State of Maryland

A Family Support Worker Trainee is the entry level of work providing in-home support services that enable individuals to maintain their independence and well-being, assist in preserving the family structure, promote a functional home environment and teach clients to make use of available community resources.   Employees in this classification function as a members of treatment or service teams and visit clients’ homes to identify needs and provide in-home assistance in activities associated with daily living, personal care, care giving or parenting.  Employees in this classification do not supervise other positions.

Employees in this classification receive close supervision from a Family Services Caseworker, a Social Worker, a Registered Nurse or other professional.  The work requires travel to visit private residences and community based services.  The work may involve the lifting of heavy objects such as groceries, furniture, wheel chairs and clients with disabilities.

Positions in this classification are evaluated by using the classification job evaluation methodology.  The use of this method involves comparing the assigned duties and responsibilities of a position to the job criteria found in the Nature of Work and Examples of Work sections of the class specification.

The Family Support Worker Trainee, Family Support Worker I and Family Support Worker II are differentiated on the basis of the degree of supervisory control exercised by the supervisor over these employees.  The Family Support Worker Trainee learns to perform duties under close supervision.  The Family Support Worker I performs duties under close supervision at times and under general supervision at other times depending on the complexity of the specific duty being performed.  The Family Support Worker II performs the full range of duties and responsibilities under general supervision.

Learns to provide in-home support services that enable individuals to maintain their independence and well being, assist in preserving the family structure, promote a functional home environment and teach clients to make use of available community resources;

Learns to visit clients’ homes to identify needs and provide in-home assistance for clients through teaching and demonstrating practical living skills including, but not limited to, meal planning, household maintenance, laundry, shopping, positive parenting and caring for dependents, conflict resolution, interpersonal relationship skills, job readiness, locating and securing housing, and household budgeting;

Learns to assess clients’ personal and living conditions in conjunction with the treatment or service plan goals to determine the need for specific behavioral changes;

Learns to develop positive relationships with clients in order to gain their acceptance of the In-Home Care Plan and contributes to the client’s physical and emotional health;

Learns to encourage clients to participate in and make use of community resources and services such as child and adult support groups, food pantries, neighborhood services centers and child or adult day care;

Learns to observe behavior of children and adults, records pertinent observations, maintains records of their behaviors and makes recommendations to the services team for possible plan modifications;

Learns to prepare reports for the health care professional, case manager or supervisor on the clients’ physical condition, social and physical environment and services provided in order to assist the in-home care team in developing, monitoring and modifying the clients’ In-Home Care Plan;

Participates in team meetings with the case manager, health care professionals and other persons responsible for developing or modifying the In-Home Care Plans for clients;

Transports and assists clients in obtaining transportation to medical appointments and community centers;

May learn to present Parenting or Job Readiness subject matter to clients in structured training sessions and conduct in-home follow-up;

May learn to assist clients with personal care such as giving baths, shampoos, dressing, feeding or using a bedpan;

May provide temporary care of children or adults in the absence of the caregiver;

May learn to oversee court ordered family visits, testify in court or prepare a client for a court appearance;

Performs other related duties.

Knowledge of basic arithmetic;

Ability to learn the social, physical and psychological needs of infants, children, adolescents and adults;

Ability to learn behavioral and social science theories associated with behavior modification, depression, chemical dependency, abuse and neglect, suicide and the aging process;

Ability to learn signs indicating child or adult abuse or neglect;

Ability to learn child care and appropriate disciplinary techniques;

Ability to learn home management that includes housekeeping and meal preparation;

Ability to learn techniques used in teaching self-help skills and the application of goal planning principles;

Ability to learn to recognize stressors that interfere with family stability or cohesiveness;

Ability to learn to observe and document client behavior;

Ability to learn to initiate, develop and maintain emotionally supportive relationships with clients and family members who have physical, social, emotional or interpersonal problems;

Ability to learn to teach and demonstrate care giving, home management and problem solving skills;

Ability to learn to participate in case discussions and assist in developing and modifying service plans or agreements;

Ability to learn to intervene or manage behavioral crises or stressful situations;

Ability to learn to identify and teach others to use community resources;

Ability to read and understand laws, regulations and guidelines regarding abuse and neglect;

Ability to read and understand roadmaps or other travel directions;

Ability to communicate effectively with clients, social workers, health professionals and other interested persons;

Ability to work as a team member;

Ability to use discretion to maintain confidentiality of client information.

Education:   Graduation from an accredited high school or possession of a high school equivalency certificate.

Experience: None.

Note: Candidates may substitute experience providing support services to children or adults through care giving or teaching and demonstrating practical living skills in order to promote and maintain independent living or assist in preserving the family structure, on a year-for-year basis, for the required education.

1. Employees in this classification may be assigned duties that require the operation of a motor vehicle. Employees assigned such duties will be required to possess a motor vehicle operator’s license valid in the State of Maryland.

2. Some positions in this classification may be assigned duties that require the employees to acquire and maintain a license as a Certified Nursing Assistant or a Geriatric Nursing Assistant from the Maryland Board of Nursing at 4201 Patterson Avenue Baltimore, Maryland 21215.  Information may be obtained at www.mbon.org/main.php. Obtaining this license within a specified time may be a condition of appointment or probation for these types of positions.

1. Employees in this classification who work with families with dependent children must successfully complete an approved entry-level training program before permanent appointment to positions.

2. Employees in this classification may be required to have access to and use their personal automobile in order to transport clients. Verification of appropriate vehicle insurance, which shall include coverage for transporting clients, must be provided to the department prior to the performance of transport duties. Standard mileage allowance will be paid for the use of a privately owned vehicle.

Class specifications are broad descriptions covering groups of positions used by various State departments and agencies. Position descriptions maintained by the using department or agency specifically address the essential job functions of each position.

This is a Skilled Service classification in the State Personnel Management System.  All positions in this classification are Skilled Service positions.  Some positions in Skilled Service classifications may be designated Special Appointment in accordance with the State Personnel and Pensions Article, Section 6-405, Annotated Code of Maryland.

This classification is assigned to Bargaining Unit D, Health and Human Service Nonprofessionals classes.  As provided by State Personnel and Pensions Article, Section 3-102, special appointment, temporary, contractual, supervisory, managerial and confidential employees are excluded from collective bargaining.  Additionally, certain executive branch agencies are exempt from collective bargaining and all positions in those agencies are excluded from collective bargaining.

Employees in this classification are eligible to receive overtime compensation.  An employee who works more than the normal workweek is entitled to be compensated for that overtime as provided by State Personnel and Pensions Article, Section 8-305.

This classification is one level in a Non-Competitive Promotion (NCP) series.  NCP promotions are promotions by which employees may advance in grade and class level from trainee to full performance levels in a classification series.  In order to be non-competitively promoted to the next level in a NCP series an employee must: 1) perform the main purpose of the class as defined in the Nature of Work section of the class specification; 2) receive the type of supervision defined in the class specification, and 3) meet the minimum qualifications of the classification.