This position comes with a $2,000 sign on bonus!

Healthy Families

The Family Support Specialist develops and maintains supportive, strength-based, culturally sensitive relationships with families by providing educational support through home visits with parents and their children; ensures compliance with OHU and Home Visiting Program Model-Specific Performance Standards by delivering services in the areas of education, nutrition, health, social services, and parent involvement.

This position does require flexibility in work schedule, with occasional evening and weekend schedule as the program provides weekly home visits to pregnant and parenting parents.

Candidates should have strong assessment and writing skills, efficient computer and organizational skills, ability to build rapport with parents and their young children, respect for the change process and have hope for change and healthy futures. Candidates are expected to be able to work as a part of a larger team, as well as independently conduct screenings, and assessments, goal plans and maintain case documentation and data entry required to meet program and funder time frames.

Healthy Families serves families in Waukegan, North Chicago, Zion, Gurnee, Libertyville, Mundelein, Vernon Hills, Round Lake.

Qualifications

Education 

• Bachelor’s Degree in Human Services, Social Work, or related field required

Experience

• One to two years experience working with or providing services to families and children preferred
• Familiarity with child development a plus

Additional Requirements

• Reliable transportation, valid driver’s license and acceptable driving record with OHU
• Become certified in CPR, Infant CPR and First Aid within the first year of hire

Job duties include:

• Maintains a caseload according to program model and/or funder specific standards, providing home visits to families specific to program and/or funder requirements
• Establishes trusting, nurturing relationships with parents and their children by providing family support services in the family’s home
• Works jointly with parents to develop and implement home visit plans based on identified family and child strengths and needs
• Provides evidence/research-based information to families on a variety of topics including but not limited to home safety, child development, and the importance of medical and dental care
• Observes, assesses, and documents each child’s health, skills, behavior, growth, and developmental milestones
• Provides children and parents with group socialization experiences per program requirements
• Provides program parents with guidance on home safety, nutrition, effective discipline, constructive play activities, basic childcare, crisis management, problem solving, positive relationships and other related topics
• Assists in identifying children with special needs and makes the necessary referrals
• Assists families in developing a Family Goal Plan which includes a plan for the accomplishment of the goals
• Recruits and enrolls families into the Home Visiting programs
• Maintains enrollment throughout the program year through various recruitment strategies; ensures vacancies are filled immediately Responsible for maintaining program case load as determined by the grant requirements
• Completes all required program/model specific trainings no later than 6 months of hire
• Ongoing and additional training required including but not limited to working with highly stressed families in overburdened communities, issues related to maternal/child health, child abuse, neglect and maltreatment, labor and birth, inductions, cesarean sections, postpartum period/newborn care, breastfeeding, childbirth education, child development of infants and toddlers, and group facilitation
• Completes all required home visiting model and/or grant/funder training per training guidelines
• Collaborates with program supervisor and other agency staff to review and maintain home visiting model affiliation and/or accreditation standards including COA Accreditation standards
• Develops and maintains Community Partnership Agreements (MOU)
• Attends Early Intervention meetings with the family’s receiving services in order to support developmental and/or social needs of child and family
• Provides program, classroom, and center staffing support as needed
• Maintains and preserves confidential client files
• Follows established guidelines for use and/or disclosure of protected health information; reports any breaches of the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) rules to their supervisor immediately
• Organizes and maintains complete, accurate, and up-to-date records for children and families according to program and/funder requirements including data entry into various databases such as agency, funder and state. Information to

We Invest in You!

• Tuition assistance up to $2500 per year
• Up to 4 weeks paid Vacation Days; up to 6 paid Personal Days and up to 5 paid Sick days annually
• Medical, dental, vision, 403b Retirement, flexible spending accounts, health savings account, and short-term disability options
• Agency paid life up to $50K based on salary
• Voluntary Supplemental Life for Employee, Spouse, and Child(ren)
• Voluntary Legal Plans
• Agency paid long term after 1 year of employment
• Career ladders, professional development, and promotion opportunities
• Free LCSW and LCPC Supervision hours available in some locations

A Different Kind Of Employer, One Hope United is strong and ready to grow. Are you ready to grow with us?

• 800 talented professionals strong, serving 10,000 children and families in Illinois, Missouri, and Florida
• Fiscally stable, $50 Million agency– strong since 1895
• Energetic leadership and a rich community of support

One Hope United does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, disability, veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by law. One Hope United is an Equal Opportunity Employer and a Drug-Free Workplace. OHU participates in eVerify.

In the spirit of caring for one another and our community, please note that upon accepting an offer of employment from One Hope United, you will be required to share proof of a Covid-19 vaccination. The requirement is subject to accommodation in compliance with applicable laws and regulations.