Healthy Families - Family Support Specialist I - Bilingual

Health and Human Services – Healthy Families
Family Support Specialist I - Bilingual English/Spanish (Bilingüe Inglés/Español)

 

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Healthy Families is a free, voluntary, home visitation program designed to promote and enhance the healthy development of children and families. The program (parenting classes, parenting programs) promotes positive parenting and works to reduce negative childhood outcomes, including abuse and neglect.

The program offers outreach services designed to build trusting relationships, promote positive parenting, enhance maternal-infant bonding and attachment, enhance the child’s physical, emotional and educational development, and enhance parent-child interaction. Assistance also is provided to participating families in the use of available community services and resources.

 

Starting Pay: Pay Grade 07, $16.37 Hourly, Non-Exempt
Pay Grade Progression Range: Pay Grade 07, $16.37 to $23.75
Physical Location: 2135 Marshall Edwards Dr. Bartow, FL 33830

 

Employee Benefits
Direct Deposit, Bi-Weekly Pay Checks
Medical, Dental, Vision
Life Insurance
Florida Retirement System Participation
10 Paid Holidays
Paid Time Off
Tuition Reimbursement
Education Incentives
Deferred Compensation Plan
Wellness Incentives
Employee Assistance Program (EAP)
Free Employee Gym
Free Employee Health Clinic

 

We are a Certified Age-Friendly Employer

Drug-Free Workplace

 

SPECIAL REQUIREMENT

The Healthy Families Section is responsible for assisting in the Emergency Management Operations for Polk County in the event of an emergency such as a hurricane.  The Healthy Families Section staff may be called upon to staff special needs shelters or assist with arranging transportation for participants.

This position may be required to report for work when a declaration of emergency has been declared in Polk County.

Must have the physical, developmental, and mental ability to perform job tasks, work efforts, responsibilities and duties of the job illustrated below: 

 

MAJOR FUNCTION

Under the direct supervision of the Family Support Supervisor, the Family Support Specialist is responsible for optimizing the home environment for the physical and mental well-being of children who are at risk of being abused/neglected, and their families.

 

ILLUSTRATIVE DUTIES

•Assists in strengthening the parent-child relationship through improving parenting skills and meeting dependency needs of parents. 

•Works with individual participants and groups. 

•Establishes a trusting relationship with at risk families by initiating and maintaining appropriate participant contact. 

•Establishes a family support plan with goals, objectives, and activities with the supervisor, and follows through with implementation. 

•Assists parents in making and attending appointments for doctors, social service agencies, etc. 

•Acts as a liaison between families and other community agencies. 

•Familiarizes self with community resources appropriate to needs of the families. 

•Meets with Supervisor on a weekly basis to evaluate participant status. 

•Attends regular staff meetings, case conferences, in-service training, and other meetings as required. 

•Documents home visit observations and activities in a consistent and timely manner. 

•Demonstrates ability to work as part of a team as well as independently. 

•Consistently follows County, Healthy Families Polk, and Healthy Families Florida policies and procedures. 

•Performs related duties as required.

 

KNOWLEDGE, ABILITIES AND SKILLS

•Evidence of knowledge and ability to use proper channels of communications.

•Demonstrated ability to accept individual differences. 

•Demonstrates motivation and ability to learn and apply basic counseling skills. 

•Demonstrates a motivation to familiarize self with parent-child interaction and child development materials, and the dynamics of child abuse and neglect. 

•Ability to use good judgment and make independent decisions with clear and professional boundaries. 

•Ability to learn and follow department policies and procedures. 

•Ability to follow proper universal precautions and infections control techniques per policy.

•Responsible for maintaining a professional and safe department and work area in line with established Safety Policies and the ima