Job Title: Family Support Worker

Employer: SER Family Support Network CLG

Position: Sessional Family Support Worker

Hours: 28 hours per month

Location: Southeast

Principal Duties & Responsibilities

• Build supportive and respectful relationships with family members.
• Encourage families to focus on their own wellness.
• Assist family members to identify their needs strengths, personal interests, and goals.
• Facilitate family members to learn new ways of communicating and problem solving.
• Provide relevant and reliable information on a wide range of substance related issues relevant to the family member’s needs.
• Introduce family members to the peer family support group in their area.
• Help set up new peer family support groups where the need is identified
• Signpost families to appropriate local support and information services in the community.
• Deliver the evidence-based Stress Strain Coping Support, 5-step practice model on a one to one bases.
• Facilitate group learning and activity-based programmes with family members.
• Assist in promoting the availability of peer family support in the community
• Liaise and co-operate with colleagues and wider Community Health/support services.
• Participate in regular supervision sessions and work with Supervisor on ensuring that they are working effectively, and family members progress is relevant to their individual needs.
• Participate in relevant training and development courses as necessary
• Identify and complete relevant funding applications
• To undertake any other duties as may be reasonably assigned by the coordinator

Eligibility Criteria

Qualifications and/ or experience

• Be familiar with and have experience of community development as applied to working with families affected by a relative’s problem substance use.
• Experience of working with family members using therapeutic interventions, such as 5-Step Method, Smart Recovery etc.
• Have up-to-date knowledge of local, regional & national services in relation to the needs of family members, peer family support groups, & drug issues in Ireland.
• Be able to contribute to team, review meetings as required and contribute to the annual review of the service.
• Experience of working (paid or voluntary) with individuals or families affected by problem substance use of a relative.
• Each candidate for and any person holding the office must uphold the values of community development, recovery and the Core Values of the SERFSN .

Essential requirements:

• Possess a third level qualification in a relevant area of study (e.g. Community Development, Health Promotion, Social Care, Addiction Studies, Youth & Community Work, etc.)
• Have experience of delivery of training programmes.
• Must be highly motivated with excellent organisational skills and can work on own initiative or as part of a team.
• Ability to display flexibility in the role
• Willingness to develop professional skills as identified through supervision and performance review meetings
• Full driver’s licence.

Skills, competencies and/or knowledge required:

• Demonstrate depth and breadth of experience working with individuals/families affected by problem substance use of a relative as relevant to the role.
• Demonstrate experience in the implementation of self-care frameworks and approaches in the context of whole family health recovery, as relevant to the role.
• Demonstrate knowledge of the National, the SERDATF & the HSE’s drug & Alcohol policies & strategies.
• Demonstrate knowledge of family recovery as a process and how to use their own recovery narrative to support others.
• Demonstrate knowledge and understanding of the importance of self-care and associated techniques, from a recovery perspective.
• Demonstrate knowledge and experience of co-facilitating a variety of group activities that support and strengthen Family recovery.
• Demonstrate working knowledge of Information Technology, i.e., Microsoft Office (Word / PowerPoint) Google Docs, Social media platforms

Planning & Organising Skills

• Demonstrate organisational and time management skills to meet objectives within agreed timeframes and achieve quality results
• Demonstrate the ability to work to tight deadlines and operate effectively with multiple competing priorities.

Evaluating Information and Decision Making

• Demonstrate the ability to assess complex information from a variety of sources and make effective decisions.
• Demonstrate effective problem solving and decision-making skills.

Leadership & Teamwork

• Demonstrate teamwork skills including the ability to work with a broad range of professionals and agencies.
• Demonstrate a capacity to operate successfully in a challenging operational environment while adhering to quality standards.
• Demonstrate motivation and an innovative approach to the job within a changing working environment.
• Demonstrate the ability to co-facilitate groups.
• Demonstrate the ability to be flexible and adapt to change.
• Demonstrate ability to work as a lone worker, in a range of settings and as appropriate.

Commitment to Providing a Quality Service

• Demonstrate a person-centred focus when supporting family members.
• Demonstrate a core belief in and passion for the sustainable delivery of high-quality user focused and family friendly services.
• Demonstrate a commitment to recovery focused community development principles and practices.
• Demonstrate commitment to continuing learning and development.

Communication & Interpersonal Skills

• Demonstrate effective interpersonal skills.
• Demonstrate effective written and verbal communication skills, including the ability to present information in a clear and concise manner.
• Demonstrate the ability to interact in a professional manner with key stakeholders.

Applications to info@serfsn.org