Family Support Specialist - Orange and Osceola County - DCF Experience Highly Preferred

Orlando Health; Orlando (FL); On-site; USD 38,000 - 52,000; Full time

Job summary

Orlando Health, Inc. seeks a Family Support Worker to optimize home environments and strengthen parent-child relationships. The role focuses on field-based services in clients' homes to support parenting skills, reduce family stress, and meet parental needs.

This position requires at least one year of direct experience with children and families, a non-violent approach to discipline, and a valid Florida driver’s license with the ability to travel throughout the community.

Qualifications

• One year of experience working with children and families.
• Knowledge of non-violent approaches to disciplining children.
• Knowledge of child development, family dynamics, and parenting stresses.
• Experience with diverse populations and reflective practice.
• Valid Florida driver’s license with minimal points and ability to travel.

Responsibilities

• Works with individual clients during home visits.
• Establishes and maintains trusting relationships with at‑risk families via home visits.
• Maintains a quarterly home completion rate of at least 80% per HFA/HFF standards.
• Performs developmental assessments and completes documentation in a timely manner.
• Maintains all outcomes measures at required levels.
• Develops individual case plans with goals, objectives and activities to meet client needs.
• Performs follow-ups on Family Goal Plans and community referrals.
• Helps parents learn problem-solving and coping skills and provides guidance or referrals.
• Assists families on their caseload by scheduling and attending appointments for doctors and social services.

Skills

Non-violent discipline

Child development knowledge

Family support experience

Cultural sensitivity

Driver license & travel readiness

Education

High School diploma or equivalent

Job description

Position Summary

Under the supervision of the Family Support Worker Supervisor, this role optimizes the home environment for the physical, mental, and emotional well-being of children who are at risk of being abused or neglected, assisting in strengthening the parent-child relationship by improving parenting skills, reducing family stress, and meeting needs of parents. Service provision in this position is primarily field based in the clients' homes. Must have one year experience directly working with children and families in some capacity.

Responsibilities

What you will do

• Works with individual clients, providing services to them during home visits.
• Establishes and maintains a trusting relationship with at-risk families by providing regular client contact through home visits.
• Maintains a quarterly home completion rate of at least 80% as required by Healthy Families America (HFA) Standards and Healthy Families Florida (HFF).
• Performs developmental assessments according to the intervals needed and completes the documentation in a timely manner.
• Maintains all outcomes measures at the required levels.
• Develops individual case plan with goals, objectives, and activities to meet client needs.
• Performs follow-up on Family Goal Plans, Child Development assessments and any community referrals given to clients.
• Applies knowledge of familial issues to increase positive interaction between the children and parenting partners.
• Helps parents learn problem solving and coping skills by providing curriculum materials/guidance and/or by providing referrals to appropriate community agencies.
• Assists families on their caseload, as well as those on their team’s caseload, by assisting parents in scheduling and attending appointments for doctors, social service agencies, and other necessary services. Ensures that the team can meet or exceed their required outcomes.
• Demonstrates familiarity with community resources and accesses them appropriately to meet the needs of families.
• Records client observations and activities as required in a complete and concise manner within the required twenty-four-hour period.
• Demonstrates the necessary flexibility to accommodate varying schedules, including early mornings, nights, and weekends as required.
• Maintains reasonably regular, punctual attendance consistent with Orlando Health policies, the ADA, FMLA and other federal, state, and local standards.
• Maintains compliance with all Orlando Health policies and procedures.
• Meets with supervisor weekly to evaluate client status.
• Transports clients to and from doctors' appointments, other social service agencies, picnics, outings, and social events.
• Attends regular staff meetings, team meetings, in-service training, and other meetings as required.

Qualifications

• High School diploma or its equivalent is required.
• One (1) year of experience working in supporting families, reducing family stress, and teaching positive parent-child interaction skills is required. Experience can have been gained through previous employment or related activities.
• Must demonstrate a knowledge of and belief in a non-violent approach to disciplining children.
• Must demonstrate a knowledge of child development, family dynamics, family problems, and stresses of parenting.
• Experience in working with or providing services to children and families, demonstrating an acceptance of individual differences and experiences. Shows a willingness to work with culturally diverse populations present among the site’s target population and is open to reflective practice (i.e., has capacity for introspection, communicates awareness of self in relation to others, recognizes value of supervision, etc.).
• Valid Florida driver’s license with no more than six (6) points, at least 21 years of age and must be insurable under the Orlando Health insurance carrier’s requirements and standards.
• Access to an automobile and the ability to travel to various sites throughout the community using one’s own vehicle.