Family Support Worker

**HOPE AND AREA TRANSITION SOCIETY**

**Family Support Worker - Key Worker Position**

**Who We Are**:
**Hope and Area Transition Society**was established in 1994. At that time, the intent of the Agency was to offer a haven for women and children fleeing domestic violence. Our Transition House opened in a permanent location in 1995 and was officially named the Jean Scott Transition House. Jean Scott was a trailblazer for women’s equality and was instrumental in the creation of our Transition House. The Transition House is the cornerstone of the agency.

Over the years, we have grown into 4 broad streams of services:
Domestic Violence

Substance Use

Youth and Family

Homelessness

Our **Vision Statement** says it all:
Hope and Area Transition Society envisions a community that is free from trauma and systemic societal challenges a community that has vibrant individuals and families who are resilient and have a sense of belonging, acceptance and connectedness to self, family, the community and society.

As a result of the growth and development of the agency, Hope and Area Transition Society is the largest non-profit in the Fraser-East.

**The Job**:
The **Key Worker Program** provides support and education to promote change, encourage personal growth and enhance healthy families. Key Workers value working closely with the whole family to establish strong, healthy family relationships. For families who are experiencing a variety of challenges and concerns, this strength-based program is designed to build capacity and connect them with relevant services. Acting as a liaison with MCFD, through in-home and in-community visits, the program’s role is preventative in nature, aiming to atop the escalation of situations to a point where more intrusive interventions would be required. The service approach includes Integrated Case Management involving Ministry of Children and Family staff and other services or stakeholders involved with the child, youth and their family.

**Job Requirements**:

- Builds and maintains knowledge of community resources locally, regionally and provincially
- Is able to effectively balance the socio-economic conditions of Hope and their potential impact on the community and families
- Effectively balances the needs of the children and youth while being sensitive to family dynamics and parental support needs.
- Engages in building personal, parental and family capacity and empowering parents to guide and support their children and youth appropriately and safely
- Facilitates Safe & Supported Visits between children and their families as instructed by the Ministry of Children and Family Development
- Collaboratively provides referrals to other support services to address the needs determined by the assessment process and collaborate with other services and workers in the best interest of the family ie., parenting programs that support identified needs such as ADHD, aggression, ODD, poor academic performance etc.)
- Participates in committees, community and task groups, and/or program initiatives
- Maintains and compiles statistics and detailed case notes as defined and required by the Ministry of Children and Family Services and Hope and Area Transition Society
- Assists in the transition and transitional planning as a family moves through the identified services as outlined in their care plan
- As required, participates in staff training sessions and meetings, public education forums, seminars and conferences relevant to specific program areas
- Engages in prevention activities including networking, consultation and/or public relations
- Identifies and maintains strong personal and professional boundaries
- Post-secondary degree in human or the equivalent education and experience required
- Minimum two years’ experience providing services to high risk children, youth and their families is required
- Excellent interpersonal and creative problem solving skills
- Good organization, change management and time management skills
- Well developed listening, verbal and written communication skills
- Team orientated approach to leadership and a commitment to the community
- Demonstrated ability to work with diverse populations and to recognize and respond appropriately to the needs of children, youth and their families
- Self-motivated with an optimistic perspective
- Proven leadership skills
- Confident ability to respond ethically and respectfully to people and communities from any and all socio-economic, ethnic, religious, sexual-orientation, age, physical and/or mental background
- Able to change and flex (both mentally and physically) to quickly changing circumstances
- Able to work independently and collaboratively as a member of a team
- Must be able to recognize and respond appropriately to the need for self-care
- Able and comfortable learning and adapting HATS Emotional Competencies into work practices
- Competent computer skills and operating systems, such as Word and Excel
- Must b