Family Support Worker - Metropolitan Family Services : Job Details

Metropolitan Family Services empowers families to learn, to earn, to heal, to thrive. Part mentor, part motivator, part advocate, since 1857, Metropolitan Family Services (MFS) has been the engine of change that empowers families to reach their greatest potential and positively impact their communities. Metropolitan is Illinois' first comprehensive human services agency and reaches more than 122,900 individuals and families in Chicago, Evanston/Skokie, the southwest suburbs and DuPage County with services promoting education, economic stability, emotional wellness and empowerment.We are now hiring for a full-time Family Support Worker to join our Team at Merrionette Park!SALARY: Compensation is commensurate with years of related experience, position requirements, and candidate qualifications. The average salary for the position is $55,000.ESSENTIAL JOB FUNCTIONS:

• Responsible for supporting a team approach to planning and implementing program activities.
• Responsible for enrolling children and families into an Early Head Start home visiting site, as well as, providing casework services and referral resources.
• Work with the Project Manager and other staff to coordinate services relating to child and family well-being, including Disabilities, Health, Mental Health, Nutrition and Family Partnerships.
• Deliver healthy, educational, nutritional and child growth and development information to parents via meetings in the client's home.
• Provide support in parent and child activities that encourages developmentally appropriate activities for the changing needs of children.
• Participation in weekly individual supervisions and regularly scheduled team meetings.
• Collaborates with each family to set goals, completes all developmental, social emotional and health screening.
• Ensure completion and submittal of paperwork in a timely fashion.
• Complete Family Assessments and make appropriate referrals to assist parents in the development and implementation of their identified goals.
• Assist families with procuring required dental and medical records for children enrolled in the program; analyze medical records to determine special needs and requirements for each child.
• Ensure all grant-funding, licensing, and accreditation regulations, including Early Head Start Performance Standards, are met with regard to providing casework services and referral resources.
• Identify social and emotional needs of families through direct contact, teacher reports, and child observations and provide support through referrals.
• Establish and maintain a relationship with contracted Mental Health Consultant to coordinate referrals and observations in a timely manner.
• Respond to and work with external partners, including representatives from CDFSS (Chicago Department of Family Support Services), CPS (Chicago Public Schools), and NAEYC (National Association for Education of Young Children), and other licensing representatives as needed.
• Attend parent committee meetings and provide translation for Spanish/Polish speaking parents.
• Create and update a Community Resource Directory and serve as the resource person for families to facilitate access to social services within the community.
• Maintain and manage all children's files and enters data into web-based tracking system.
• Performs other duties as may be assigned.

QUALIFICATIONS:

• Bachelor's degree in psychology, social work, human services, counseling or related field from an accredited college or university, required.
• Two years of social service experience, required.
• Gateways to Opportunity Family Specialist Level 5 credential by 2025-Chicago Only
• Strong organizational skills and the ability to set priorities, organize time efficiently, and handle multiple demands.
• Ability to work with diverse constituencies in a professional manner.

PHYSICAL DEMANDS

• While performing the essential duties of this job, the employee is required to sit and stand for sustained periods of time, frequently talk, hear, use hands and fingers to feel, handle and operate objects or controls, and occasionally stand, bend, stretch, stoop, kneel and crouch.
• The employee is required to have close visual acuity to perform an activity such as preparing and analyzing data and figures, transcribing and viewing a computer terminal.
• The employee may occasionally lift and/or move up to 50 pounds.

Metropolitan Family Services offers a very generous benefits packet to our professionals:

• Blue Cross and Blue Shield Medical Coverage: HMO, Traditional PPO, or PPO w/ HSA contributions.
• Dental and Vision Insurance Options
• 12 paid Holidays
• Paid Time Off (PTO)
• 401K Plan
• Training and Professional Development Plan with E- Learning
• Wellness Initiative Program
• Employee Assistance Network

Equal Opportunity Employer/Protected Veterans/Individuals with Disabilities The contractor will not discharge or in any other manner discriminate against employees or applicants because they have inquired about, discussed, or disclosed their own pay or the pay of another employee or applicant. However, employees who have access to the compensation information of other employees or applicants as a part of their essential job functions cannot disclose the pay of other employees or applicants to individuals who do not otherwise have access to compensation information, unless the disclosure is (a) in response to a formal complaint or charge, (b) in furtherance of an investigation, proceeding, hearing, or action, including an investigation conducted by the employer, or (c) consistent with the contractor's legal duty to furnish information. 41 CFR 60-1.35(c)