Job Title: Parent Support Specialist
Reports To: Director of Foster Care
Department: Foster Care
Location: Tucker, GA
FLSA: Non-Exempt/Contract For 150 years Wellroot Family Services has provided meaningful, positive change that dramatically impacts the lives of children and families within the North Georgia community. Join our dynamic and growing organization! Our mission at Wellroot is to restore children and families from trauma through Christ; and we envision a world where every child is raised in a loving, compassionate, and nurturing home.
Job Summary: The Parent Support Specialist is responsible for providing community-based parent support to aid in creating a safe, stable, and supportive family setting and promoting the well-being of the family for the purposes of family preservation, placement stabilization, and reunification. The Parent Support Specialist must maintain a flexible work schedule that may include working hours outside of daytime Monday through Friday. The Parent Support Specialist can anticipate working some evenings, weekends and occasional holidays. The Parent Support Specialist should demonstrate interpersonal skills and the ability to connect with and engage with families. The Parent Support Specialist will be expected to work with families with a risk of CPS and DFCS involvement, children who are in the foster care system, birth parents, and foster parents.
This is a contract role, and contract employees are not eligible for company benefits. Responsibilities:
- Serve high-risk families, including those whose children are at substantial risk of placement or who are in placement and cannot be reunified without in-home or community services.
- Provide services to children and families in a variety of settings.
- Provide parenting education and training designed to build on and increase the strength and stability of families, increase parent confidence and competence in parenting abilities, and enhance family functioning and protective capacities in an individual or group setting.
- Provide behavioral management education, skills, and solutions.
- Provide budgeting education and skills.
- Provided environmental safety training and education.
- Increase parental communication skills.
- Schedule, supervise, assess, and document visits between children in foster care and their biological parents and/or other caregivers.
- Provide feedback on strengths and/or challenges observed in the visits.
- Testify in court when subpoenaed.
- Collaborate and advocate with formal and informal community resources and systems, while teaching clients to advocate for themselves.
- Promote a positive relationship and healthy boundaries with each client with a non-judgmental and strength-based approach.
- Work as a part of an integrated service team with the agency and DFCS, as well as other public and private agencies and programs.
- Respond in a positive and respectful manner to diversity, among the agency's service population and staff.
- Perform other duties as requested by your direct supervisor.
Requirements: - Bachelor's degree in social work or human services and 5 years' experience facilitating trainings. Prior experience working with youth and families is a plus.
- Ability to work with children, adolescents, adults, and families.
- Ability and willingness to work with families in their own homes.
- Flexibility to work when the families are available to meet.
- Ability to work independently, as well as contribute to a team.
- Local travel is required.
- Valid driver's license and clean driving record
- Very good interpersonal/communication skills
- Ability to work with respect for cultural diversity.
- Ability to engage families who may not want the service.
- Ability to adapt and individualize program services to utilize family strengths and skills.
- Commitment to empowering individuals and families to solve their own problems.
- Ability to establish a mutually respectful relationship, in which the family is a full partner, empowered to solve their own problems.
- Belief in the capacity of people to grow and change.
- Bilingual in English/Spanish is a plus.
Work Environment: Client referrals will be across north metro Atlanta, Hall County and surrounding counties. Fast-paced environment, working with vulnerable clients. The ability to maintain a flexible work schedule which will include evenings and weekends is required. Must be able to lift up to 25 pounds. Usually sits in front of a computer 10% of the time as well as traveling to clients' homes.
*Please note that we are not partnering with any third-party agencies for this role. Interested candidates should apply directly through our website.