Early Connections Network - Cheatham, Robertson, Dickson, Sumner and Montgomery Counties

Family Support Provider

Qualifications: Minimum of high school diploma or equivalent. Family member or caregiver of child with emotional, behavioral, or mental health disorder. Personal experience with children’s emotional and behavioral health issues and in navigating child-serving systems. Non-profit organization experience and work history within child serving systems preferred.  Early childhood experience a plus. W

 Skills & Knowledge Required:   

• Knowledge of the service area and of resources for young children.
• Knowledge and personal experience with children who have emotional and behavioral disorders.
• Knowledge and experience with the juvenile justice, educational, and other child-serving systems.
• Desire to help and support parents of young children, with strong customer service skills.
• Commitment to system of care principles, cultural competency & effective team work.
• Excellent communication, organizational, problem-solving/creative thinking skills.
• Established support system and access to resources.
• Basic computer and writing skills.

Duties & Responsibilities/Principal Activities:

• Assists the family in navigating various child-serving systems and in connecting with resources.
• Assists assigned families in securing both formal & informal supports to meet the family’s needs.
• Assists families/caregivers to develop attainable goals that help the child function better in the home, school and community through promoting and modeling system of care.
• Facilitates Child and Family Team (CFT) meetings:
• Develops agenda with caregiver; lead the meeting if caregiver until the caregiver is ready to do so.
• Arranges for time and place of meeting.
• Ensures that CFT and other required paperwork are completed as instructed.
• Completes and disseminates service plan to team members with their tasks highlighted.
• Schedules subsequent CFT meetings and provides members with date, time & location.
• Partners with family/CFT members in identifying and overcoming barriers/service gaps.
• Monitors the progress of the Service Plan for completion of tasks as the primary contact person.
• Assists the family in securing medication management, psychological/psychiatric evals if needed.
• Assists in completing Strengths-Based Assessment and flex fund requests as needed.
• Models and teaches effective advocacy skills, provides caregiver active support through regular face to face visits.
• Works in partnership with Early Childhood Specialists as assigned to serve enrolled children and families.
• Other duties and/or tasks as assigned.