Family Support Worker

**Family Support Worker** REF#745**

**Title**:Family Support Worker

**Department**: Tsuut’ina Nation Child and Family Services Society

**Reports to**:Director, and Program Supervisor

**Designation**: Full-Time

**Review date**:Three (3) Months After Start

**JOB SUMMARY**

The Family Support Worker reports to the Program Supervisor, and will assist families in effectively addressing their emotional, physical, cultural, intellectual, and spiritual needs. This role involves working with families collaboratively to enhance their safety, reduce the risk of abuse or neglect, and provide preventative support to reduce children going into care. The Family Support Workers will provide direct one-to-one support to families in their home or out in the community, assess the needs of children, youth, and families, and provide education in basic life skills while connecting with relevant resources, and advocating on the family’s behalf. The Family Support Worker will provide other various duties to assist workers in case management.

**DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITES**:

- Respond immediately to families in crisis.
- Work collaboratively with families to establish trusting relationships, and provide encouragement, support and education to families to facilitate positive parent-child relationships, stimulate child development and promote healthy lifestyles. Develop and implement a family development plan that supports parents in achieving goals.
- Provide a liaison function and advocacy role for families, helping them to access services that support healthy choices and functioning, and assist parents in strengthening parental skills and knowledge that increase healthy communication, understanding of age-appropriate expectations, effective coping strategies, appropriate discipline, and positive reinforcement in parenting and identifying and utilizing their strengths and their support network.
- Teach families problem solving, anger management and coping skills using modeling as a primary teaching method and develop culturally appropriate strategies in addressing problems that impact themselves and their family.
- Assist families in making a transition to independence that reinforces their sense of responsibility and accountability.
- Establish and maintain effective communication between families, extended family, and support team.
- Work with the team leader to assist families in the development of life skills and gaining access to community resources.
- Carry a client caseload, participate in case management, and regular team meetings. Gather and maintain information on client progress towards case goals, conduct ongoing assessments of client strengths, weakness, providing progress reports and critical incident reports, add case notes to case files in a timely manner.
- Provide opportunities to build capacity such as community kitchens, sewing, budgeting, homemaking skills, minor repairs, movie nights, culture, life skills, youth groups, language, traditional crafts, finance literacy, job preparation, and possibly job shadowing opportunities.
- Facilitate group training to families, adults, and elders, and conduct community meetings to gather input and promote the program.

**WORKING CONDITIONS**:

- assisting with home improvements and carrying or transporting young children.
- traveling in poor road conditions or unsafe weather conditions, working with clients who have a history of violence, exposure to unsanitary health conditions, and communicable diseases.
- exposure to disturbing or graphic experiences.
- exposure to stress due to responding to crisis situations at any time, handling threats and verbal harassment from clients, members of the public, and other professionals.

**QUALIFICATIONS**:

- Desired Education, Knowledge, and Experience:

- Highschool Diploma or GED.
- First Aid and CPR Certification.
- Non-Violent Crisis Intervention Training.
- Knowledge of Tsuut’ina Culture, and protocol, and community resources.
- Knowledge of Microsoft Office Applications, and general computer skills.
- Knowledge of child development, parenting strategies, and family dynamics
- Knowledge of universal precautions for infection prevention.
- Knowledge of Child and Family Services system and procedures.
- Knowledge of addictions, domestic violence, and drug/alcohol awareness.
- Knowledge of Microsoft Office and general computer skills.
- Personal Attributes:

- Strong communication and interpersonal skills.
- Ability to problem-solve, mediate risks, and respond to crises as part of a team.
- Ability to establish effective relationships with families and network with professionals.
- Capacity for multitasking and working flexible hours.
- Commitment to promoting positive parenting and non-violent child management strategies.
- Empathy, patience, and adaptability in high-stress situations.
- General Employment Requirements:

- Valid Class 5 Driver’s License, insured and reliable transportation with 2-million-dollar coverage.
-