Me Parent Support Specialist

Program Description

Parenting is incredibly tough, many moms and dads have questions and don’t know where to turn. United Way of Utah County brought Help Me Grow Utah to our state in an effort to support families and connect them to the information and resources they want. We do this by:

• Offering developmental screening tools to assist parents in tracking early milestones
• Linking families to information and community resources related to child development and parenting
• Providing personalized virtual support
• Creating and facilitating partnerships within the community to improve the availability and quality of services for families
• Being trained on the Sparkler App dashboard with the purpose of corresponding with parents, reviewing screenings, and encouraging engagement

The Parent Support Specialist contributes to the goals of Help Me Grow Utah by addressing family strengths and concerns, referring families to existing community and informational resources related to child development, and problem solving to find alternative solutions as needed. They demonstrate knowledge and experience in family support services, including the ability to interpret developmental screenings and show empathy toward a variety of family situations.

They communicate with families, manage family records, conduct follow‑up, and participate in other activities related to Help Me Grow Utah and United Way of Utah County.

• Primary focus will be to support families enrolled in HMGU using the Sparkler app by corresponding with them, sending screening results, and encouraging engagement in the Sparkler app.
• Being trained on the Sparkler App dashboard with the purpose of corresponding with parents, reviewing screenings, and encouraging engagement.
• Enroll families from across the state in the program through our over‑the‑phone intake process, including verifying demographic and contact information and most importantly listening to the family and identifying ways HMGU can support their current needs.
• Respond to calls, texts, and emails from parents, service providers and health care providers who are in need of information and/or referrals to community resources for pregnant parents and families with children ages 0‑8 years old.
• Score screening tools completed by parents, including the Ages and Stages Questionnaires, Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale, Modified Checklist for Autism in Children and give results to parents.
• Address parents' concerns about their child and recognize their current strengths.
• Identify appropriate referrals and services that may benefit a family; communicate referrals to parents or appropriate agencies.
• Follow‑up with families via the Sparkler app, as well as phone, text, mail and/or email when requested.
• Provide support on projects as needed, such as researching community resources, data collection, reporting, Sparkler data, Sparkler family survey, etc.
• Participate in other activities related to Help Me Grow Utah and United Way of Utah County.

• Minimum of Associate's Degree required, Bachelor's Degree preferred.
• Bilingual in Spanish and English highly preferred.
• Experience in child development, parenting, early childhood education, behavioral science, social service, social work, or related field.
• Work experience involving parents or young children with or without special needs.
• Valid Utah Driver's License and access to personal vehicle for use during working hours (mileage reimbursable).
• Proficient in Microsoft Office Suite with ability to learn new software applications.
• Proper telephone etiquette, including active listening and assessment skills.
• Ability to provide excellent customer service verbally over the phone as well as through written communication (i.e. through email and text).
• Ability to manage many details and various bits of information at the same time.
• Ability to make decisions independently as well as part of a team.

This is a full‑time position based at our office in Provo, UT. Initial training schedule will be Monday – Thursday 8:30 am – 6:00 pm with a 30‑minute lunch and Friday 1:00 pm – 5:00 pm. The initial training period lasts approximately 3 months. After successful completion of training, the schedule will change to Monday‑Thursday 11:00 am – 8:30 pm with a 30‑minute lunch and Saturday 10:00 am – 2:00 pm.

The Parent Support Specialist reports to the Help Me Grow Parent Support Team Manager.

In the course of performing this job, the incumbent typically spends time sitting, walking, listening/speaking, writing, and operating a personal computer. At times, the employee may be required to drive an automobile to attend meetings within the community. They are expected to lift and carry office records and supplies up to 15 lbs. on an occasional basis. Reasonable accommodation may be arranged to enable individuals with disabilities to perform essential duties of the job.