Family Support Specialist HFA Healthy Families America

Are you excited about a new and exciting opportunity Do you have a passion for working with families and individuals in need of healthcare housing and community support services Are you interested in working for a missiondriven and innovative organization Well look no further! At Community of Hope we envision Washington DC where everyone is healthy housed and hopeful. If you are ready to make a positive difference in the community this position is for you!

Our mission: To improve health end homelessness and partner with communities to make Washington DC more equitable.

Our Approach and Values:

We celebrate peoples strengths and acknowledge the impact of trauma on peoples lives.

We embrace diversity welcome all voices and treat everyone with respect and compassion.

We lead and advocate for changes to make systems more equitable.

We strive for excellence and value integrity in all that we do.

Position Summary: The Family Support Specialist provides home visitation services and ensures home visitation activities meet requirements of the Health Start grant Healthy Families America (HFA) and Growing Great Kids (GGK).The Family Support Specialist will also utilize cultural humility and a strengthsbased approach to promote positive parentchild interactions and healthy childhood growth and development. This is a fulltime position reporting directly to the Home Visiting Supervisor.

The pay rate for this position ranges between $25.96 $26.92 per hour and the offer amount is determined by the candidates education qualifications and experience . Indeed provides their own estimated salary calculator and is not affiliated with COHs range.

Highlighted Duties and Responsibilities:

• Maintain a caseload of 1525 families enrolled in the Healthy Families Home Visiting program.
• Reviews initial assessment and intake utilizing the Parent Survey within 24 hours of receipt and makes contact with potential participants within 48 hours.
• Develops HFA Service Plans to address risks identified in the Parent Survey within one month of the participating familys enrollment in home visiting which are updated at least monthly in collaboration with the HFA Program Manager.
• Works with families to identify their goals which are captured on Family Goal Plans and updated with the family at least monthly.
• Documents CHEERS observations (Cues Holding Expression Empathy Rhythm/Reciprocity and Smiles) following each visit where the target child or children are present.
• Utilizes HFA Reflective Strategies in every visit with participants and documents strategies used in visit notes.
• Obtains immunization and wellchild visit information for all children on caseload. Ensures that both caregiver(s) and enrolled children have a primary medical care provider and medical insurance.
• Coordinates medical care for caregiver in the prenatal and postpartum period identifies barriers to care and problem solves to address them.
• Supports parent in tracking and scheduling medical appointments for all target children.
• Meets with families on caseload primarily in the home environment to provide information from evidencebased curriculum on basic baby/toddler care social and emotional development of the child understanding cues physical and brain development of the child as well as play and stimulation. Frequency of visits are based on HFA standards.
• Networks with COH and other community resources for housing employment substance abuse treatment mental health treatment training child and family services etc. and makes referrals as appropriate. Progress on referrals provided releases of information and followups should be documented in the records database.
• Completes required assessments and screenings with families at designated intervals e.g. CHEERS Checkin ASQs PHQ9 etc. All completed assessments should be scanned in the records database or placed in the participants file.
• Offers parents referral to Strong Start or Early Stages following ASQ screenings below the identified cut off. Makes referrals to appropriate resources following depression and domestic violence screens that indicate risk.
• Participates in quality management activities as directed to ensure high quality high impact services to families.
• Enters participant information and updates into database within two business days and provides information at least monthly for funder reports and any other reports such as case reviews.
• Meets weekly with the Home Visiting Program Manager for 90120 minute reflective supervision sessions. Communicates about participant issues in person via email or by phone with supervisor as needed outside of regularly scheduled meetings.
• Attends clinical departmental program and care team meetings and other organizational meetings and trainings as appropriate.
• Works with outside groups agencies or individuals to coordinate family activities in addition to attending events as needed.
• Secures patient information and maintains patient confidence by completing and safeguarding medical records and keeping patient information confidential.
• Provides updates on participant successes or program outcomes for fundraising and communications purposes as needed.
• Attends all appropriate departmental staff and clinical meetings.
• Assists in planning and facilitation of support groups activities and trainings for program participants and their families as requested.

Minimum Qualifications:

• High school diploma required.
• A.A. or B.A in Human Services field (social work early childhood education family studies or psychology) or equivalent professional experience preferred.
• Minimum of 2 years of experience in a public and/or human services related field.
• Experience providing public health education (ex. reproductive health smoking cessation child development and/or parenting) to at risk populations.
• Demonstrated cultural competence in communicating with underserved diverse populations.
• Knowledge of community resources or the ability to become knowledgeable required.
• Ability to conduct home visits. Valid drivers license and vehicle required as well as proof of auto insurance required.
• Ability to establish and maintain trusting relationships with families.
• Strong interpersonal skills required as well as crosscultural sensitivity.
• Strong organizational and scheduling skills required; ability to work independently
• Ability to work flexible hours including weekends and evenings required.
• All Health Staff must receive the required vaccinations. This includes annual flu and covid vaccines. Medical or religious exemptions may be requested.

At COH we understand the toll that the Covid19 pandemic has taken on the workforce which is why we prioritize the following wellbeing and worklife balancecentered benefits:

• Remote work opportunities are available for many of our roles promoting a culture of worklife balance.
• 8hour workdays which include a paid lunch
• 11.5 paid company holidays 1 personal floating holiday 15 days of paid vacation (increases to 20 after 3 years of service) and 12 days of paid sick leave on an annual basis
• Annual performancebased raises up to 5 of your annual pay
• National Health Service Corps (NHSC) and DC Health Professional Loan Repayment Program (DCHPLRP) participants
• Tuition reimbursement loan repayment for clinicians licensing reimbursement and continuing education unit funds for licensed staff
• Many opportunities for internal promotions and transfers across the agency as we continue to grow; we average 30 promotions each year
• Ongoing internal leadership training for supervisors
• Diversity equity and inclusion training and initiatives for all staff
• Ongoing wellbeing activities culture compact activities and traumainformed care initiatives
• Medical/Dental/Vision Plans through CareFirst BlueCross Blue Shield
• Life insurance shortterm disability and longterm disability insurance
• 403(b) Retirement Plan
• Flexible Spending Accounts for medical and dependent care reimbursable expenses
• And much more!

About Us:

Community of Hope is a missiondriven innovative and rapidly growing nonprofit. For 45 years we have provided healthcare housing and community support services to make Washington DC more equitable. As a Federally Qualified Health Center we provide medical dental emotional wellness and care coordination services for the whole family at three locations in DC.

Community of Hope also strongly emphasizes maternal and child health with midwifery practice and the only freestanding birth center in DC. In 2024 Community of Hope provided about 50000 medical visits 6300 dental visits and 17000 behavioral health visits for about 16000 patients. Community of Hope is also one of the largest providers of homelessness prevention and housing services for 1600 households1384 families and 220 individualsexperiencing homelessness in DC. Community support through Family Success Center our WIC nutrition centers and perinatal care coordination for pregnant people experiencing homelessness reach hundreds more families. We believe that everyone in DC can be healthy housed and hopeful.

We were selected as one of The Washington Post 150 Top Workplaces in 2024 and 6 other times since 2014 based on feedback from our staff.

To request a reasonable accommodation to complete an employment application or for general questions about employment with Community of Hope contact a Recruiting Coordinator. Email: Phone:. Community of Hope is an equal opportunity employer.