Family Support Counselor jobs in Grand Rapids, MI

Organization Description:  

Family Futures’ mission is to shape a community in which all children are supported to reach their full potential. Our geographic focus is primarily Kent County with some services extending into other communities. We help children ages 0 through 5 by supporting parents, providing connections to resources and programs, and offering ways to monitor and enhance early childhood development. We believe in supporting our employees to be successful as well. Family Futures offers a strength-based, learning-driven, quality improvement-based culture that celebrates equity and diversity and an opportunity to grow while making an impact in your community. Family Futures values a diverse workplace and strongly encourages individuals with diverse backgrounds and lived experiences to apply.    

Job Overview:  

The Child Support Navigator advocates for and with families by welcoming them to engage in case management and referral coordination, with the Friend of the Court. This will include providing appropriate community and support resources based on each family’s individual needs, being culturally responsive to the population served. The Child Support Navigator will be responsible for recording and documenting information across secure provider databases. This position will join our team of Navigators in a specialized role, focusing on guiding families through the child support system across Kent County through Friend of the Court. Our Navigation team guides families forward by identifying the barriers parents face, developing strategies to address any barriers, and recognizing patterns of need for resources. The Child Support Navigator position is new to Family Futures as a part of a pilot project with Friend of the Court. As this is a pilot project, the funding is temporary and will last at least a year long going through June 2025 with the goal of continuing in the future. As contract details are finalized, this position description may be updated to reflect the final contract. This position will start with job specific training led by both Friend of the Court and Family Futures which will go through June 2024. In July 2024, the pilot officially starts.  

Adaptability is important for this position, as is taking initiative with daily tasks. Because you’ll be active in the community, there may be times when the use of a personal vehicle and lifting of boxes (roughly 25 lbs.) may be required, as well as meetings outside of regular work hours. In addition, Family Futures requires all staff to comply with a COVID-19 vaccine mandate.  

Roles and Responsibilities:  

• Complete intake assessments with newly enrolled families  
• Provide case management to families   
• Refer families to community resources and programs  
• Communicate with families via phone, text, email, and in person  
• Coordinate services with staff at Friend of the Court 
• Research programs and services that meet the needs of families serviced  
• Advocate for families by participating in workgroups and community meetings  
• Attend relevant trainings 
• Document all case-related information   
• Complete additional relevant duties as assigned 

Education and Experience:  

The candidate must have a bachelor’s degree in Social Work, Psychology or a related human service field with a minimum of 2 years working with families or equivalent experience. The ideal candidate will also have familiarity working within the child support system and/or lived experience navigating child support services.  

Required Skills:  

• Fluency in English  
• Organized and detail-oriented   
• Must be able to manage multiple projects at one time  
• Written and verbal communication skills  
• Microsoft Office Suite, specifically Excel 
• Adaptable and a self-starter  
• Culturally competent and knowledgeable when working with diverse populations  
• Flexible schedule to meet the needs of families  
• Comfortable working in fast paced environments  
• Data entry and/or database usage 
• Ability to learn the child support landscape and terminology 

Preferred Skills:  

• Fluency in Spanish  
• Community resource knowledge  

The job description is intended to provide the employee with a general, broad understanding of the job’s responsibilities, and not necessarily to specify all activities and responsibilities.