__________________________________________________________________
Manatee Community Action Agency, Inc.
Position Description
Position: Family
Specialist (Mental Health Counselor)
Division: Resource
Connection for Families
Position Summary: To
provide in-home counseling to Healthy Families participants who have mental
health, substance abuse and/or domestic violence issues
Supervises: N/A
Supervisor: Program
Manager
Education and Experience Requirement: Master's Degree in Psychology, Social Work,
Counseling, or other
similar degree from an accredited
college or university; Licensed in the state of Florida in Social Work (LCSW),
Mental Health Counseling (LMHC) or Marriage and Family Therapy (LMFT); Minimum
of two (2) years experience providing individual and/or family therapy to those
affected by not just mental health issues, but also substance abuse and
domestic violence
Specific Knowledge, Skills and Ability Requirements: A
willingness to work with a diverse population in a culturally sensitive manner;
Knowledge of the dynamics of child abuse and neglect, the effects of drug and
alcohol abuse, parenting skills, and early childhood development; Good
interpersonal skills and the ability to relate to participants and their
families; The ability to deal tactfully with participants, co-workers,
community agencies, and the general public; The willingness and ability to work
a flexible schedule to accommodate the needs of the families served; A
willingness to provide counseling services in homes that may be in high-crime
areas; The ability to present himself/herself in a professional manner; Must
possess the ability to work collaboratively within the Healthy Families program
and with professionals and non-professionals outside of the program; Be proficient
in reading, writing, and speaking both the English and Spanish language.
Certifications and License Requirements: Documentation of a valid Florida Driver’s
License and able to be insured by under
our insurance; Licensed in the state of Florida in Social Work (LCSW), Mental
Health Counseling (LMHC) or Marriage and Family Therapy (LMFT)
Salary Grade: Negotiable
Position Classification:
Exempt
Duties and Responsibilities:
Direct Services to Families
• Initiate
voluntary in-home assessment and counseling services shortly after enrollment
or at
the request of an FSW during services. A referral to the
family specialist could also be initiated by the FSW for on-going cases which
are proving very difficult and involve major family crisis, addictions, mental
health issues, child abuse/neglect and/or domestic violence.
• Conduct
psycho-social assessments to determine strengths, extent of the problems, the
families’ readiness to engage in treatment and barriers
to intervention
• Encourage
families to accept services beyond the counseling services they provide, such
as
prescription psychotropic medication, detox for substance
abuse, etc., if needed
• Follow-up
with family and service providers on these specialized services
• Develop
and update treatment plans with input from families and FSWs and supervisors to
address
concerns identified at the initial assessment or during services
• Work
with the family in partnership with the FSWs and accompany the FSW on home
visits,
as appropriate
• Conduct
parent support groups, as appropriate
Consultation and Support to Family Support Workers
• Work
with families and FSWs to improve follow-through on the treatment plan. The
FSWs wil
l continue to provide the core home visiting services.
• Review
home visiting and supervision records prior to any staffings
• Lead/facilitate
staffings with all FSWs and their supervisors to discuss ongoing challenges and
progress of families and to share best practices
• Provide
one-on-one consultation to FSWs, as needed, on how to encourage participants
and
members of their family to accept the services of the
family specialist
• Provide
one-on-one consultation, as needed, to offer specific strategies for working
with
families who are not open to family specialist’s services
• Provide
training such as working with overburdened families and the principles of
infant
mental health, promoting attachment and recognition of
attachment difficulties
Documentation and Record-keeping
• Participate
in service planning (family support plan) with the FSWs and the families served
by
the family specialist
• Review
the initial Healthy Families assessment narrative to determine whether or not
the
family may require enhanced services
• Document
services provided using the required forms and submit forms for data entry
Other Activities
• Participate
in supervision meetings between the FSW and the FSW supervisor when
discussing families served by both staff
• Attend
Family Specialist Core, Domestic Violence, Child Abuse and Neglect and
Substance
Abuse trainings provided by the Healthy Families Central
Office
• Participate
in monthly conference calls to discuss challenges and best practices that
address
these challenges
• Attend
one two-day meeting facilitated by the Healthy Families Central Office to
receive
technical assistance and training, and to develop
strategies for improving service delivery
• Responsible
for maintaining positive relationships and creating new relationships with
community-based resources to which families are referred
This position description outlines the general
responsibility of the position, but does not serve as a limitation regarding
the duties required by an employee assigned to the described position. All
employees are required to work as part of a team to fulfill the organization’s
mission and in so doing to perform tasks as necessary.
Linda Hedrick
Healthy Families Manatee, Assistant Director Manatee
Community Action Agency, Inc.
302 Manatee Avenue East, Suite 200
Bradenton, FL 34208
P: 941.827.0188 x7720
F: 941.748.0617
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