Family Support Specialist

About the Organization:

New Moms strengthens families by partnering with young moms as they progress toward housing stability, economic mobility, and family well-being. New Moms is a nonprofit organization with an $8 million budget and a staff of over 60. At New Moms, young moms, 24 and under, take powerful first steps toward economic mobility and family well-being. Our 2-Generation approach puts families experiencing poverty in control of their goals and unleashes their potential. New Moms’ headquarters is located on the west side of Chicago in the Austin neighborhood. Our East Garfield Park location includes all Workforce Development programming as well as our social enterprise, Bright Endeavors, which provides paid transitional jobs for young moms. We also have an office in Oak Park serving the near western suburbs.

Our Commitment to Equity:

New Moms prioritizes racial equity as a strategic and organizational imperative. Strong candidates will be committed to integrating diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) values into their work goals and will be evaluated on their impact.

About the Job:

This full-time Family Support Specialist is part of the Family Support Team which uses the Parents as Teachers curriculum, an evidenced based model which provides positive parenting support through comprehensive home-based early childhood services which includes parent coaching, case management and center-based services to pregnant and parenting families. This position will collaborate with the other staff including Doulas to provide comprehensive services in an integrated program as well as the rest of the staff to provide seamless high-quality services. The Family Support Specialist will champion all New Moms values including our commitment to diversity, equity and inclusion, in both strategic planning and performance. This position works out of our Oak Park office and serves Oak Park and the surrounding western suburbs. Starting Salary: $44,000-$46,800 DOE

Key Job Responsibilities:

• Maintains a full weighted caseload based on service intensity and of participants and their children
• Conducts thorough assessments of families, utilizing prescribed assessment tools on established schedule; develops written service plans, with quarterly updates at a minimum
• Conducts home based visits based on assigned service intensity with the participant that consist of age-appropriate parent-child activities and observations intended to enhance the parent-child relationship as well as service planning, life skills, and emotional support through a trauma informed approach
• Performs crisis prevention and intervention as needed
• Assists with transportation of participant and children as required and approved by supervisor
• Works in tandem with other New Moms staff to integrate services across the Agency; collaborating with staff and other collateral sources on specific case-related issues
• Maintains working relations with other social service or public agencies; providing linkage of participants to appropriate resources and advocates for participants as necessary. Secures appropriate release and consent forms and facilities inter-agency referrals as needed.
• Assists with weekly parent support groups as needed
• Performs written and electronic recordkeeping functions as required for both internal and external databases on a timely basis according to agency policy
• Works to consistently enforce program compliance under the direction of the Family Support Manager, working to maximize participant retention as well as program safety
• Coordinates discharge planning, resources and referrals
• Actively participates in supervision, team meetings, and agency staff meetings
• Assists with outreach as need to ensure the team is at capacity at all times
• Upholds the New Moms’ Executive Skills Coaching approach which is grounded in racial equity
• Regularly participates in agency and program staff meetings, as well as professional group seminars or conferences to enhance professional knowledge and job skills

Qualifications:

• Bachelor’s degree in counseling and guidance, rehabilitation counseling, social work, psychology, pastoral counseling, family therapy, children and families or related human service field required

• Experience in mental health or related field preferred

• Experience working with individuals experiencing homelessness preferred

• Sound professional judgment and analytical ability, as well as the desire to work in a socially- and psychologically-pressured environment

• Experience in the use of personal computers and Microsoft software applications

• Excellent communication skills, both oral and in writing

• Ability to manage multiple responsibilities, projects, and deadlines concurrently

• Ability to work in an interdisciplinary team approach model, taking individual responsibility and autonomy while serving as part of a team

• Ability to work one (1) evening a week

• Valid driver’s license, with safe driving record and valid insurance

• Daily access to a reliable car required

COVID-19 Modifications:

• New Moms employees are required to be fully vaccinated against COVID-19. If you are not able to receive the vaccine for medical or religious reasons, you may seek approval for an exemption through the Director of HR.
• This is an on-site position with a primary office at our Oak Park location and considerable time out in the community meeting with families. This position is eligible for a hybrid work schedule which could include up to 1 day per week of remote work if requested. All staff are required to be in the office on Tuesdays, which is our company Core Day.

New Moms’ Benefits: We offer a comprehensive benefits package to full-time employees including health, dental, vision, disability, and life insurance; matching on retirement savings up to 3%; 15 paid holidays; and generous paid time off. We also offer several unique benefits to New Moms: discounts on Bright Endeavors products, free optional spiritual direction services, and half days on Fridays in the summer. Our Flexible Work Options policy allows for staff to work some hours remotely once training is complete. For licensed employees, you will receive over 20 free CEU's during onboarding and an additional 1.5 free CEU's/month throughout employment. We promote professional development and provide time for you to attend other external trainings opportunities as well.