Family Support

Smithers Community Services Association is a non-profit organization that believes in raising the bar on what it means to do a good job. As a member of the Smithers Community Services team, you are fully engaged in your work, you take personal responsibility for your experience with the Association, you are a professional who operates from a place of ethics and integrity and you are prepared to evolve, change and grow as a result of working here.

**PROGRAM**:Family Support

**POSITION**:Family Support Worker

**PROGRAM SUMMARY**:
The Family Support Program provides direct, relevant support services for caregivers (and children and youth within the context of the family) to assist and guide them in the development of effective behaviour management techniques that promote healthy adult-child and youth relationships, bridge-transitions, and stabilize home placements for children and youth. The Program provides a range of social, educational, community based and outreach activities that empower and strengthen the capacity of families to care for their children with services that span from intensive individual interventions to group services that promote mutual aid.

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The Family Support Worker also provides consultation, education and support services out of the main SCSA office to identified caregivers and families to increase their capacity to manage personal challenges, life transitions, and decrease multiple placements for children and youth. These services may be provided individually and in a group setting.

The Family Support Worker offers support to families whose children are at imminent risk of removal, and who are struggling to cope with variable life transitions. The intention is to reduce risks to children, stabilize the family situation, and engage the family in formal and informal supports to promote their continued stabilization.

**REPORTING RELATIONSHIPS:
**Reports To**: Program Manager

**Direct Reports**:None

**PRIMARY RESPONSIBILITIES**:

- Provide individualized and group consultation, education and support services to identified families and caregivers to increase capacity to stabilize and maintain children and youth in their home and/or through transitions.
- Assist and guide caregivers in identifying and implementing strategies to respond to, and support shifts, in children and youth’s personal behaviours.
- Assist and guide children and youth (within the context of the family) with multiple strategies to support shifts in their personal behaviours.
- Provide educational resources, activities and hands-on support for caregivers to increase knowledge and understanding of child development, cultivate consideration of the child’s development and his/her unique circumstances, and improve parenting skills and family relationships.
- Provide educational information, access to resources, and specialized activities for children and youth (within the context of the family) to build on strengths and capacity, promote self-esteem and resilience, nurture healthy development with consideration of their specific developmental stages and unique circumstances, and support improved healthy adult and/or family relationships through a variety of strategies, specific to each child or youth.
- Assist caregivers and/or youth in the development of formal and informal support systems with other caregivers and services within the community.
- Offer group family support services that promote the well-being of children, families and caregivers.
- Provide regular contact to clients utilizing a variety of modes including: Individual consultation (in office and/or outreach), telephone consultation, caregiver resource/ skills development sessions, and integrated case management meetings.
- Participate in agency meetings and inter-agency meetings in the community as required.
- Maintain accurate daily and monthly records concerning client contacts and maintaining accurate time and expense records for submission at month’s end.
- Adhere to program budget.
- Perform other related duties as required.
- Actively participate in regular performance evaluations.
- Engage in regular reflective team clinical supervision and one-on-one supervision with the Program Manager as well as the Family Support Clinical Advisor.

**QUALIFICATIONS**:
**Education**
- Social Service Worker Diploma and experience in a similar position, or a combination of relevant training and experience.
- A Valid BC Driver’s Licence.

**Knowledge and Experience**
- Sound knowledge of the causes, affects, characteristics and implications of challenging personal behaviours.
- Experience working with individuals, families and communities impacted by childhood trauma. Knowledge of and experience of working from a trauma-informed care framework.
- Ability to provide positive, client-focused, strengths-based services to those most at need living in our communities.
- Knowledge and experience working with Indigenous people in communities in this regi