Family Support Specialist

West Virginia; West Virginia; On-site; USD 42,000 - 64,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

12 paid holidays

Tuition reimbursement

Paid vacation and sick leave

Medical and life insurance

Retirement plans

Job summary

The Bureau for Family Assistance (BFA) in West Virginia is seeking a Family Support Specialist to deliver comprehensive case management, employment goal planning, and access to public assistance programs that help families achieve self-sufficiency.

You will conduct client interviews, determine TANF eligibility, and partner with community organizations to connect clients with employment opportunities and essential services. On-the-job training and full benefits support career growth.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree from an accredited college or university.
• Experience with interviewing clients, evaluating data against standards, or helping troubled individuals toward social development.
• Ability to explain policies and guide clients through programs and required steps.

Responsibilities

• Negotiate and develop Personal Responsibility Contracts (PRCs) and action plans to guide clients toward employment and self-sufficiency goals.
• Conduct telephone and in-person interviews to gather, evaluate, and verify social and financial information.
• Determine initial and continuing eligibility for TANF and related economic service programs.
• Analyze aptitude and interest test results to direct vocational planning and employment goal development.
• Develop employability plans and coordinate necessary support services and testing.
• Conduct job development with community employers to establish work experience and subsidized opportunities.
• Provide job search instruction, employment counseling, and guidance in job-seeking techniques.
• Assess client needs and refer to community resources and support agencies.
• Maintain accurate client records and progress reports with regular follow-ups.
• Explain program policies and requirements clearly to clients.

Skills

Interviewing clients

Data evaluation

Communication

Case management

Education

Bachelor's degree

Job description

Are you a professional caseworker with experience in client interviews and eligibility evaluations looking for a role where your work will directly transform the lives of families across the state? Join our team at the Bureau for Family Assistance (BFA) as a Family Support Specialist, where your skills will help individuals and families achieve self-sufficiency by providing comprehensive case management, employment goal planning, and access to critical public assistance programs. At the Bureau for Family Assistance, we value our team members and invest in their growth by offering on-the-job training, regular performance feedback, and ongoing professional development to support long-term career growth. Employees also receive a full benefits package that includes 12 paid holidays, tuition reimbursement, paid vacation and sick leave, medical and life insurance, retirement plans, and much more!

This position directly supports the mission of the Bureau to supply economic assistance through departmental programs by providing full-performance case management services and guiding clients toward long-term employment and financial stability. Family Support Specialists play a central role within the Bureau by evaluating eligibility for TANF and related economic assistance programs, creating time-limited Personal Responsibility Contracts, and partnering with community organizations to help clients reach their employment goals. Family Support Specialists serve as a key point of contact to empower clients through goal setting, aptitude assessment, and continuous guidance.

Key Responsibilities

Duties of the Family Support Specialist will include, but are not limited to:

• Negotiating and developing Personal Responsibility Contracts (PRCs) and action plans to guide clients toward employment and self-sufficiency goals.
• Conducting thorough telephone and face-to-face interviews to gather, evaluate, and verify social and financial information.
• Determining initial and continuing eligibility for TANF and economic service programs in accordance with departmental guidelines.
• Analyzing and interpreting aptitude and interest test results to direct vocational planning and employment goal development.
• Developing employability plans and providing or arranging for necessary support services and testing.
• Conducting job development with community employers and partners to establish sites for work experience, subsidized employment, and volunteer programs.
• Providing job search instruction, employment counseling, and guidance in job-seeking techniques.
• Assessing client social service needs and referring individuals to appropriate community resources and support agencies.
• Maintaining and updating accurate client case files, progress reports, and records through regular follow-ups and scheduled contact.
• Explaining program policies, rules, regulations, and requirements clearly to clients.
• Performing other related duties as assigned.

Training: A bachelor's degree from an accredited college or university.

Substitution: Any combination of college training and/or full-time or equivalent part-time paid experience in interviewing clients, customers or the public and evaluating the data against established standards and guidelines, or in a field of work where experience has been gained in helping troubled individuals and/or families toward normal social development may substitute for the required training on a year-for-year basis.

Experience: One year of full-time or equivalent part-time paid experience in interviewing clients, customers or the public and evaluating the data against established standards and guidelines, or in a field of work where experience has been gained in helping troubled individuals and/or families toward normal social development.