Community Support Specialist

Community Support Specialist

The Community Support Specialist focuses on fostering engagement and support for students, particularly those facing chronic absenteeism, homelessness, or other educational barriers. This role includes coordinating integrated systems of support by identifying barriers to student success, developing individualized support plans, coordinating referrals, engaging families, conducting home visits, monitoring progress, and collaborating with school and community partners. The position emphasizes case management, family engagement, resource coordination, attendance support, and instructional support to promote academic achievement (particularly progress in English and Math), school readiness and graduation.

Essential Duties and Responsibilities

• Build Relationships and Support Student Success
• Build positive, trusting relationships with students and families to promote belonging, engagement, and student success.
• Identify barriers affecting attendance, academics, behavior, health, housing, transportation, or family stability through student data, family engagement, home visits, and collaboration with school staff.
• Develop, coordinate, and monitor individualized support plans that connect students with appropriate school and community supports.

Title I Part C eligible students: First Family Check in will happen within the first ten days the COE has been approved and a student-family needs assessments will be completed with the family.

• Provide ongoing case management through regular student and family check-ins, adjusting interventions based on student progress and family needs.
• Strengthen Family and Community Partnerships
• Partner with families through home visits, ongoing communication, and collaborative problem-solving to better understand family strengths, needs, and barriers to student success.
• Assist families in navigating district programs by obtaining required documentation, parent signatures, and program forms needed to access available services.
• Connect students and families with district and community resources, including healthcare, dental care, mental health services, transportation, housing, food assistance, clothing, educational programs, and other family supports.
• Build and maintain collaborative partnerships with community organizations and represent the Extended Learning Services Department through community outreach, family engagement activities, and program events.
• Support parent engagement opportunities, including Parent Advisory Council meetings, family events, and extended learning opportunities such as summer programs.
• Coordinate Integrated Student Supports
• Review attendance, academic, behavioral, and other student data to identify students needing additional supports and coordinate appropriate interventions.
• Collaborate with administrators, teachers, counselors, nurses, the Title I Social Worker, Community Schools staff, and community partners to provide coordinated, student-centered supports.
• Coordinate services that address students' academic, health, attendance, behavioral, and basic needs, including transportation and access to specialized services when appropriate.
• Complete intake and eligibility processes for specialized programs, including McKinney-Vento and the Migrant Education Program, and assist in identifying Priority for Service (PFS) students.
• Maintain regular communication with instructional staff to support student evaluations, monitor student progress, and coordinate appropriate educational services.
• Promote Attendance and Student Engagement
• Implement evidence-based attendance interventions that address barriers to attendance and improve student engagement.
• Develop and monitor Attendance Contracts for students with approximately 10%–15% chronic absenteeism.
• Complete Juvenile Probation Office (JPO) referrals for students meeting district referral criteria after documented interventions have been implemented and participate in JPO meetings and multidisciplinary planning.
• Support Specialized Programs and Ensure Compliance
• McKinney-Vento Program
• Identify and support students experiencing homelessness by completing intake procedures, removing enrollment barriers, coordinating transportation and educational services, and connecting families with community resources that promote educational stability.
• Migrant Education Program (Title I, Part C)
• Identify and refer potentially eligible migratory children utilizing resources such as the Family Occupational Survey and Title I, Part C QR Referral Flyer.
• Support completion of Certificates of Eligibility (COEs).
• Assist with Priority for Service (PFS) identification and coordinate supplemental educational, health, and support services for eligible migrant students.
• Maintain accurate migrant student records, enrollment information, participant lists, test score documentation, and other required state and federal records.
• Complete and submit required reports, enrollment updates, withdrawals, and program documentation in accordance with district, state, and federal requirements.
• Coordinate migrant family engagement activities, Parent Advisory Council meetings, summer programming, and other supplemental services designed to increase student success.
• Maintain program records, forms, supplies, and equipment in accordance with state and district guidelines.
• Ensure Program Quality and Continuous Improvement
• Maintain accurate, confidential documentation and case management records in accordance with district, state, and federal requirements.
• Participate in professional learning, required meetings, workshops, and cross-training to strengthen integrated student support systems.
• Perform other related duties that support the mission, vision, and goals of the Extended Learning Services Department.

Qualifications

• Equivalent to graduation from High School required.
• Bilingual (Spanish speaking and writing) preferred
• Possess valid driver's license and driving record acceptable to the district for insurance purposes.
• Ability to become certified to transport students
• Experience in educational settings, social services, or community engagement.

Knowledge Of

• Family Engagement Strategies
• Educational Systems and Policies
• Community Resources
• Data Analysis
• Microsoft Office Suite
• Knowledgeable about the rules, regulations and laws for McKinney Vento, Migrant and At-Risk grants and programs.

Ability To

• Think analytically
• Problem Solve
• Engage with technology
• Collaborate with team members
• Communicate with various stakeholders
• Manage and organize projects
• Adaptable
• Maintains and safeguards confidentiality

Education And Experience

• Bachelor's degree in Social Work, Psychology, Education, or related field preferred. • Bilingual (English/Spanish) preferred. • Valid driver's license. • Experience in education, social services, case management, or community engagement preferred.

Reasoning Ability

• Ability to apply common sense understanding to carry out instructions furnished in written, oral, or diagram form.
• Ability to deal with problems involving several concrete variables in standardized situations.

Physical Requirements

• Walking, standing, sitting, bending, kneeling, and squatting, climbing stairs, speaking and listening, reaching with hands and arms, having full mobility of fingers/hands to finger, handle or feel, close vision, distance vision, color vision, peripheral vision, depth perception, and ability to adjust focus, carrying, lifting, and moving up to 25 pounds and/or moving light furniture may be required.
• Reasonable (ADA) accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions if mutually agreed on and if those accommodations do not create an undue hardship upon the district.

Work Environment

• Must be able to work within various degrees of noise and temperature. Interruptions of work are routine. Flexibility and patience are required. Must be self-motivated and able to complete job assignments without direct supervision. After-hours work may be required. May make site visits as needed. May work under stressful conditions on occasion.

Revised July 2026

The Deming Public School District is an equal opportunity employer and does not discriminate on the basis of race, national origin, religion, age, sex, marital status or handicap in compliance with federal and state laws.