Family Service Specialist Job Description for Resume

Updated on: February 8, 2021
Family Service Specialist Job Description

The well-being of families is one of the essential things in the world. Governments and private organizations work equally hard to assist families in ensuring this well-being.

In general, government programs are responsible for maximizing family welfare and the academic functioning of children. This is where family service specialists come in.

Falling under the broader category of child, family, and school social workers, family service specialists arrange adoptions, find foster homes for abandoned children arrange for counseling for abused children and young adults.

In school environments, they address issues such as teenage pregnancies, truancy, and misbehavior.

Often, they work with teachers and parents to devise and implement plans to bring children to the desired level of physical and emotional comfort.

Working as a family service specialist is a challenging job. One needs to deal with a massive amount of emotional ups and downs with families and only people who are very stable themselves can successfully carry out their work effectively.

Many times, family service specialists also assist family members in obtaining disability benefits by providing them with advice and directing them towards the correct avenues. Their roles differ while working in different environments and may overlap with those working in other social work circles.

Typically, these are some of the duties that family service specialists perform:

Sample Job Duties for Family Service Specialist Resume

  • Interview applicants (family members) to gather information regarding eligibility for public assistance.
  • Respond to inquiries regarding specific family assistance programs and their eligibility.
  • Review, evaluate and verify the accuracy of data derived from applicants.
  • Refer families to particular assistance programs after determining eligibility and type of assistance needed.
  • Counsel families as a whole and individual members, including children regarding issues such as mental health, poverty, unemployment, and social adjustment.
  • Provide support to family members with a history of substance abuse by suggesting rehabilitation avenues and medical care.
  • Interview individual family members to decipher a “collective” problem such as ignorant child care, and provide counseling to assist them.
  • Create and maintain active liaisons between students, homes, schools, family services, clinics, and protective services.
  • Develop, review and implement service and support plans and perform follow up activities to ensure their efficacy.
  • Arrange for medical and psychiatric tests to disclose the causes of diseases and suggest remedial measures.
  • Refer clients to community services such as job placement, debt counseling, and financial assistance.
  • Counsel students with behavioral problems who indicate a need for support and attempt to diagnose the issues and arrange for required services.