Family Support Worker - Elementary School

Summary: The Family Support Worker is in a school-based setting, working cooperatively with school staff to identify families and students in need of additional support related to community resources, academic success, and safety. The primary purpose of this position is to create a trusted link between home and school by providing parents with tools, resources, and strategies to ensure families are stable and students achieve and sustain school success. This position works 32 hours per week and works onsite at Mendota Elementary School and Somerset Elementary Schools in Mendota Heights (16 hours at each school per week). Position works during the academic school year. Benefits include health, dental and vision insurance options, paid sick and safe hours, vacation and flexible holidays, life insurance, long-term disability and an employer matching retirement account. Qualifications include 1-2 years of experience working with students and families who are experiencing crisis and/or isolation, experience working in an elementary school environment preferred, bachelor's degree and bilingual is a plus.

Essential Duties and Responsibilities:

Demonstrate commitment to the agency’s mission statement and core values at all times. The mission statement is “360 Communities delivers safety and stability that improves lives.”

1. Show commitment to client rights and confidentiality as a community partner.
2. Follow mandated reporting laws for child abuse and neglect.
3. Work cooperatively and professionally by building relationships and trust with school staff and families to successfully meet the needs of the school and families with respect to school success.
4. Initiate conversation and collaborate with school staff and families to support academic success. Engage parents and students in creating a home environment that encourages learning and promotes increased parental involvement in school.
5. Follow-up with referrals from school staff, 360 Communities co-workers, self-referrals and community partners.
6. Advocate and partner with parents, cultural liaisons and school staff to promote equitable and inclusive learning opportunities and increase access to resources by linking to formal and informal supports.
7. Complete family intake based on family strengths, needs and risks (school success as it relates to academic success, domestic and sexual violence, food, housing, financial stability, county and community resources, child maltreatment and neglect, etc.).
8. Provide appropriate service coordination in response to intake and family plan, either through connecting to services within 360 Communities or through a referral basis (this may include, but is not limited to: home visitation, advocacy, and ongoing case management).
9. Identify goals and create strategies based on individual needs and strengths of parents and students and provide ongoing support and follow-up.
10. Collect data and maintain accurate records to ensure effective case management and for statistical, evaluation, and funding purposes.
11. Promote a sense of community and school belonging through the partnership between 360 Communities and the school district.
12. May require independent travel to other locations with unknown environmental conditions and noise levels (including visits to homes or community locations)

Education and/or Experience:

• A Bachelor’s degree is preferred, but experience in lieu of degree will be considered.
• 1 – 2 years’ experience working with families who are experiencing stress, in crisis, and/or who are isolated. This includes providing emotional support, knowledge of neighborhood resources, and ability to support positive parenting.
• Experience working in a high school setting preferred
• Secondary language is a plus.

Equal Opportunity Employer