Job Description

Family Liaison Services Specialist

*This role operates within a correctional facility environment and will require walking between buildings and yards and the ability to respond quickly in situations*

The Family Liaison Services Specialists goal is to alleviate anxiety during incarceration, promote family unity and reunification to increase the number of parole successes, reduce involvement in criminal behavior, reduce the rate of recidivism, and to enhance public safety. Family Liaison Services Specialists report to a Regional Director and the designated Community Resource Manager within each California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation institution.

MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS

• Two-year college degree or two cumulative years of documented experience demonstrating a work history in social services or related fields.

DESIRED CHARACTERISTICS:

• Bachelor's degree in a related field.
• Bilingual English/Spanish
• Work experience within a correctional facility, community connections or with similar population.

OBJECTIVES:

• Increase direct communication between incarcerated individuals and their families by providing counseling, facilitating phone contact, and encouraging letter writing.
• Increase the number of contacts between institutional staff and the families of incarcerated individuals through counseling and outreach efforts.
• Increase the number of visits between incarcerated individuals and their families by providing information on visiting guidelines and liaison services to the Visitor Center.
• Assist in locating relatives with whom an inmate has lost contact.
• Reduce anxiety regarding family problems through counseling and other referral services as needed.
• Facilitate or provide counseling, reentry, employment, or educational services for incarcerated individuals.
• Facilitate to provide liaison services between incarcerated individuals and their families and provide assistance to incarcerated individuals resolving family problems.
• Facilitate or provide counseling, legal services, food clothing, transportation, and lodging of incarcerated individuals in emergencies.

RESPONSIBILITES:

• Conduct face-to-face interviews with incarcerated individuals requesting services.
• Assist incarcerated individuals with increasing direct communication and number of visits between incarcerated individuals and their families.
• Assist in locating relatives with whom incarcerated individuals have lost contact.
• Facilitate or provide reentry counseling for incarcerated individuals.
• Facilitate or provide counseling, legal services, food, clothing, transportation, and lodging for families of incarcerated individuals during emergencies.
• Provide Parenting Skills and Conflict Resolution programming in a classroom setting.
• The Parenting Skills Workshops shall provide a minimum of 75 incarcerated individuals per institution per fiscal year. The Conflict Resolution Workshops shall be provided to a minimum of 75 incarcerated individuals per institution per fiscal year.
• Demonstrate excellent public speaking, social interaction, and training skills, as well as good judgement.
• Write monthly reports and submit copies to the institution’s CRM and FOPS/SH Contract Analyst
• Document all services units, area(s) of assistance, and assistance results.

OTHER REQUIREMENTS:

• Obtain and maintain a California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation security clearance.
• Physical capability to occasionally lift and carry containers and materials weighing up to 45 pounds using safe lifting techniques; walk up to one-half mile on institution grounds in varying weather conditions and low-light environments; respond quickly during emergencies, including moving to and from the ground unassisted as needed; and safely ascend and descend up to two flights of stairs without stopping.
• Maintain a California driver’s license and auto insurance.
• Fulfillment of TB test annually or as required.
• Communicate effectively, written and orally.
• Work effectively inside a secure correctional facility; observe all rules and regulations without exception.
• Work weekends, if necessary, to meet the needs of the program.
• Physical capacity to lift and carry containers and materials up to 20 pounds (Utilizing safe and accepted methods to avoid injury), walk .50 miles on institution grounds in inclement weather and in the dark, and move quickly, in case of emergency.
• Perform all other duties as instructed by the Executive Director