Family Support Specialist (Bilingual Spanish)

ChicagoCAC employees are expected to perform their job duties and act in a manner consistent with the Core Values of the organization.

DEI&AB Culture Commitment: The Family Support Specialist (FSS) is responsible for creating an inclusive environment that demonstrates equity, inclusion, accessibility, and belonging to our clients, ChicagoCAC employees, and partners. The position also assists in ChicagoCAC’s Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, Accessibility and Belonging (DEIAB) initiatives.

Responsibility Summary

The Family Support Specialist provides comprehensive case management and support services to caregivers of child victims of sexual abuse and their families, with the goal of helping families to engage and remain in mental health services. The Family support specialist receives referrals directly from family advocates, Family Hope Center therapists, or the Director of PATHH and Family Support Services. Appropriate referral needs include, but are not limited to: medical advocacy, mental health linkage for parent or other member of the household, basic needs (e.g., food, clothing, or shelter), education advocacy, psychiatric services, or application for benefits (e.g., social security, DHS, All Kids, WIC). The Family Support Specialist aims to enhance problem solving and coping capacity of the client while linking and improving the systems that may support the family.

Primary Responsibilities:

• Support Director of PATHH and Family Support Services in maintenance of Centralized Wait List through providing ongoing follow up to families waiting for mental health services.
• Provide support to Family Hope Center Drop-In Service program
• Assesses client’s needs, completes Wheel of Life with the client, and develops service plan to meet the needs of clients and families with input from referral source. Service plans include identified goals and steps needed to achieve goals.
• Updates service plans and completes Wheel of Life with all active clients on a quarterly basis.
• Facilitates a minimum of two to four therapy or psychoeducational groups (child, parent, combined child and parent, or family) per year (e.g., Hope and Healing, ChicagoCAC Parenting Group).
• Actively participates in weekly reflective, clinical and administrative supervision with the Director of PATHH and Family Support Services.
• Participates in Family Hope Center file reviews.
• Actively participates in Family Hope Center department meetings and case consultations.
• Provides supportive case management based upon the child and family’s needs and those of the service plan, with goal to meet identified resource needs for family.
• Provides appropriate linkage and referrals on behalf of family.
• Facilitates communication and coordination of services with other internal and external providers with goal to meet service need goals.
• Attends appointments with families when support for self-efficacy and self-esteem is needed (e.g., housing, psychiatry, school, employment).
• Accompanies families to court proceedings to provide support, translation and education
• Conducts Risk Assessments of children and families who are presenting with risk per ChicagoCAC policy. Provides ongoing assessments as necessary.
• Collaborates with clinicians in gathering collateral information (DCFS, CPD, Advocate, FI, Psychiatry, school, etc.) to provide appropriate services and support for family.
• Gathers data as it relates to type of service referrals, linkage success, client participation and satisfaction.
• Plans, facilitates, and participates in Family Hope Center community events and actively fosters supportive community environment within Family Hope Center for clients and families.
• Communicates issues, concerns and successes in a timely manner in order to make modifications to case management services.
• Participates in all team and agency wide meetings.
• Maintains a flexible work schedule as required by needs of cases.
• Participates in local networking and training opportunities.
• Performs other duties as assigned.

Discretion

The Family Support Specialist has a low-level range of discretion and independent decision-making.

Supervisory Responsibilities

The Family Support Specialist does not have supervisory responsibilities.

Relationships

The Family Support Specialist works closely with the Director of PATHH and Family Support Services, Family Hope center team, and advocacy team.

Qualifications

Minimal educational requirement of Master’s Degree in Social Work, Counseling or Human Service Related field. Licensure preferred. Familiarity with Chicago’s mental health community, and social service agencies. Two years’ experience in the field of sexual abuse treatment, child welfare, and/or case management is required. Strong clinical, written, communication and organizational skills. Must be bilingual (English-Spanish). Must be capable of working independently in a fast-paced collaborative environment.

In addition to making a significant impact on children’s and families’ lives, ChicagoCAC offers amazing benefits for our staff, which include:

ChicagoCAC’s Compensation Philosophy:
We believe in fair compensation for your work. Our salary scale is comparable to salaries you would find in Chicago, IL. We believe our compensation program is designed to support, reinforce, and align our values, business strategy, and operational & financial needs with a goal of growth and profitability.

Commitment to Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion:
ChicagoCAC is an Equal Opportunity Employer: BIPOC, persons with disabilities, and LGBTQIA+ people are strongly encouraged to apply.

We are proud to be an Equal Employment Opportunity employer. We do not discriminate based upon race, religion, color, national origin, sex (including pregnancy, childbirth, reproductive health decisions, or related medical conditions), sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, age, status as a protected veteran, status as an individual with a disability, genetic information, political views or activity, or other applicable legally protected characteristics.

If you need assistance or an accommodation due to a disability, you may contact our People & Culture Department at (312) 492-3700.

Salary commensurate with experience.