Senior Family Support Specialist – Adult Case Manager

Senior Family Support Specialist – Adult Case Manager

The Carying Place’s (TCP) Senior Family Support Specialist will be the lead for case management, care, support, instruction, and coaching to families related to the outcomes of each adult/caregiver and their family.

Essential Functions

Essential functions, as defined under the Americans with Disabilities Act, may include the following tasks, knowledge, skills and other characteristics. This list of tasks is illustrative ONLY and is not a comprehensive listing of all functions and tasks performed by positions in this class. It does not imply that all positions within the class perform all the duties listed, nor does it necessarily list all possible duties that may be assigned.

Key Responsibilities

Program Planning and Implementation:

• Works under the direction of the Director of Programs and in partnership with other Family Support Specialists.
• Works alongside Director of Programs and Intake Specialist on becoming oriented to new families to help support success in TCP programming.
• Consistently inform the Director of Programs of suggested changes to improve the program process.
• Regularly updates Director of Programs and other Family Support Specialists on the progress and challenges of families.
• Works alongside the Director of Programs to improve the program by studying, evaluating, and helping to improve areas of the program as needed.
• Works with the Director of Programs to determine which assessment indicators become part of the case management system.
• Works alongside and provides leadership to all Support Team volunteers and Family Support Specialists working with families under their supervision.
• Conducts family orientation into the transitional housing program; meets regularly and at least weekly with each family and Support Team volunteers.
• Helps produce or confirm each family’s individualized plan of care (IPC) and spending plan; assist each adult/caregiver and their team with creating goals and achieving desired outcomes related to gaining independent housing.
• Coordinates care with other family support specialists, staff, volunteers, partners, and affiliating resource agencies.
• Manages the work and progress of each family throughout the transitional housing phase of the Journey Home program.
• Monitors family compliance with the TCP contract signed at intake.
• Monitors attendance at required functions/family programs. Follow up with members absent to determine reasons.
• Intervenes in family or staff crises and provides personal support and coordinates care.
• Conducts timely reviews of each family’s progress in concert with other staff/volunteers assigned to the family and determines continuation or dismissal of families throughout the program.
• Coordinates care work with the case management system and data processing services, making phone calls, and using other communication tools and applications.
• Works with the staff to evaluate and provide data on program successes/challenges of each assigned family.

Community Resource Linkage:

• Identify and connect families with local community resources such as healthcare, education, and social services.
• Maintain a database of community resources and ensure families have access to necessary support. Conducts orientation with youth in Transitional Housing (TH), completes the initial assessment, home visits and other settings.
• Monitors all assigned volunteers working with youth.
• Coordinates care work with the case management system and data processing services, making phone calls, and using other communication tools and applications.

Financial Literacy and Life Skills Education:

• Facilitate workshops and classes focused on financial literacy, including budgeting, and saving.
• Teach essential life skills such as communication, problem-solving, and decision-making.

Family Support:

• Guides families to appropriate resources suited to each family, using a Family Resource Referral system. Each Specialist helps create and maintain the Family Resource Referral system.
• Provides education on the use of resources available and helps create and maintain a Family Resource Referral system.
• Coordinating care with other family support specialists, staff, volunteers, partners, and affiliate resource agencies.
• Advocates for family members in need of services and other areas as needed.
• Coordinates the transfer of family from TH to Graduate Program and other external agencies.
• Provide one-on-one support to families, helping them navigate challenges and access resources.
• Collaborate with other staff members to ensure a holistic approach to family support.

Administrative Duties:

• Responsible for maintaining a complete, accurate, standardized electronic and/or physical case management file for each adult caregiver and family they are responsible for.
• Maintain accurate records of program activities and participant progress.
• Prepare reports and evaluations to assess program effectiveness and identify areas for improvement.
• Responsible for maintaining a complete, accurate, and standardized electronic case management file on each youth and their family.
• Plans for and attends weekly in person meetings (Wednesday, Thursday).
• Monitor each youth and their family’s compliance with the TCP contract signed at intake.

Non-Essential Functions – Other duties as assigned

These are tasks that are not critical to the primary responsibilities of the job. While they may be part of the role, they are not the main focus. For example, non-essential functions might include attending team-building activities, assisting other departments with tasks, helping with office organization and administrative tasks, engaging potential special projects, covering for colleague absences and handling new tasks that come up due to organizational structure.

Qualifications

Qualifications are a combination of education, related experience, knowledge, skills, and abilities. The judgment of an acceptable equivalent combination of qualifications is the responsibility of management.

Education Level or Area of Study

Bachelor’s degree in education, Human Services, Social Work, or Family Financial Planning/Consumer Economics, OR 3+ years’ experience as a Case Manager; Human Services Case Management Certification. Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities

Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities

• Ability to lead and work on a team to develop and implement a program or project. Prior work with homeless or fragilely housed working families is a plus
• Experience in training other staff, volunteers, and the ability to train and coach adults and youth.
• Demonstrated effectiveness in working in a multidisciplinary environment.
• Proven ability to communicate with youth/adults from a variety of economic and cultural backgrounds.
• Detail-oriented, excellent oral and written communication skills.
• Demonstrated ability to work effectively and positively with others under deadline pressures.
• Patient in listening to others, building rapport, and treating colleagues, clients, volunteers, and partners with respect, justly, fairly, and with dignity.
• Ability to encourage and motivate others to positive action.
• Uses effective time management skills.
• Provides clear, purposeful, and sufficient family information.
• Able to self-assess performance and be responsible for their own professional development.
• Commitment to TCP’s mission and desired outcomes.
• Proficient use of Office 365, Zoom, and other data management applications. Willingness and ability to learn technology systems such as Google Drive/Docs, TCP program management software applications, and electronic case file management applications.
• Ability to make decisions independently and collaboratively.
• Able to resolve conflicts peacefully and effectively.

Physical Requirements & Working Conditions

This position requires normal periods of sitting, standing, and occasionally lifting and/or pushing objects up to 20 lbs. Work is performed inside an office building and out in the community as needed. This position regularly requires some evening and weekend work. Some travel is required.

Please note this job description is not designed to cover or contain a comprehensive listing of activities, duties or responsibilities that are required of the employee for this job. Duties, responsibilities, and activities may change at any time with or without notice. This document does not create an employment contract, implied or otherwise, other than an “at will” relationship.

Please contact Michael Pearson, Program Director if interested: michael.pearson@thecaryingplace.org