Bilingual Family Support Worker
The Bilingual Family Support Worker provides family support services to families with children prenatal through five years old who have experienced or are at risk for family violence (domestic violence or child abuse). The Family Support Worker assists families in preparing children for school and achieving/maintaining safe and stable households. The Family Support Worker is responsible for building and maintaining a partnership with program participants that encourages the safety, and well-being of the family. The Family Support Worker will advocate for families, provide emotional, practical support, model and encourage skills and knowledge about healthy child development, and will partner with client families to assist them in achieving the skills and resources they need to attain and maintain family unity and self-sufficiency.
Position Responsibilities:
1. Partner with families to assess family strengths and needs, assist families in planning goals and the steps to achieve them, access and provide support to families to achieve their goals, and assist families in accessing community resources.
2. Create a positive partnership with families.
3. When appropriate, collaborate with families to develop personal safety plans.
4. Work with families to develop realistic plans of action tailored to family needs, strengths, priorities, and resources.
5. Create opportunities for families to gain helpful information and learn new life skills.
6. Be a community advocate. Practice family support principles.
7. Sit on and actively participate on community boards and counsels.
8. 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.
Education and Experience:
The Family Support Worker must possess a Bachelor’s degree in Social Work or a related field.
Demonstrated ability to deliver strength based services to multi-need families. Demonstrated skills in working with diverse populations, substance abuse, domestic violence, and child protection. Applicant must be bilingual and fluent in at least one of the following languages: Spanish, French, Swahili, and Arabic.
Skills and Abilities:
Must possess the ability to maintain a positive consistent attitude in working with staff and
clients, including holding the belief that people have the capacity to grow and change. This
position is a mandatory child abuse reporter and must be re-certified every five years.
Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions. Horizons is an Equal Opportunity Employer.
Qualifications:
1. Must provide vehicle for own transportation.
2. Must possess a valid Iowa driver’s license.
3. Must possess valid auto insurance.
4. Must supply all needed records
5. Must be able to be certified as not having been involved in abuse to children or adults.
6. Must be able to be certified as not having been involved in criminal activity.
7. Must attend Family Development Specialist Certification Training.