Job Details
Level
Entry
Job Location
Insights – EC and CAPP – Portland, OR
Position Type
Full Time
Education Level
Bachelor Degree Preferred
Salary Range
$24.88 – $25.38 Hourly
Travel Percentage
Up to 50%
Job Shift
Day
Job Category
Nonprofit – Social Services
HFA Family Support Specialist
SCHEDULE: Monday through Friday between the hours of 8am and 6pm; plus additional hours for staff meetings and supervision. However, this schedule may be adjusted according to the needs of the program.
WAGE/BENEFITS: $24.88 (plus potential $0.50 bilingual differential). Janus offers an excellent benefits program including medical, dental, life & long-term disability insurance; EAP; 401(k) and paid time off (varied eligibility waiting periods apply).Voluntary optional coverage is also available.
Applications for all positions may be forwarded to appropriate similar positions within Janus Youth Programs. Positions may vary by location, pay structure, union, and supervisory staff.
Description
Insights Young Parent Services has been providing parenting education and support services to young parents through home visiting and support groups for over 40 years. We offer 8 different programs with specialties including child development, intimate partner violence, houselessness and foster care involvement for young parents and/or their children.
Insights programs offer intensive home and community visiting to young families promoting positive parent-child relationships, supporting healthy childhood growth and development, enhancing family functioning and life skills development.
Home and community visiting staff conduct visits to provide life skills development, child development information, education, and parenting support. They conduct an initial needs assessment and multiple subsequent assessments for families and provide appropriate resources and referrals to community agencies. Family Support Specialists utilize multiple assessments and brainstorm with the family to develop an individual family support plan and set up activities and strategies that help the family meet their identified goals.
Healthy Families is an intensive home visiting program that serves families with children ages prenatal to 3 and focuses on strengthening the parent-child relationship to assure healthy growth and development. Family Support Specialists support parents in cultivating and strengthening a nurturing, positive relationship with their baby at each visit.
EDUCATION/EXPERIENCE REQUIRED:
- Bachelor’s Degree in Social Services/Human Services or related field is preferred; however equivalent education, training and experience will strongly be considered.
- Experience providing outreach and/or direct-service to high needs children and families, preferably adolescents.
- Experience working with adolescents and/or teen parents or families is preferred.
- Experience demonstrating a strong understanding of child and adolescent development.
- Prefer experience working with local social service agencies and systems and familiarity with local resources.
- Preference will be given to candidates demonstrating successful experience working with diverse communities in Multnomah County.
- Knowledge of infant and child development.
- Infant mental health endorsement desired.
KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS AND ABILITIES:
- Value, experience and willingness to work in a multicultural/diverse environment.
- Ability to communicate effectively, both orally and in writing, with a broad variety of individuals, including clients, staff, and community partners.
- Bilingual skills (Spanish/English) are preferred but not required.
- Ability to speak and present information in both individual, small-group and large-group settings and to represent the program in community settings.
- Ability to provide detailed documentation in a prescribed format and in a timely, organized manner.
- Flexibility and ability to adapt to fluctuating priorities.
- Demonstrated ability to problem solve and exercise independent judgment.
- Ability to de-escalate potentially volatile and/or chaotic situations.
- Ability to work effectively in a team-dependent environment and a willingness to receive and act upon feedback.
- Ability to maintain appropriate professional boundaries in working with others and in handling confidential information.
- Ability to exercise tact, discretion and judgment in working with a variety of people.
- Ability to remain calm and emotionally available in an environment serving at-risk adolescents and individuals in crisis.
- Ability to consistently attend and be punctual for scheduled work commitments and meetings and be in a condition suitable for performing the functions of the position.
- Data entry skills sufficient for maintaining case notes, monthly statistics, and other recordkeeping responsibilities.
- Manual/physical dexterity allowing for performance of routine office functions such as writing, copying, filing, computer use, phone use, faxing, etc.
- Ability to lift up to 20 lbs in order to deliver/carry supplies and food boxes to families and/or to parent-child activities.
- Ability to walk and climb stairs in order to access clients’ homes and apartments is required.
- Ability to provide strengths-based, trauma-informed, culturally responsive, and non-judgmental services while establishing trusting relationships.
- Proficiency using motivational interviewing techniques and coaching skills.
- Possess strong organizational skills and ability to prioritize multiple and varied tasks while managing time effectively.
- Ability to establish trusting relationships.
- Acceptance of individual differences.
- Have the capacity for introspection, communicates awareness of self in relation to others and recognizes the value of reflective supervision.
OTHER REQUIREMENTS:
- Driving is required; a personal vehicle for travel and/or transport clients required. All employees who drive for work purposes must have and maintain a valid driver’s license for state of residency, have a driving record that permits coverage under the corporate auto liability policy, and complete the agency’s driving approval process before driving for work. If driving a personal vehicle for work purposes drivers must also have personal auto liability coverage ($100,000/$300,000 levels strongly recommended). Employees are not to drive for work purposes until they have received written authorization to do so. All employees driving for work purposes, regardless of whether driving a personal or agency vehicle, must complete the agency’s driving approval process before they drive for work and must maintain a driving record that allows for ongoing approval for the duration of employment.
- Bloodborne Pathogens training is required on the first day of employment and annually thereafter.
- Mandatory Abuse Report training is required on the first day of employment and annually thereafter.
- Must pass criminal history clearance.
- Must attend HFA Integrated Strategies for Home Visiting Core Training within 6 months of hire.
- Must attend HFA Parent Survey for Community Outreach Core Training within 6 months of hire.
- Must complete all HFA required orientation training requirements within specified time frames per HFA model.
This position description is intended to give the reader a general idea of the overall purpose and the main activities and responsibilities that are intrinsic to this position.
While this description is intended to be representative, it is not intended to be limiting.