Family Specialist

Who We Are

FamilyWise has been keeping children safe and helping families lead stable, healthy and productive lives since 1976. Our programs help families build resiliency, identify and harness their strengths, and connect to other resources. We promote individual and community-led actions that enhance supports for children, parents, and families across Minnesota.

Why You’ll Love Working Here

Our mission is to strengthen families by promoting the safety, stability, and wellbeing of children, and our vision is for a world where every child thrives. As a multi-service, multi-cultural agency, FamilyWise focuses on nurturing children, families, and communities through culturally competent services. Our staff reflect the communities we serve through shared lived experiences and cultural background, and many can provide services in languages other than English. Our programs focus on natural supports, experiential learning, education, and a therapeutic approach with expertise in trauma-effective care.

Wages

$23.00 per hour

Benefits

• Paid vacation and sick time
• Nine paid holidays and three floating holidays
• Competitive health, dental, and vision insurance
• Health Savings Account (HSA), and options for Flexible Spending Accounts (FSA)

• Long-term disability insurance – the employer pays the premiums
• Employer-paid basic life insurance with the option for additional coverage paid by the employee
• Voluntary benefits: Accident, hospital indemnity, critical illness, short-term disability insurance

• FWS sponsors a retirement plan with 3% employer match and immediate vesting

Because FamilyWise is a member with Metropolitan Alliance of Connected Communities (MACC) who partners with St. Mary’s University, FamilyWise employees and their spouses are also eligible for the following benefits at St. Mary’s University:

• Discounted tuition for Bachelor’s, Master’s, and Doctorate programs
• Professional development opportunities
• Access to advancement (internships, job placement, field practice)

Schedule

This is a regular, full-time, hybrid position that requires some evening and weekend work as necessary and the ability to travel to client sites within a 15-mile radius of the office.

Job Summary

FamilyWise is hiring a Family Specialist to work as part of a multidisciplinary team to provide parent education and therapeutic coaching to clients referred by County systems. Services occur in-home or at community sites in a 1:1 format with a parent and/or families. The goals of the programs are to eliminate child abuse and neglect by parents, improve parenting skills, and reunify children with their parents when possible.

Responsibilities

• Provide a secure and neutral environment for parents and their children.
• Assess parent/family social, emotional, and cognitive skills.
• Teach parent education sessions based on curriculum and expertise.
• Conduct parenting observations and provide parents feedback on their interaction skills.
• Model appropriate social skills for parents and their children.
• Provide life skills education to increase parental capacity for positive family dynamics.
• Prepare timely monthly written reports.
• Attend all appropriate collateral meetings with counselors and referring agencies.
• Develop and implement service plans with clients.
• Coordinate and communicate with county workers, referring partners, and other stakeholders.
• Facilitate meetings of family, professionals, and natural supports.
• Collaborate with community partners.
• Teach parenting groups monthly for a group setting option.

What You Bring

• A Bachelor’s Degree in Early Childhood Development, Child Psychology, Family Social Science, Special Education, or a related human service field (2-year degree with 2+ years of experience providing parenting services also considered).
• 2-3 years of experience in child development, abuse/neglect services, or parent education using intervention methods for children with special needs.
• Previous experience working with culturally and racially diverse populations in lower socio-economic conditions.
• Being bilingual in Hmong, Somali, Spanish, or other languages is highly valued.
• Strong organizational skills with the ability to manage multiple priorities.
• The ability to maintain a good working relationship with all co-workers and the general public.
• The ability to use good judgment in recognizing the scope of authority.
• Excellent written and oral communication skills.
• The ability to work evenings and weekends as needed.
• A thorough understanding of parenting and child development issues.
• A strong work ethic and desire to work in a team-oriented environment.
• The ability to work independently, establish priorities, and meet deadlines.
• The ability to travel to client sites within a 15-mile radius of the office.
• A valid driver’s license, access to reliable transportation, and the ability to meet FamilyWise’s driving record requirements. Please note that if the license was not issued in the state of Minnesota, you have 60 days after becoming a Minnesota resident in which to apply for your Minnesota driver's license or permit.

Diversity and open expression are fundamental to the work of FamilyWise Services. We are passionate about building and sustaining an inclusive and equitable working environment where everyone can belong. Every member of our team enriches our work by exposing us to a broad range of ways to understand and engage with the world, identify challenges, and to discover, design, and deliver solutions. We welcome everyone to apply, especially those individuals who are underrepresented in our sector: individuals who identify as BIPOC, Indigenous or people of culture, LGBTQI+ and gender fluid or gender nonconforming, individuals with disabilities (both seen and unseen), veterans, people of any age or family status. We encourage you to apply even if you feel like you don't fit 100% of the technical requirements. Equal Opportunity Employer: All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, creed, ancestry, religion, national origin, sex, gender identity, sexual orientation, familial status, disability, age, marital status, membership or activity in a local human rights commission, status with regard to public assistance, criminal history (justice-impacted status), housing or homelessness status, height, or weight.

Our organization has a partnership with Metropolitan Alliance of Connected Communities (MACC) to provide administrative services including management of the hiring process. If you apply for this position, you may see references to MACC in some online materials.

FamilyWise Services participates in E-Verify and will provide the federal government with your Form I-9 information to confirm that you’re authorized to work in the U.S. See E-Verify’s official poster at https://e-verify.uscis.gov/web/media/resourcesContents/E-Verify_Participation_Poster_ES.pdf. See E-Verify’s Right to Work poster at https://www.e-verify.gov/sites/default/files/everify/posters/IER_RightToWorkPoster%20Eng_Es.pdf.