Family Service Advocate Part-Time

Community Action Agencies; Hastings (MI); On-site; USD 36,000 - 48,000; Full time

Job summary

Community Action Agency South Central Michigan is seeking staff to support families with referrals and program outreach. Responsibilities include assisting in classrooms, conducting home visits, and maintaining comprehensive family records.

You will engage with diverse families, recruit participants for HS/EHS/GSRP programs, and collaborate with center staff to meet education goals. Minimum education includes a high school diploma with preference for an associate degree in human services; a

Qualifications

• High School Diploma required; Associate Degree preferred.
• Family Services Credential within 6 months of hire.
• Progressive responsibility in Human Services is valued.

Responsibilities

• Assist families with referrals to emergency resources.
• Assist in classrooms and follow guidelines for children.
• Maintain contact with families on caseload; document and report as needed.
• Recruit families to HS/EHS/GSRP programs and organize meetings.
• Record keeping and data entry for family/child files; health requirements.

Skills

Leadership

Reliability & Attendance

Communication

Judgment & Decision-making

Relationship building

Computer skills

Transportation (agency vehicles)

Education

High School Diploma

Associate Degree in Human Services / Family Life Education / Social Work

Family Services Credential (within 6 months)

Job description

Community Action Agency South Central Michiganis an Equal Opportunity Employer (Minorities/Females/Disabled/Veterans). To read more about this, view the EEO - Know Your Rights poster.

• Assist families with referrals for emergency family support to acquire available community resources.
• Assist in classrooms when needed and follow classroom guidelines and rules regarding children.
• Provides a variety of ways to insure frequent and consistent contact with all families on caseload.
• Recruits children and families to our HS/EHS/GSRP programs.
• Attend monthly Family Review Meetings; provide necessary reports/family information and complete follow-up as needed.Input FRM notes and Action Plan into Child Plus.
• Audit 10 % of your caseload of children’s files each month.
• Collaborates with the Center Manager, policy council representative, and families to plan family meetings.
• Comply with Agency’s Mission, vision, and Culture statements
• Comply with program and Agency policies and procedures.
• Conduct regularly scheduled home visits with assigned families.
• Create and maintain yellow health and medical folders at the center level.
• Empower families to be part of their community and assist them in enhancing or developing their own understanding of community resources and involvement, through Family Matrixes.
• Engage with the child and family in a manner that achieves the goals and objectives of the program through family matrixes, the Child Placement Contract and applicable Individual Education Plan and/or Individualized Family Service Plan.
• Establish and maintain a positive, effective working relationship with staff and diverse families.
• Ensure support to families and children before, during and after their Education and Children’s Services experiences and transitions.
• Collaborate with classroom staff to better communicate with families on behalf of their child’s development.
• Organize and maintain child files.
• Perform required data entry for family/child files and health requirements.
• Distribute and Communicate information to support healthy nutritional habits of families and children.
• Provide Center Manager with daily work schedule activities and place information on outlook calendar, i.e. LMS, Physicals. Etc.
• Responsible for ensuring families adhere to mandated health requirements.
• Responsible to keep assigned work area or classroom clean and assist in facility checks and miscellaneous housekeeping duties as assigned by direct supervisor.
• Responsible for recruiting, ensuring eligibility, enrolling children maintaining full enrollment and connecting families with available community resources.
• Serve as collaborative partners in the classroom team by supporting the teachers and children.
• Share information and assist other classroom staff in maintaining accurate written records about children.
• Spends time in the classroom to observe children so as to better communicate with families on their child’s development.

Physical Requirements

• Work is performed in a classroom setting and school environment where the noise level is moderate. The physical demands described are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.
• While performing the duties of this job, the employee is frequently required to sit and talk, bend, stoop and kneel, see andhear, use hands and arms to lift up to 60 lbs. and walk around the classroom, outdoor play areaand school facilities.

Minimum Qualifications/Education :

Education: Minimum of a High School Diploma. An Associate Degree in Human Services, Family Life Education, Social Work or a related field is preferred. Must obtain a Family Services Credential within 6 months from date of hire.

Experience: Minimum of between one and three years of progressive responsibility or expansive experience in the field of Human Services is required.

Professional Competence and Job Knowledge :

• Must have excellent leadership skills.
• Must be reliable, trustworthy and have good attendance.
• Must have excellent written and oral communication skills.
• Must have sound independent judgment and decision-making skills.
• Must have the ability to create and maintain satisfactory working relationships with staff, families and administration.
• Must have intermediate computer skills.
• Provide transportation for assigned families in agency vehicles as needed.