Family Interaction Specialist

Title: Family Interaction Specialist

Field: Social Work

Position: Full time 40 hours a week, or part time 25 hour minimum.

Shift: Must have the ability to work some nights and weekends.

Pay: Up to $20 / hour starting based on experience.

This position does not offer health insurance.

Interested applicants must submit their résumé and cover letter when applying. Applications without a cover letter will not be considered.

The position requires the use of your personal vehicle.

This position requires a driving record with no incidents of driving with a suspended license, DWI or OWI as well as minimal tickets.

Job Description

General Summary

Family Interaction Specialists (FIS) supervise family interactions between parents and children to ensure the safety and well-being of children. FISs also provide adjacent services such as transportation for children to and from family interactions and visit coaching to parents. Family interactions may provide services in the MAPS office, community or in a home setting.

Essential Functions

• Exhibits behaviors that reflect Milwaukee Area Parent Services’ values of assertiveness, integrity, empathy and responsibility.
• Provides service in a way that demonstrates awareness and sensitivity to client cultural values.
• May travel throughout community which includes Milwaukee County and adjacent counties.
• Establishes rapport and supportive relationships with caregivers and parents. Engages families to support positive child development and parenting practices through modeling, teaching and encouraging positive, nurturing family relationships.
• Ensures immediate child safety any time risk is evident. Provides guidance to clients in crisis and teaches problem solving skills.
• Monitors, documents and communicates families’ progress toward achieving service goals. Communicates across systems and works collaboratively with other agencies to support family goals.
• Provides scheduled appointments with clients during times that are convenient to the families served including evenings and weekends as necessary.
• Completes timely and accurate paperwork/documentation including progress notes and correspondence to stakeholders.
• Provides constructive feedback using visit coaching.
• Participates in advocacy activities to support effectiveness of Milwaukee Area Parent Services.

Minimum Knowledge, Abilities and Skills Required

• Preferred Bachelor’s degree OR high school education with three years of experience working with families of diverse ethnic, cultural and socioeconomic backgrounds.
• Valid driver’s license, acceptable driving record, proof of personal auto liability insurance coverage and ability to be insured by the Milwaukee Area Parent Services insurance carrier. Personal vehicle must be in good working order, able to accommodate at least 2 children in car seats and available for regular use.
• Must use personal vehicle to transport children, complete in-house car seat transporter training before transporting any children and retrain biannually thereafter to maintain knowledge of current best practice.
• Ability to model and redirect parents in their guidance, discipline and nurturance of their children.
• Ability to engage families and children who are dealing with safety issues and other related problems to improve family functioning that ensures positive child development.
• Excellent judgment skills. Learns quickly when facing new challenges and makes good decisions based on available information. Ability to make sound judgments, to use supervision effectively and to take independent action if needed to ensure child safety. Is cool under pressure and can effectively cope with change.
• Ability to work independently in a fast-paced environment.
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills. Ability to communicate promptly and effectively in oral and written communication including the ability to write thorough, accurate progress notes and effectively present information in supervision or case staffings.
• Strong computer skills.
• Must adhere to child abuse and neglect mandated reporting laws.

Working Conditions

• Must be available for some evening and weekend hours as required.
• Local travel in personal vehicle.
• Family interactions in various environments including in the community and in clients’ homes.
• Court appearances as required.

Physical Requirements

• Lift, carry, push and pull 20 pounds regularly and up to 50 pounds occasionally.
• Squat, bend, kneel occasionally.
• Regularly sit and stand for extended periods of time.

This job description is meant to capture the essential functions and requirements for the performance of the this job. It is not an exhaustive list of miscellaneous duties and responsibilities that may be requested in the performance of this job.

Job Types: Full-time, Part-time

Pay: $17.50 - $20.00 per hour

Benefits:

• Flexible schedule

Schedule:

• Choose your own hours

Work Location: In person