Purpose: Provides comprehensive, strength-based home visiting services to pregnant individuals, parents, and caregivers of children birth through age five. Services are delivered using the Healthy Families America (HFA) model to promote positive parenting, maternal and child health, child development, and family self-sufficiency. The Family Support Specialist partners with families to build protective factors, enhance parent-child relationships, and support optimal early childhood outcomes.
Responsibilities:
- Maintains a caseload of families with pregnant individuals and children birth to age five.
- Plans, prepares, and conducts regular home visits following Healthy Families America model requirements.
- Maintains productivity expectations, averaging approximately 3 completed or attempted visits per day.
- Establishes and maintains trusting, supportive relationships with families using a family-centered, responsive approach.
- Utilizes reflective practices and motivational interviewing techniques to support engagement.
- Partners with families to identify strengths, needs, and goals.
- Monitors individualized family service plans.
- Supports families in achieving goals related to parenting, education, housing, employment, and health.
- Provides crisis intervention and problem-solving assistance when needed.
- Provides education on prenatal health, child development, and positive parenting practices.
- Conducts developmental, maternal depression, and health screenings.
- Supports early identification of developmental delays and facilitates referrals for early intervention services.
- Promotes safe sleep practices, breastfeeding, nutrition, and preventive healthcare.
- Assists families in establishing medical and dental homes.
- Connects families to community resources and public benefits (e.g., WIC, Medicaid, housing, childcare).
- Coordinates services with healthcare providers, schools, and community agencies.
- Advocates for families to reduce barriers to services.
- Delivers evidence-based HFA-aligned parenting and child development curriculum.
- Maintains accurate, timely documentation of all services, assessments, and outcomes.
- Completes required data entry in program database systems.
- Tracks family progress and completes required evaluations.
- Participates in team meetings, case reviews, and supervision.
- Attends required trainings, including HFA core trainings and ongoing professional development.
- Engages in continuous quality improvement and program evaluation efforts.
- Maintains confidentiality and adheres to ethical standards.
Qualifications:
- High School Diploma/GED with 2 years of experience with young children, parents and/or families or an associate degree is required; Bachelor's degree is preferred
- Ability to work respectfully with all populations
- Ability to effectively engage with clients and community partners about program services
- Good working knowledge of community resources and accessing these resources preferred
- Complies with accepted professional standards and practice
- Ability to work effectively with a multi-disciplinary team
- Ability to work with the management information system and complete data entry
- Mandatory Reporter of Child and Dependent Adult abuse training certification (within 30 days of hire)
- Must have valid Iowa driver's license, auto liability insurance and reliable transportation if driving is required
- Successful completion of pre-employment physical, drug screen, 2-step TB test and background check
Working Conditions:
- Physical requirements: Light work, sitting most of the time, exerting up to 20 pounds of force frequently, and/or a small amount of force constantly to move objects
- Physical activities: Climbing, Balancing, Stooping, Kneeling, Crouching, Crawling, Reaching, Standing , Walking, Pushing, Pulling, Lifting, Talking, Fingering (picking, pinching, typing, etc.), Hearing, Grasping (applying pressure with fingers and palm), Repetitive motions, Feeling (perceiving size, shape, texture, temperature by touching), Visual acuity (field of vision for analyzing data, viewing computer, using measurement devices, operating machines, determining accuracy or neatness, and/or making general observations)
- Environment: Exposure to varied temperatures, communicable diseases, dust, and stairs
- Time: Ability to be flexible with a varying schedule and programmatic requirements
- Travel: Required between locations
These characteristics are representative of those an employee encounters while performing the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.
Note: This job description is not intended to be all-inclusive. You may be required to perform other duties to meet the ongoing needs of the organization.
EveryStep is an equal opportunity employer. Employment practices are implemented without regard to race, creed, color, sex (including pregnancy), sexual orientation, gender identity, citizenship, national origin, religion, veteran status, genetic information or on the basis of age or physical or mental disability unrelated to ability to perform the work required.
About EveryStep
One of Iowa's oldest nonprofits, EveryStep has provided health care and community services since 1908. Our team of experts are driven by a single purpose - to care for people and connect them with support at every step of their journey. Each year, we help thousands of Iowans cope in times of crisis and move forward with stability, dignity, and hope.
The diversity and breadth of our programs ensure that we can meet a variety of needs at once and provide ongoing assistance over time. More than 30 programs and services:
- Deliver in-home care to people who are ill, injured, or facing the end of life
- Offer compassionate support to families experiencing grief and loss
- Assist new and expecting parents and support the healthy development of young children
- Help Iowans navigate complicated health care and social systems
- Walk alongside refugees and immigrants arriving in our community
- Bring wellness services to places where people are
Serving Iowa from 11 locations, nearly 400 employees and hundreds of volunteers are committed to EveryStep's mission: We empower individuals, support families, and strengthen communities. There is at least one EveryStep program available to residents in every Iowa county. Every program is important and contributes to our mission.
EveryStep is an equal opportunity employer. Employment practices are implemented without regard to race, creed, color, sex (including pregnancy), sexual orientation, gender identity, citizenship, national origin, religion, veteran status, genetic information or on the basis of age or physical or mental disability unrelated to ability to perform the work required.