Specialist - Direct Support Services

Job Description

Job Description

A positive future for every child

Southwest Human Development is Arizona’s largest nonprofit dedicated to early childhood development. The first five years of life are the most critical in a child’s development. At Southwest Human Development, our services improve lives and help families by supporting young children and their caregivers during this important time.

Your skills, experience, and passion are needed at one of the nation’s largest nonprofits dedicated to early childhood development. Join our team and experience a long-term career which brings joy and satisfaction in knowing you make a difference. We offer over 40 programs and services to more than 140,000 children.

Why choose us?

• Make an impact in a child’s life by promoting child health and development.
• Be rewarded with a rich benefits package, including medical, dental, vision, and wellness plans, 401(k) matching every paycheck, and generous paid time off.
• Opportunities for continued professional growth and development.
• Supportive and collaborative work environment.

Job title: Family Support Specialist-Direct Support Services

Join our Direct Support Services team as a Family Support Specialist (FSS) and help families thrive! In this role, you’ll provide hands-on support through weekly home visits, focusing on parenting skills, family stability, and positive behavioral health outcomes for children. You’ll partner with behavioral health homes and Child and Family Teams (CFT) to deliver coaching, parent education, and case management. Your responsibilities include completing intakes, assessments, and individualized treatment plans, as well as connecting families to essential community resources. This is a collaborative, impactful position where compassion meets action to create brighter futures.

In this role you will:

• Conduct weekly home visits to strengthen parenting skills, enhance family stability, and improve children’s behavioral health outcomes.
• Provide coaching, parenting education, training, and case management services.
• Complete intakes, administer assessments, and develop individualized treatment plans.
• Connect families to community-based resources through referrals.
• Collaborate closely with the family’s behavioral health home and Child and Family Team (CFT).

What it takes:

• Bachelor’s degree in behavioral health sciences or a related field (required).
• 1+ year of experience in behavioral health, social work, or case management.
• Strong interpersonal and communication skills to build trust and rapport.
• Exceptional organizational skills for managing multiple priorities.
• Ability to confidently navigate Electronic Health Record (EHR) systems.
• Behavioral Health Technician (BHT) credential is a plus.
• Bilingual (English/Spanish) preferred for broader family support.
• Home visiting experience highly valued.
• Skilled in facilitating parent education and training in a group or 1:1.
• Experience writing Individualized Treatment Plans (ITPs).
• Must have an insured, reliable vehicle and a valid AZ driver’s license.
• Valid Arizona Fingerprint Clearance Card or eligibility for Level One clearance.
• Completion of DES Criminal Affidavit, AZ DHS Criminal History Affidavit, and FPC DPS Verification required.

SWHD takes the health and safety of our employees and the communities we serve very seriously. We strongly believe vaccination is a critical safety measure to protect each of us and the communities we serve. COVID vaccinations have proven to be highly effective at protecting people from getting COVID-19 or from getting severely ill from it.

Learn more!

Our core values embody Southwest Human Development’s commitment to services that uplift the lives of children, families and other care providers, and the communities in which they live. These values are intended to guide the professional development, ethical conduct, and skilled practice of all our staff, whatever their specific role within the agency. All staff are valued as making essential contributions to strengthening the foundation that Arizona’s children need for a great start in life. Learn more about our values and benefits here.