Family Support Worker (Community Based)

Connections for Families Society; Calgary; On-site; CAD 45,000 - 65,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Health insurance

Health & lifestyle spending account

Long-term disability

3 weeks vacation + wellness days

PD day reimbursement

Volunteer day

Employee & Family Assistance Program

Job summary

Connections for Families Society is seeking a Family Support Worker to provide strengths-based support to families headed by a parent with a cognitive disability. You will help establish safe, nurturing homes while coordinating with our Financial Coaching program and other supports.

The role involves delivering in-home services across the Calgary area, collaborating with a team, and adapting to a flexible schedule that may include evenings or weekends.

Qualifications

• Post-secondary degree or diploma in social work, disability studies or a related field.
• Experience working with individuals with cognitive disabilities.
• Experience working with vulnerable populations.
• Demonstrated alignment with a strengths-based practice.
• Experience using MS 365, client management software, and mobile apps.

Responsibilities

• Maintain a caseload of clients/families with varying complexity in needs.
• Build trusting relationships and provide parenting skills education in clients' homes.
• Support parents with self-advocacy and access to supports and benefits.
• Define goals and develop plans with clients to leverage strengths for success.
• Assess safety and facilitate access to community resources when needed.
• Collaborate with agencies and government offices to support client interests.
• Prepare reports and complete administrative tasks as required.
• Develop flexible work schedules and plan client visits and activities.

Skills

Cognitive disabilities experience

Vulnerable populations

Strengths-based practice

Education

Post-secondary degree or diploma in social work or related field

Tools

MS 365

Client management software

Mobile Apps

Job description

About Us

Connections for Families Society supports people with cognitive disabilities to make choices and decisions for their lives, including being successful parents. With the support of Connections, parents with cognitive disabilities work to maintain safe and nurturing homes. As a leader in parents' rights advocacy, Connections provides life-long in-home support and parenting skills education, financial coaching, group programs, counselling, and community resourcing to families in the greater Calgary area.

Connections is proud to offer a supportive, team-oriented work environment. We offer a competitive compensation package which also includes the following benefits:

• 100% employer paid, group health, dental, AD&D, & Life insurance coverage
• A health and lifestyle spending account
• Long-term disability coverage for permanent employees (employee paid to ensure benefits are non-taxable)
• 3 weeks' vacation to start, plus quarterly wellness days and Christmas holidays break
• A professional development day and reimbursement allowance
• A volunteer day to support an organization whose mission resonates with you
• Employee & Family Assistance Program, including enhanced mental well-being and stress management benefits

About the Role

Reporting to the Team Lead, the Family Support Worker provides strengths-based support to families headed by a parent who has a cognitive disability (e.g., developmental disability, brain injury, or FASD), helping them to establish and maintain safe and nurturing homes for themselves and their families. Connections is committed to work/life balance by offering a flexible schedule that staff co-create in collaboration with their Team Lead.

Position Responsibilities

• Maintain a caseload of clients/families with varying complexity in needs
• Build and manage trusting relationships with client families to provide parenting skills education and support in the clients' homes
• Support parents with self-advocacy, access to available supports, and access to benefits, in collaboration with our Financial Coaching program stream
• Help clients define goals and collaboratively develop a plan to reach those goals while building on their strengths and self-reliance to be successful parents

• Assess and monitor the safety of clients and their family members, facilitating access to appropriate community resources when needed\
• Work with other agencies and government offices to help support what is in the best interest of the client and their family members
• Prepare reports and complete administrative tasks and related duties as required
• Collaborate with the Team Lead to develop a flexible work schedule, plan client visits, meetings and activities that meet the needs of clients and their families

• Professionally represent the agency in the community
• Actively participate in agency meetings and activities
• Participate in client events and programming, including occasional evening and weekend work
• Actively engage with team members in exchanging expertise, experiences, and best practices
• Communicate with clients, team members, agency, and other professionals in a timely and effective manner

Qualifications and Experience

• Post-secondary degree or diploma in social work, disability studies or a related field
• Experience working with individuals with cognitive disabilities
• Experience working with vulnerable populations
• Demonstrated alignment with a strengths-based practice, supporting the philosophy that all individuals have the right to learn how to parent while understanding that not everyone can be successful in a parenting role
• Experience and demonstrated comfort using technology and software, including MS 365, client management software, and cell phone applications, among others
• Demonstrated ability to treat client families in a manner that is respectful, welcoming and professional
• Demonstrated ability to conduct research, learn and adapt to respond to client needs
• Demonstrated ability to work effectively and independently within a flexible work arrangement

Additional Requirements

• This is a community-based position that involves meeting clients in their homes and at other locations in the greater Calgary area.
• Successful applicants may be asked to provide proof of qualifications
• A current Criminal Record check (including vulnerable sector screening) and Child Welfare Intervention Record check (checks conducted within the last 90 days of employment may be accepted at the agency's discretion)
• Current First Aid and CPR, or willingness to obtain certification within 30 days of employment
• Valid Class 5 driver's license, a working vehicle, and $2,000,000 liability insurance rated for business use
• Working with families may include walking within the community, taking public transit with clients, walking up and down stairs, lifting up to 20 lbs. (e.g., a young child, a bag of groceries), and interacting/playing with children on the floor (i.e., modelling for the parent)

Equal Opportunity

Connections for Families Society is committed to equity, diversity and inclusion and recognizes that a diverse team benefits and enriches our work and is essential to operational excellence. We welcome applications from all qualified individuals.

Note that we are recruiting for two positions: one permanent full-time, and one fixed-term contract (anticipated to be 18 months in duration). When submitting your application, you will be asked which of these two positions you wish to be considered for.