Family Support Specialist DESE and AWC

Inclusive. Innovative. Open-Hearted.

We are Care Champions. A team of adaptable, collaborative, diverse, mission-driven individuals with a passion for purposeful innovation and service excellence. Our community commits itself to being inclusive and welcoming as we put the whole person at the center of everything we do.

The Family Support Specialist oversees implementation and program design of the Healthy Balance program and also works as a navigator in our self-directed programs. This includes DESE residential prevention program and Agency With Choice.

• Provide service navigation for DESE/DDS consumers, including development and management of individual budgets and ongoing regular communication with family on program implementation.
• Manage and maintain communication with the family to provide support, assess progress of the student, and assist with problem resolution and crisis management as needed.
• Assist the family with service planning and the development of the DESE/DDS Support Plan (DDSP) and the annual individual budget for services to meet the support needs of the student.
• Inform families about their responsibilities for participation in the DESE/DDS Program.
• Maintain regular communication and work collaboratively with DDS staff to provide updates and to engage in joint problem solving about issues/difficulties with the student’s service plan and budget.
• Maintain accurate and current records for all students in the program.
• Complete all reports and other documentation as required by the Program, including the student’s annual budget, budget amendments, mid-year reviews, year-end reports, and any prior approvals as required for specific goods and services.
• Monitor Skills Training hours.
• Coordinate/provide contacts with therapists (ST, OT, PT).

• Serve as the primary liaison between the individual/family and the Service Coordinator/Area Offices in the planning, delivery, and monitoring of AWC services.
• Assist the family/individual and the individual’s support team to establish a vision for services and develop a plan for these services with a corresponding budget that is approved by the area office.
• Provide support in planning for the ISP. This includes but is not limited to facilitating and supporting the development and writing of requested assessments to establish goals and objectives and attend ISP meetings.
• Play a central role in the development of a written agreement with the individual/family that outlines roles, responsibilities, and expectations between family/individual and the AWC provider.
• Support the individual and family in all activities related to the employment process.
• Assist in the planning and implementation of Flexible funding through completion of expenditure plans, prior approval requests, obtaining receipts and back-up documentation, and compliance with other identified procedures and requirements.
• Maintain ongoing communication with the individual and family to review how services are going and be available and responsive to address concerns and problems identified by the family and individual as it relates to the services they are receiving.
• Be a community connector by helping identify and facilitate linkages to a broad array of local, generic community resources and organizations that may be helpful to the individual/family to address their needs.
• Be available to provide support and help arrange assistance in times of emergencies/crisis.

• Responsible for developing and updating program curriculum that aligns with the New Balance Foundation Grant and promotes overall wellness in program participants.
• Implement program curriculum by facilitating regularly scheduled programming throughout the school year.
• Responsible for collaborating with current program partners (Lawrence High school, Merrimack College, and New Balance Foundation) and conducting outreach to increase overall program participation and create new collaboration opportunities.
• Responsible for completing all required documentation that includes but is not limited to weekly attendance and progress notes/data.
• All…