About this role
Position overview A family-support partner provides intensive, short-term, or long-term therapeutic and behavioral support to children and youth (ages birth to 21) within the context of their natural environments. This role involves working with family systems to improve behavioral and mental health outcomes for the children so they are stable, reducing disruptions in their home and school placements, and so they can participate successfully in inclusive community activities and events. This involves assessing developmental, behavioral, or emotional struggles resulting from trauma, neurodevelopmental conditions, or environmental stress. The family support partner works collaboratively with families, modeling healthy coping mechanisms, coaching the use of play-based strategies, promoting the rewiring of negative behavioral patterns, and equipping caregivers with the tools to cultivate a stable home, school, and community life.
Core Responsibilities ? In-home direct care and coaching: Deliver interventions to youth and their families, focusing on neurodevelopmental activities, emotional regulation, and behavioral correction. Use the family-centered practices to provide empathetic and compassionate support, developing a universal protocol approach to a child's disruptive behaviors, to teach parents and caregivers redirection and calming techniques. ? Individual Functional Family Service Plan – Assess the home ecosystem and design measurable, tailored action plans (Individual Functional Family Support Plan, or IFFSP) to help children/youth move out of continuous “fight, flight, freeze, or fawn modes, so they can positively engage with others in their homes, schools, and communities. ? Progress Tracking and Documentation: Maintain meticulous electronic documentation of activities that may include behavior tracking, data collection, and milestone achievements in compliance with the Prevention Pilot Program guidelines, maintain confidentiality compliance with state regulations and privacy laws. ? Crisis Management and Support: Assist child/youth who are navigating severe school stress, verbal or physical aggression, self-harm, or re-integration into the home after temporary foster, acute or residential placements. ? Positive Behavior Support: Address childhood behavioral challenges such as severe tantrums, biting, or sensory processing sensitivities, by implementing trauma-aware and neurodiversity-affirming interventions that are strengths-based and follow a family-centered, child-led, empathetic framework (i.e., FTF Behavioral Consulting model). ? Multidisciplinary Coordination: Partner with a wider care team, that can include pediatricians, speech-language pathologists, occupational therapists, school general and special education staff, social workers, case managers, and juvenile justice system representatives. ? Resource Referral: Connect families and empower them to build their community safety net and access resources such as Medicaid services, food assistance, localized counseling, or specialized youth programs, and navigate systems such as special education, child protective services, and the justice and juvenile justice programs. ? Expand Family Networks: Guide families to identify their natural supports and promote them to expand and strengthen relationships that will extend their socio- ecological support network. ? Mandated reporter: Follow requirements of being a mandated reporter if you suspect child abuse or neglect. Training on this will be required annually. Required qualifications ? Education: A Bachelor's degree in Education, Special Education, Psychology, Behavioral Analysis, Mental Health Counseling, Social Work, or a related human services field. (Experience and training in a related field may be considered) ? Experience: Minimum of 1-2 years of experience working directly with youth, preferably youth displaying severe behavioral, emotional, or developmental delays. ? Clearances and Compliances: Must successfully pass a comprehensive criminal background check, child and adult abuse registry clearance, and FBI fingerprinting. ? Transportation: Possession of a valid driver's license, clean driving record, and a reliable vehicle with valid insurance to complete daily home visits. ? Skills: Strong conflict resolution skills, exceptional active listening, the ability to work with socioeconomically and culturally diverse populations, and the ability to apply knowledge of typical human development to establish appropriate behavioral expectations for families and partnering professionals, skills in using technology for technology for communication, documentation, and accessing resources for intervention activities. ? Culturally sensitivity: The person filling this role will be culturally sensitive – be aware, understanding, and respectful of the beliefs, values, and practices of people from different cultural, ethnic, and socioeconomic backgrounds without judging them as right or wrong. ? Proficiencies in spoken and written English. Preferred qualifications ? A Master's degree in Social Work (MSW), Education, Special Education, Early Childhood, Early Interventionist/Childhood Special Education, Counseling with specialty in play therapy, Behavioral Analysis, Occupational Therapist, Speech- Language Therapists ? Active state certification or license (e.g., Board Certified Behavior Analyst – BCBA, Registered Behavior Technician – RBT, Education License, Certified Family Intervention Specialist) ? Bilingual proficiencies, specifically in English and Spanish. Working Conditions ? Environment: Highly mobile role spent primarily inside private family homes, childcare centers, or community settings. ? Schedule: Daytime business with evening flexibility to accommodate working parents and caregivers. ? Physical Demand: Physically active position requiring stamina to work with families and children in natural environments. This can include engaging children in play-based activities and youth in appropriate physical activities. The ability to lift up to 40 pounds.
Contract recommendations ? This position is a 12-month, full-time position (i.e., a minimum 240-day contract) ? Recommended compensation: $68,000 - $75,000 annual salary. Salary and benefits are commensurate with those of a licensed teacher or therapist with12- month (240-day) contract.