Child and Family Community Support Specialist

At Heartland Family Service, we are committed to building a culture that is trauma informed and values and celebrates diversity and inclusion. We believe this allows for better service delivery and innovation, as it encourages our employees to bring various experiences and uniqueness to the workplace. Trauma Informed Care is an approach to engaging people with histories of trauma that recognizes the presence of trauma symptoms and acknowledges the role that trauma has played in their lives. Trauma Informed Care also acknowledges the effects of working with trauma survivors on our workforce and seeks to build collaborative and supportive working environments and relationships. If you believe in our mission of creating healthy families and communities, and like a fast pace, collaborative and team-oriented environment, then Heartland Family Service is the agency for you.

SUMMARY DESCRIPTION OF WORK

This position is a Community Support Specialist with an emphasis on working with children, adolescents, and their families. Community support services provide skill-based, rehabilitative, and supportive interventions to children and adolescents experiencing significant mental health symptoms and functional impairments. Services are delivered in the child’s natural environment, primarily the home and community, and include structured skill-building, modeling, coaching, behavioral support, and reinforcement of treatment interventions identified through the child’s treatment plan and clinical recommendations. The Community Support Specialist assists the child and their parent/caregiver in learning and practicing skills that reduce symptom severity, improve functioning, strengthen family supports, and help prevent the need for a higher level of care. Services are delivered under the direction and supervision of qualified licensed behavioral health professionals in accordance with Medicaid, agency, and program standards. This position requires sound judgment, strong relationship-building skills, active caregiver engagement, and the ability to provide consistent, skill-based interventions in community-based settings. Compensation: between $19.74 and $23.54 per hour (wage is determined by total years of relevant experience) Work Schedule: 37.5 hours per week Click to see benefits and company perks

MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS

Must be 21 years of age Minimum of: Two years of experience working with children/youth, or Two years of education in a human services field, or A combination of education and experience (one year of education may substitute for one year of experience). Valid Driver’s License and acceptable driving record. Ability to work in homes, schools, and community settings.

PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS

Experience in case management, care coordination, rehabilitation services, or community-based behavioral health services. Experience working with children or families impacted by trauma, behavioral health disorders, foster care involvement, school behavioral challenges, or family system stressors preferred. Familiarity with behavioral management, crisis de-escalation, and trauma-informed interventions. Understanding of child development, family systems, and behavioral health symptoms. Proficiency with Microsoft Word, Excel, and electronic documentation systems. Essential Duties and Responsibilities Build rapport with children, adolescents, and families to establish supportive, treatment-focused working relationships grounded in trauma-informed care. Provide skill-building and rehabilitative interventions aligned with the treatment plan and clinical recommendations, including coping skills, emotional regulation, social skills, communication skills, problem-solving skills, behavioral management, and successful participation within home, school, and community environments. Teach, model, and practice positive behavior support strategies, supervision strategies, routines, communication skills, and de-escalation techniques with parents/caregivers. Support skill development and behavioral interventions that improve the child’s ability to function successfully within the home, school, and community environments. Participate in treatment planning and care coordination by communicating observed strengths, barriers, caregiver concerns, progress, and functional needs to the treatment team. Support children and caregivers in practicing and implementing interventions during sessions and within real-life settings and routines. Provide caregiver coaching and skills training related to communication, supervision, emotional regulation support, behavioral reinforcement, routines, problem-solving, and implementation of treatment strategies within the home environment. Assist caregivers in understanding, implementing, and maintaining skill-based and behavioral support strategies outside of sessions. Provide crisis support, de-escalation assistance, safety planning support, and appropriate communication with supervising clinical staff during behavioral health crises. Recognize and appropriately escalation safety concerns, abuse/neglect concerns, suicidal or homicidal statements, behavioral escalation, and other high-risk situations in accordance with agency policy and mandated reporting requirements. Coordinate and communicate with therapists, clinical supervisors, schools, foster care providers, medical providers, guardians, and other child-serving systems, as appropriate and authorized, to support continuity of care and treatment consistency across environments. Ensure all required documentation, including progress notes, treatment updates, supervision contacts, releases of information, and assessments, is accurate, timely, and compliant with Medicaid, agency, and accreditation standards. Complete documentation, service notes, and required communication within established timelines and according to agency expectations. Participate in required supervision with supervising practitioners and collaborate regarding service delivery, treatment interventions, member progress, and clinical direction. Provide services in homes, schools, foster homes, and community settings while maintaining safety, professionalism, confidentiality, and adherence to agency protocols. Ensure active parent/caregiver engagement throughout Community Support sessions and treatment interventions. Demonstrate knowledge of community resources, school support, family systems, and agency programs to support child and family needs. Work independently with appropriate judgment while also collaborating effectively as part of a multidisciplinary treatment team. Utilize trauma-informed, person-centered, culturally responsive, recovery-oriented, and family-focused practices in all service delivery. Maintain reliability, punctuality, consistency, and professionalism in scheduling, attendance, documentation, communication, and reporting responsibilities. Maintain professional, respectful, and collaborative interactions with clients, families, staff, referral sources, volunteers, and community partners. Abide by all programs, Medicaid, agency, confidentiality, and safety policies, procedures, and requirements. Participate in ongoing training, supervision, and professional development opportunities related to child and family behavioral health services. Develop and maintain positive working relationships with clients, referral sources, service agencies, schools, and community partners encountered in the course of work. Develop and maintain a personal self-care plan to support effective service delivery and professional wellness. Contribute to agency community engagement and outreach efforts when appropriate. Perform essential job functions on the agency’s physical work site and within approved community-based settings as required. Perform other program-related duties as assigned. #J-18808-Ljbffr Heartland Family Service