FAMILY INTERVENTION SPECIALIST

Salary Range $24.72 - $24.72 Hourly Position Type Full Time Description $51,417.60 (Annualized) Preventive Services Preventive services are provided to families who have been impacted in the child welfare arena. A CPS investigation has taken place due to a child being at risk of harm, abuse, or neglect. In efforts to avert a childu2019s removal from the home and/or to reunify the child back into the family environment, preventive services are mandated by Family First legislation to be provided to families in lieu of foster care placement. Position Summary: Family Support Specialist/Practitioner is responsible for holding up to 2 IHB cases per 28-day cycle. BUL, in collaboration with ECDSS, has completed its forth year of providing Intensive Home-Based Preventive (IHB) services through its Homebuilders program which is modeled after the evidenced-based initiative, championed by the Institute for Family Development (IFD). The IFD model has a 92%+ success rate after case closing for keeping children in the home, according to the California Evidenced-Based Warehouse of child welfare initiatives. The Buffalo Urban League will continue to utilize the Homebuilderu2019s model with the ECDSS approved Intensive Home-Based (IHB)- preventive services contract during year 5, 2026. Homebuilders are designed to work effectively with diverse populations and to strengthen families to prevent unnecessary out-of-home placement or return of children from foster care, group care, psychiatric hospitals, or correctional institutions. A comprehensive assessment will be completed by the Family Intervention Specialistu2019 (practitioner) for every family referred. General Duties: + Family Intervention Specialistu2019 are responsible for referring a child or their family for services including but not limited to daycare services, parent training, housing services, substance abuse treatment, domestic violence services, mental health counseling, job training, and home management services. u00b7 Daily home visit contact allows for direct observation of individual and family strengths as well as challenges. Home visits will be at least 2 hours in duration and scheduled at times when children and their families can be available. All children referred for Intensive Home-Based-Preventive Services receive face-to-face c Family Intervention Specialistu2019 contact 5-6 days per week. A minimum of 10-15 hours of face-to-face contact per week is required for each family. u00b7 Family Intervention Specialistu2019 are responsible for conducting visits to schools and daycares where children attend. School visitation lends to a professional opinion of a childu2019s educational, developmental, psychological, and behavioral milestone achievement and or challenges, and the parentu2019s level of support and interaction with the school. u00b7 Family Intervention Specialistu2019 request medical information for each child annually (more frequently when a child is at risk medically) to determine their health status, (immunization record, unresolved medical illnesses) and the parent/caretakeru2019s response to attain healthiness. All information will become a part of the familyu2019s documented record. u00b7 Family Intervention Specialistu2019 are responsible for documenting client progress within 48-hours of contact in the NYS CONNECTIONS computerized case management system, completion of monthly client summaries and the Family Assessment Services Plan (FASP) as set by New York State regulations. u00b7 BUL provides intensive home-based preventive services with the purpose of guiding the family in a course of action to attain objectives in solving problems that lead to the associated risk to the child. Family Intervention Specialistu2019 conduct risk and safety assessments at every home visit to ensure child safety. Family Intervention Specialistu2019 makes referrals for services, monitor compliance with services, and advocates for the familyu2019s needs. u00b7 Family Intervention Specialistu2019 engage all families to be fully participatory in the development of their service plan. u00b7 Special efforts will be made to engage (when feasible) absent parents who are willing to connect and lend support to their children. BUL will provide all reasonable efforts to engage children and their families in Intensive Home-Based-Preventive Services to prevent foster care placement or to provide reunification where disruption resulting in foster care placement has taken place. u00b7 Intensive Home-Based-Preventive services core hours are Monday through Saturday; 24 hours availability is required. Assigned Family Intervention Specialistu2019 will be accessible to families via telephone for crisis intervention after hours, 24 hours daily and seven days per week and during non-traditional work hours for families who are unable to meet due to other family or employment obligations. Saturday hours are available on a case-by-case basis to meet the needs of families. u00b7 The intensive home-based-preventive services unit will consist of a supervisor, three (3) FTE Family Intervention Specialistu2019, each FTE will be responsible for a caseload of 1-2 families at any given time. Administrative Responsibilities + Complete and submit all program paperwork in a timely and accurate manner. + Use of an online data management system for all clinical documentation. + Establish and maintain positive working relationships with referring agency staff and other community professionals. + Represent the agency in community meetings and on interagency teams as directed. Specific Duties: + Provide mandated preventive services, outreach, case planning, assessment, counseling, and face to face contact in the home. + Participates in case conferences, Service Plan Reviews, Staff Trainings; on an ongoing basis. + Assist clients in developing measurable goals and individual service plans. + Monitor client progress and provide direct assistance, as needed, to ensure intervention compliance. + Advocacy with schools, courts, ECDSS, and other community outlets. Qualifications Required Qualifications: + Possesses a minimum of a bacheloru2019s degree in human services or related field with two (2) years of experience in human services. + Valid Driveru2019s License, Insurance, and Reliable Transportation. + Ability to work flexible hours. Preferred Qualifications: + Masteru2019s degree with one (1) year of experience in a human services field + Spanish speaking a plus. Competencies: + Responsible for maintaining professional and positive relationships with referred families, ECDSS (CPS/CS) and community agencies. + Must be able to use Microsoft Office + Good interpersonal and empathy skills, along with the ability to relate well with clients, staff and others. + Able to communicate a warm caring and non-judgmental approach to individuals and families.

Created: 2026-04-13