Family Support Specialist (HOPES)

Program Support Specialist Job Description 
Healthy Outcomes through Prevention & Early Support (HOPES) Program 
Full-Time Hourly Position 
$18-$19 per hour

Summary: The Family Support Specialist (FSS) is responsible for building and maintaining relationships with families, social service agencies, stakeholders, and the broader community. This role includes conducting systems-building activities, family engagement, education initiatives, and outreach efforts to connect families with necessary resources and services. The FSS is a cross-trained position designed to deliver a range of evidence-based services to families and youth, based on program requirements and agency needs. Duties and caseloads are assigned by the supervisor, considering the specific services or modalities being provided. The FSS also assists families in meeting basic needs and adapts to other tasks or modalities as required to ensure program success and align with funders’ expectations. The scope of work is subject to change as needed to ensure all projects are completed. Likewise, complementary changes may be made to projects or individual goals and employee expectations based on agency/management strategic goals. All Center for Children team members are expected to be collegial and collaborative, mutually supportive, and focused on excellent services to clients, fidelity to program models, and ethical provision of services.

Primary Duties and Responsibilities

• Conduct outreach activities to engage and recruit families and community partners through health fairs, presentations, marketing campaigns, and networking.
• Build and maintain positive relationships with families, community leaders, and organizations.
• Deliver services through assigned modalities, including Circle of Security Parenting, Be Strong Parent Cafés, Safe Care, Empath Mobility Mentoring, Play Café, and others as needed.
• Conduct intake assessments, provide referrals, and deliver support services to families.
• Provide personal instruction, demonstrate educational activities, and deliver research-based materials on child development, parenting, and related topics.
• Facilitate group activities and programs, such as Parent Cafés, to strengthen caregiver connections.
• Distribute and document the provision of basic needs to families.
• Accurately complete data entry for all services provided, ensuring compliance with program and funder requirements.
• Conduct quality assurance checks to maintain data integrity and adherence to reporting guidelines.
• Support the preparation of reports and evaluations by verifying the accuracy of collected data.
• Participate in ongoing program planning, monitoring, and evaluation activities.
• Collaborate with the supervisor and team members to align efforts with program goals and funder requirements.
• Utilize Reflective Practice to assess and improve service quality.
• Participate in Reflective Supervision for professional development and program improvement.
• Complete all required Family Support Specialist training and any training mandated by relevant program models.
• Adhere to professional standards of social work or human services practices, as well as agency and program model policies, procedures, and guidelines.
• Employ strengths-based methods to empower families and build resilience.
• Assist in planning and executing community events that promote child abuse and maltreatment prevention.
• Support communication efforts, including face-to-face, online, and print marketing activities.
• Work flexible hours, including evenings and weekends, based on program needs.
• Perform other duties as assigned by the supervisor to support program success and agency goals.

Skills

• Must become an expert in the funder’s RFP, the grant application, and the expectations of this role, including the designated modalities, and other required services.
• Outstanding interpersonal skills and the ability to relate well to diverse individuals, families, community leaders, and stakeholders at all organizational levels.
• A commitment to excel in developing innovative and creative solutions to meet grant goals and program requirements.
• Strong results orientation, openness to new ideas, and a proven ability to deliver consistently high-quality services to families, community partners, and internal teams.
• Ability to perform a broad range of assignments, including outreach, intake, referrals, case management, and service delivery, with efficiency and accuracy.
• Flexibility to adapt to changing conditions within the grant and program while supporting and fostering teamwork and collaboration.
• Active listening skills and a nonjudgmental approach when working with families and clients.
• Exceptional organizational skills required for managing multiple projects, caseloads, and coordination with diverse entities and stakeholders.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills to effectively engage families, facilitate programs, collaborate with partners, and maintain accurate documentation.

Minimum qualifications
Employees providing services to clients must meet the requirements of the program model or funder for the project to which they are assigned.  In general, the Center prefers that client-serving staff:

• Be a graduate from an accredited high school, GED program, or equivalent with at least 2-3 years of experience in a human services or early childhood role; or

Have an associate or bachelor's degree in social work or related field with 1-2 years of experience in a human services role or early childhood role. Depending on the role requirements, additional work experience may substitute on a year-for-year basis for college.

• Ability to read, write, and speak English and Spanish.
• Exceptional computer skills, including proficiency in Microsoft Office Suite (Word, Excel, PowerPoint), and familiarity with data management systems.
• Strong time management, organizational, and interpersonal skills with the ability to communicate effectively with individuals from all walks of life.
• Must have a valid driver’s license, a vehicle in safe operating condition, and maintain proof of current insurance at Texas minimum standards.
• Successful completion of a criminal background check in accordance with agency policies.
• Must be able and willing to travel for trainings, meetings, and conferences as needed.
• Ability to walk, sit, stand, and lift/carry at least 25 pounds.

Personal & Professional Conduct

• The first responsibility of all El Paso Center for Children employees is to ensure the safety, welfare, and dignity of the youth and families the Center serves and to serve as positive role models for them.  All employees must exemplify the highest standards of professional and ethical conduct and abide by the Code of Conduct set forth in the Center’s Personnel Policies.

Flexibility

• Every program at the Center is community and client-centric. Working with diverse partners to meet the needs of families in our community demands flexibility. The scope of work is subject to change based on the team’s performance and the funder’s expectations and on agency/management strategic goals.  The flexibility needed in this role includes scheduling meetings/events/activities, scheduling supervision sessions with staff, training, staff meetings, and out-of-town travel for training and/or grant requirements.