Bilingual Family Services Specialist (Head Start Program) - Community Council of South Central Texas

JOB SUMMARY:

The Family Services Specialist I-IV is responsible for recruitment of children, verification of eligibility, parent orientation, referral of parents to community resources and documenting children's progress. This position will work closely with center staff and Content Area Managers to implement a case management approach and every effort will be made to promote family self-sufficiency.

ESSENTIAL JOB DUTIES AND FUNCTIONS:

To perform this job successfully, an individual must be able to perform each essential duty satisfactorily. The requirements listed below are representative of the knowledge, skill, and/or ability required. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

• Recruits and enrolls children into the EHS/HS Program, verifies child eligibility, maintains eligibility wait list and re-certifies children.
• Promotes parent involvement and orients parents to the goals and objectives of the program.
• Engages in mutually respectful goal-oriented partnerships with families to promote parent-child relationships and family well-being.
• Develops and implements Family Partnership Agreements (FPA) with families for the purpose of meeting identified goals; documents all activities that relate to contact with families and specific program objectives in the individual child's file.
• Coordinates with program staff to identify family interests, strengths, and goals and to coordinate services.
• Follows up with family referrals to make certain that services are adequately provided.
• Conducts home visits and conferences with parents as required and needed by the family situation.
• Becomes knowledgeable of available local resources and provides resource referrals to families to ensure that the FPA is achieved or that family needs are met.
• Promotes family literacy by encouraging continued education and supports parents' role as the lifelong educator of their children.
• Works with all program staff to assist with transition services: into Head Start, from Head Start, or to another Head Start program; assists with the scheduling of transition meetings.
• Demonstrates responsibility in parent-center relationships by knowing the families of the children, relating well to them, trying to strengthen the family; encourages parents to participate in the parent program and to share responsibilities with staff for success of group meetings and other parent activities.
• Assists with the implementation of support services to families suspected of child abuse and promotes child abuse awareness and our policies regarding child abuse at parent orientation home visits.
• Maintains accurate and complete documentation of services to families and children; assures all files are in compliance with Head Start Performance Standards.
• Attends and participates in community collaborations; establishes and maintains Community Partnership Agreements.
• Assists in the training of parents, staff and volunteers to promote and improve family and parent engagement.
• Assists in planning and coordinating family and community engagement events for parents and community.
• Performs a variety of administrative and clerical tasks, including data entry, creating documents and spreadsheets, running reports from ChildPlus and other databases.
• Serves as a resource for teachers and other Head Start staff in providing information about community resources.
• Reports all suspected child abuse to the Child Abuse Hotline at 1-800-252-5400 or to an immediate supervisor.
• Follows CCSCT Policies and Procedures and maintains confidentiality in all phases of agency operations.
• Familiarizes self with the agency's Strategic Plan and gains an overall understanding of how position contributes to the accomplishment of goals within that plan.
• Attends and participates in staff meetings and related activities; attends conferences, workshops, and trainings to increase professional knowledge; serves on committees as assigned.
• Performs other related duties as assigned or required.

Hill Country Community Action Association https://hccaa.applicantpro.com

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SUPERVISORY RESPONSIBILITIES:

This position has no supervisory responsibilities.

JOB REQUIREMENTS:

Education and Experience Requirements

• High school diploma or equivalent required. Associate's degree from an accredited college or university in Social Services, Family Studies, Human Services, or a related field preferred.
• Within eighteen months of hire, at a minimum, must possess a credential or certification in social work, human services, family services, counseling or related field.
• Prior experience in case management and/or experience in programs serving low-income families with young children preferred.
• Bilingual in Spanish and English preferred.
• Must successfully complete a pre-employment criminal background check, initial health screening, TB test, drug test and motor vehicle records check. Must be able to pass regular criminal background checks and submit to TB tests as required.
• Must be at least 21 years of age, have a valid Class 'C' Texas Driver's License with an acceptable driving record and have access to a reliable vehicle with current vehicle liability insurance; must be willing to travel within service area.
• Must be able to work Monday through Friday between the hours of 7:00am-6:00pm. Schedules may vary based on business needs.

Knowledge, Skills and Abilities

• Knowledge of federally funded Child Care programs associated with serving low-income clients (i.e. Child Care Services, Head Start) preferred.
• Knowledge of Texas Minimum Standards for licensing, Head Start Act and Head Start Program Performance Standards preferred.
• Knowledge of case management principles and counseling and interviewing techniques.
• Knowledge of cultural differences and sensitivity to the implications of culture for service delivery.
• Working knowledge of computers and basic to intermediate skills in Microsoft Office (Word, Excel, Outlook); able to operate office machines such as fax, scanner, printer, copier, and telephone.
• Effective communication skills with an ability to communicate clearly and concisely, both verbally and in writing, with persons from varied ethnic, socioeconomic, educational and cultural backgrounds.
• Ability to read, comprehend and follow oral and written instructions.
• Ability to work independently, with minimal supervision, and plan, organize, and manage multiple priorities.
• Ability to interpret and convey complex policies and procedures to families and present information to individuals and staff.
• Ability to meet deadlines and work effectively under pressure in a fast-paced work environment with constant interruptions.
• Ability to work well in a team environment, collaborating with others to accomplish business objectives.
• Ability to use sound judgment and make timely decisions based on careful, objective review and analysis of available considerations and factors.
• Ability to maintain effective working relationships with agency staff, management, program participants, and others encountered in the course of work.
• Ability to deal with frequent change, delays or unexpected events and adapt to changes accordingly in the workplace.

TRAVEL:

Regular travel to and from various sites throughout the CCSCT service area will be required to meet with families, providers, children and staff. Occasional out-of-state and overnight travel may be required to attend conferences.

PHYSICAL DEMANDS:

While performing the duties of this job, the employee is regularly required to sit, talk, hear, see, use hands to finger, handle or feel objects, tools or controls, and reach with hands and arms. The employee is occasionally required to stand, walk and rarely required to climb or balance, and to stoop, kneel, crouch or crawl. Specific vision abilities required by this job include close vision, distance vision, depth perception, and the ability to adjust focus. This position requires manual dexterity sufficient to operate standard office equipment and tools. The employee must be able to lift and/or carry up to 30 lbs.

WORKING CONDITIONS:

Work is generally performed in an office or daycare environment in which there is minimal exposure to unpleasant and/or hazardous working conditions. The noise level in the work environment is usually moderate. Employee must be able to function in an environment with constant interruptions.