POSITION TITLE Family Support Worker

DEPARTMENT Early Head Start

LOCATION Takoma Park, Maryland

SUPERVISOR Family Services Supervisor

PRIMARY PURPOSES OF JOB
Responsible for providing case management that requires collaborating with families to help in assessing needs, strengths and access to family services and support. Assist other program staff in implementing a recruitment process to inform families of the availability of services, assist them with enrollment procedures, and follow-up on absenteeism with Early Head Start children. Work closely with families and other program staff to ensure all health, nutrition, mental health, and disabilities service requirements are met in an effective and timely manner. This function will be carried out in keeping with the Goals and Mission of the Agency.

ESSENTIAL DUTIES
• Implement and assist in evaluating a family service program which includes: family needs and strength assessment, family action planning, referral, direct service, follow-up and closure, particularly in the areas of job training/placement and literacy.
• Assist families in developing, implementing, and monitoring high quality family partnership agreements.
• Implement comprehensive family services and support that include referral, outreach, and recruitment to community agencies, and volunteer services to ensure that families identified as high risk access needed services and develop needed support systems.
• Collaborate with families to establish family development goals, and document this collaborative process in family partnership agreements and provide education and support services to families.
• Provide management, crisis intervention, and resource referral services and transport family when appropriate to and from community resources or other activities.
• Act as liaison and advocate between community resources and Early Head Start families.
• Complete documentation of contacts with families, staff, and providers in a timely manner and maintain confidentiality of family records and information.
• Implement and maintain an effective and efficient record-keeping, reporting and monitoring system that ensures compliance with all Family and Community Services and Family Involvement regulatory requirements.
• Monitor and educate parents with respect to children’s health status, including medical follow-up, physical health, dental health, mental health, and nutritional intake.
• Implement program strategies to promote family involvement in all aspects of the program with particular emphasis on involving males/fathers.
• Assist in implementing and evaluating parent education and parent support groups to ensure the development of support group linkages with community agencies. Assist in developing linkages to community partners to facilitate parent education programs.
• Establish and build collaborative relationships with community organizations to promote the access of children and their families to community social services that are responsive to their needs, and to ensure that the program responds to community needs. Advocate in the community for Early Head Start and Early Head Start families by attending committee and/or collaborative meetings.
• Ascertain knowledge of relevant community resources related to family services and health services to assist in updating community resource directories.
• Implement policies and procedures in the areas of Family and Community Services and Family Involvement.
• Work effectively with other program staff to assure that enrolled children receive health related services and in making, tracking and monitoring social service and health service referrals to ensure compliance with Head Start Performance Standards and other regulatory requirements.
• Maintain effective communication with management and other staff members. Prepare and provide timely and accurate written reports, memoranda and other statistical and narrative information as required or requested.
• Participate in the program’s area-specific and overall program assessment, and in developing and implementing corrective action plans for areas of non-compliance within service/content areas.
• Assist in the attainment of non-federal share.
• Other duties as assigned.

REQUIRED EDUCATION and EXPERIENCE
Preferably, a Bachelor’s Degree or AA degree from accredited college or university with major in one of the following disciplines: Social work, social welfare, human development, or a related field.
Minimum of 1-2 years experience working in a Head Start or other child development program serving low income children and families. Additional experience may be substituted for educational requirement.

SPECIAL REQUIREMENTS
• Must have a reliable automobile for use on the job. (mileage to be reimbursed)
• Must have a valid driver’s license
• Must have the required automobile insurance coverage
• Local and some out of area travel required.
• Bilingual English/ Spanish (Strong preference).

WORKING CONDITIONS
Non-profit community based organization, bilingual Spanish/English environment

PHYSICAL REQUIREMENTS
To comply with the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 (ADA), which prohibits discrimination against qualified individuals on the basis of disability, it is necessary to specify the physical, mental and environmental conditions of the Essential Duties of the job. The following codes are used to explain the frequency of physical activity:
"F" for frequently; "O" for occasionally; "N" for not at all

On the job the employee must be able to carry/lift loads of:
( F ) Light (up to 25lbs.)
( N ) Moderate (25-50lbs.)
( N ) Heavy (over 50lbs.)

On the job the employee must:
( F ) Bend ( F ) Sit ( F ) Squat and Kneel ( F ) Stand
( O) Crawl ( F ) Walk ( F ) Climb ( F ) Push/Pull
( F ) Handle objects (Manual Dexterity) ( F ) Reach above shoulder level
( F ) Use fine finger movements (F) Talk and hear when working with officials, managers, colleagues, peers on the telephone or in person. (F) Specific vision abilities including close vision and distant vision.
*Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable any qualified person with disabilities to perform essential functions of the job.
To carry out this job an individual must be able to perform all essential functions of the job satisfactorily.
To apply, please submit your resume, cover letter and references; indicating the position you are applying to:
Human Resources Department at CentroNía:
1420 Columbia Road, NW, DC 20009
centroniajobs@centronia.org
Fax (202) 745-0154
“Educating children and youth, and strengthening families, in a bilingual, multicultural community.”
CentroNía is an equal opportunity employer