Family Specialist I

Job SummaryWorks within the vision, mission and philosophy of the agency. Within a team process, develops a strength based relationship with youth and care givers. Intervenes with maladaptive behaviors while developing the youths strengths and interests. Responsible for linking to community resources, and transferring skill sets to the care giver. Does whatever it takes to meet the needs of the family in a strength based approach while also working to preserve the family unit. Helps to create permanent connections for youth and families. May search, locate and engage family members for youth. Assists with transitioning kids to the lowest level of care. Works independently in the family’s home and in a variety of community and/or treatment settings.RESPONSIBILITIES AND DUTIESProvides direct services to youth and families.Provides direct billable mental health services, documents in alignment with MediCal regulations and achieves set productivity expectations.Engages and builds alignment and relationships with parents, youth, and others in the normal course of working with the families.Utilizes strengths of youth, families, and others to assist in the implementation and achievement of goals and outcomes.Works with youth and family teams to support family driven, strength based planning and interventions.Understands and take advantage of therapeutic opportunities in crisis situations.Conducts observations regarding specific target behavior, track progress and modify plans with the family to support their intended identified outcome.Assists teams in developing a hypothesis of function and underlying unmet need in an effort to develop individualized, strength based strategies and interventions that will result in positive behavior change.Engages caregiver, family members and other natural supports in building youth specific parenting responses that support positive behavior change and overall family relationships.Works in the community directly with youth and families to develop and implement safety and skill refinement plans.Supports families in bridging to and or building on natural resources and accessing community based program supports that will continue support over time.Develops resources within the community to serve children and families.Assists youth and family teams to meet specific service needs (ie help develop strategy or resource specific to an identified need) and monitor outcomes.Participates in family finding team activities by identifying family finding need, obtaining authorizations, creating teams, conducting searches and setting deadlines. Completes Connectedness Maps as needed.Documents interactions and practices and maintain administrative expectations in a timely manner.Meets and or exceeds all direct service expectations and documentation requirements.Assists in developing program responses to needs identified across a number of youth and families where natural community resources are not available or appropriate.Builds on individual strengths, concerns, and needs with balanced focus on the family as a unit.Facilitates and/or co-facilitate, support, and model participation in healthy group dynamics within various settings including family homes, schools, parks and recreation centers, and treatment facilities; and provides an open forum for expression of feelings and ideas when appropriate.Builds solid, cooperative, culturally responsive relationships with youth and families as well as community resources to assist with the planning, organizing, implementation and evaluation of appropriate activities to achieve family identified goals.Performs other responsibilities, as assigned, to support department/business needs.QUALIFICATIONSHigh school diploma or GED.PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS1 year working with childrenBA/BS in related field preferredHIGHLY DESIRABLE QUALIFICATIONSSpeak, read, and/or write another language is highly desirable.

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