and professional contacts. Family Services Worker Essential Job Duties

1. Develop Family Partnership Agreements with Head Start families, schedule and conduct Family Partnership meetings with each family in the assigned caseload set goals with individual families, follow up on the progress of goals and referrals, and input documentation into the ChildPlus database. Ensure that meetings and interactions with families are respectful of each family’s diversity and cultural background. Inform parents of their volunteer opportunities within the Head Start program and offer support and encouragement for increased parent engagement within the program.
2. Network and attend community organization meetings to learn more about services available in the community and establish informal partnerships. Share resource information with other Family Services Workers and Family Services staff. Advocate and promote the Head Start program in the Orange County business community.
3. Work with the Center Director to coordinate center-level case management meetings to discuss parent and/or child’s needs. Input documentation from these case management meetings into the ChildPlus database.
4. Monitor classrooms and phone logs regarding absent children. As needed, contact family or make home visits to develop a plan for the child’s return to school. Input center attendance into the ChildPlus database. Analyze center attendance and report to the Family Services Manager when the overall center attendance falls below 85% for any given month.
5. Provide general support at the center, which includes front desk coverage, answering telephones, completing the daily attendance check, gate/bus duty, scheduling workshops, and coordinating meeting arrangements and notices. Also responsible for drafting Parent Committee Meeting minutes, for Center Director review and approval before submission.
6. Type routine correspondence such as reports, forms, letters, etc., and proof own work for spelling, grammar, and accuracy. Retrieve, compile, and compute data and information for maintaining records and/or reports of department/center activities, such as daily attendance.
7. Maintain consistent contact with the teaching staff to integrate family partnership goals with school readiness goals and classroom efforts to ensure integrated child and family services.
8. Coordinate with the Center Director to schedule speakers for parent meetings using Community Assessment goals, Family Partnership Indicators, and Parent Interest Questionnaires, ensuring that the scheduled workshops are aligned with parent needs and interests. Prepare flyers and pertinent information for distribution to parents. Maintain records of activities and training provided to parents.
9. Communicate with health staff regarding health concerns identified. Facilitate communication between families and health staff regarding health concerns.
10. Assist with follow-ups for children’s hearing and vision referrals. Provide necessary information to obtain medical and dental insurance for children, and assist with locating a medical and dental home for families who need this assistance. Document all health concerns identified in ChildPlus.
11. Maintain and update health records on children in conjunction with health staff.
12. Facilitate communication between nutrition staff and families regarding nutrition concerns and coordinate nutrition support appointments for families. Document all efforts, materials provided, etc., into the ChildPlus database.
13. Assist with the Food and Diaper Distribution program. Support in the distribution of essential supplies to families in need, ensuring they receive the resource and/or connect them with additional resources when identified.
14. Support enrollment and recruitment efforts and follow up with family online applications.
15. Ensure that all information under the PIR tab in the Child Plus system is complete and accurate. Run regular ChildPlus reports to track PIR documentation and Family Service documentation.
16. Perform additional assignments and duties as assigned by the Family Services Manager or Family Services Supervisor, and keep him/her informed on all family service issues.

Other Essential Job Duties

1. Must have an interest in children and their development.
2. Mandated reporter under California’s Child Abuse and Neglect Reporting Act (CANRA).
3. Must abide by all agency policies including agency’s Standards of Conduct, fraud and confidentiality policies. Must not discuss the affairs of the staff, children or Head Start families. Will only discuss agency business on a need to know basis.
4. Must be professional at all times and be neat and clean in personal appearance.
5. Responsible for establishing good working relations with parents, staff, professionals, and the general public.
6. Ability to take directives.
7. Serve as a member of your assigned work site team:

Participate in staff meetings. Participate in the annual Community Assessment, Self-Assessment, and Program Information Report (PIR). Assist in the recruitment of children and volunteers. Assist in obtaining non-federal matching funds (in-kind). Cover job duties of absent staff as assigned by immediate supervisor or administration. Perform extra assignments in other areas and related task assignments in the work area. Provide support and resources to other employees. Maintain timelines and due dates of job related activities via individual Google Calendar. Create and maintain visual work instructions, position, and work site related. 8. Regular, consistent attendance. 9. Domestic travel required. 10. Must be able to travel to assigned work location(s). This is not a work from home position. 11. Must keep the work area neat and clean. 12. Lift 10-30 lbs regularly, up to 50 lbs occasionally. 13. Perform other job related duties as assigned by immediate supervisor or administration. 14. Perform similar and incidental duties as assigned or required. Job Qualifications

1. Education: Associate degree in human services, psychology, sociology, social work, or similar field is required. Bachelor’s Degree in human services or related field is preferred.
2. Experience: Minimum two years job related experience preferred. Have experience working with computers and data entry; detailed record keeping and excellent communication, computer/database & keyboarding skills. Working knowledge of local community resources related to medical and/or dental care; experience in child health services, desirable. Bilingual English/Spanish or English/Vietnamese required.
3. Knowledge: Extensive knowledge of Head Start program regulations, current initiatives and trends; reporting practices and requirements in areas related to health, and parent, family, and community engagement.
4. Language Skills: Outstanding oral and written communication skills, including presentation skills; prepare and present clear, comprehensive, detailed reports, and other written materials. Ability to read and interpret documents such as safety rules, operating and maintenance instructions, and procedure manuals. Ability to write routine reports and correspondence. Ability to effectively present information in one-on-one and small group situations to parents, and employees of the agency.
5. Math Skills: Basic math skills including the ability to perform and understand basic statistics, percentages, and ratios. Ability to add and subtract two‑digit numbers and to multiply and divide with 10's and 100's. Ability to perform these operations using units of American money and weight measurement, volume, and distance.
6. Computer Skills: Use personal computer and word processing, spreadsheet and graphics software programs; ChildPlus, report development. In addition, an individual should be able to operate various office machines.
7. Reasoning Abilities: Analyze complex information and problems, evaluate alternatives and make sound recommendations; exercise sound, independent judgment within general policy guidelines. Understand, interpret, and apply state and federal guidelines. Ability to apply common sense understanding to carry out detailed and involved written or oral instructions.
8. Other Abilities: Organize, prioritize, and coordinate projects to meet deadlines. Analyze information and problems, evaluate alternatives, and make sound recommendations; exercise sound judgment within general policy guidelines
9. Other Abilities: Analyze and prioritize tasks; collect and organize data; evaluate and review service delivery methods; maintain accurate records and prepare reports; training methods and techniques; communicate effectively with agency staff.

Reporting Relationships 1. Reports to the Family Services Supervisor. Major Business/Professional Contacts 2. Frequent contact with managers, supervisors, staff, and partner agency personnel. 3. The work environment characteristics described here are representative of those an employee encounters while performing the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform essential functions. 4. Typically functions in an office environment. Physical Demands

1. The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.
2. While performing the duties of this job, the employee is regularly required to talk or hear. The employee is frequently required to stand; walk; sit and stoop, kneel, crouch, or crawl. Typically requires sitting for extended periods of time. May require extended periods of time in front of a computer screen, and standing to speak to a group of employees, volunteers, and/or parents.

Other Requirements

1. Must have a valid California Driver's License and proof of insurance.
2. Must be able to drive to and from different centers, meetings, and/or training venues.
3. Must be able to travel. Must be able to clear state and FBI background checks at the time of hire and continually.

I have read the duties set forth in the above job description and understand that the failure to fulfill such duties may result in my termination of employment with this agency. I understand that Orange County Head Start, Inc. is an “at will’ employer. I hereby agree that I will be on call for work according to California Law requirements during any program layoff. Signature: _________________________________________ Date: _______________ Print Name: ________________________________________ END

MAKE AN IMPACT. CHANGE LIVES. END POVERTY.

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