Family Resource and Support Specialist (FRSS)

Family Resource & Support Specialist

The Family Resource & Support Specialist will provide home-based and culturally responsive services. The FRSS identifies expecting families and parents of newborns who are at risk for poor health, child and family development challenges, financial insecurity, and child abuse. The goal is to support positive parent-child relationships, enhance child & family health and development, enhance family functioning and prevent child abuse & neglect. The FRSS supports families by providing intensive home visiting services, conducting an assessment, collaboratively developing a service plan and goal plan with the family, conducting perinatal depression and child development screening, and connecting families to health and community resources to meet their maternal and child health needs.

Responsibilities

• Initiates and maintains regular contact with families, primarily in their homes (some evenings and weekends as necessary).
• Establish a trusting relationship with families.
• Conducts the HFNY standardized assessment and service planning.
• Supports an average caseload of 20 families.
• Provide prenatal, parenting and other health education.
• Assist families to strengthen parent-child relationships using approved parent child interaction tool and evidenced-based curriculum.
• Assist parents to improve their skills to optimize the home environment for the child's well-being and safety.
• Conduct developmental screenings and provide activities in the home to promote healthy child development; including referrals for EIP as needed.
• Assist families in making and attending health and human service appointments, including activities related to employment and educational goals.
• Participate in the coordination and facilitation of special events and group activities for parents and children.
• Engage in weekly reflective supervision and team meetings.
• Participates in outreach, and other efforts to educate the community about the program.
• Attends all Hospital and HFNY trainings within the required timelines.
• Provides documentation of all above activities in accordance with Hospital and HFNY requirements and timelines.
• Additional duties as assigned.

Qualifications

Education:

• Minimum of a high school diploma or equivalent. College coursework preferred.

Experience:

• Must have experience working with high-risk families in a community setting and some child-care or parenting experience.

Knowledge and Skills:

• Must have knowledge of infants and child development.
• Ability to be non-judgmental and establish trusting relationships.
• Acceptance of individual differences; experience and humility to work with culturally diverse families.
• Willing to engage in building reflective capacity.
• Knowledge of community resources.
• Good problem-solving and practical skills.
• Microsoft Word.
• Good writing, data entry and time management skills.
• Infant mental health endorsement is preferred.
• Bilingual (Haitian Creole/French/Spanish) required for some positions.
• Must be available for some evenings, weekends, and occasional overnight travel.

Physical Requirements:

• Position requires prolonged periods of standing, reaching, walking throughout the working day.
• Position will be required to stoop, bend, lift, and carry items weighing up to 25 pounds.
• Ability to work in the field at least 3-4 days per week, conducting in-home assessments and attending community initiatives.