Lead Family Support Specialist

ORGANIZATIONAL OVERVIEW

Nashville Children’s Alliance (NCA) is the child advocacy center for Nashville and Davidson County. NCA serves children and their non-offending caregivers following allegations of sexual or severe physical abuse, providing a child-focused, trauma-informed environment and services at no cost to families. Since 1992, NCA has helped children feel safe, begin healing, and look toward brighter futures.

NCA’s mission is to provide healing and justice for children who have been abused or exposed to violence. Located at Nashville’s Family Safety Center, NCA collaborates with law enforcement, the Department of Children’s Services, the District Attorney General’s Office, and community partners to provide forensic interviews, family advocacy, multidisciplinary coordination, and trauma therapy.

OBJECTIVES

The Lead Family Support Specialist provides direct advocacy and crisis support to non-offending caregivers while leading and supporting a team of Family Support Specialists. Reporting to the Director of Forensic and Family Services, this position ensures consistent, compassionate, trauma-informed family services; coordinates coverage and emergency forensic interview support; oversees accurate documentation and reporting; and strengthens community partnerships and resources for families.

TEAM SUPERVISION

• Provide direct supervision, regular individual and team supervision meetings, coaching, and day-to-day guidance to the Family Support Specialists.
• Monitor workloads, case follow-up, service quality, and adherence to agency protocols; identify training and professional development needs.
• Provide direct coverage for Family Support Specialists during absences, vacancies, or periods of increased service demand.
• Support team communication, problem-solving, and a respectful, trauma-informed work environment; elevate concerns to the Director of Forensic and Family Services as appropriate.
  
  

FAMILY ADVOCACY & CRISIS RESPONSE

• Meet with non-offending caregivers during children’s forensic interviews; explain NCA services and review caregiver information packets.
• Provide crisis intervention, emotional support, de-escalation, and safety planning for caregivers and families; assist team members with complex or heightened crises.
• Assess family needs, connect caregivers to practical assistance and community resources, and assist with Victims Compensation applications when appropriate.
• Coordinate therapy referrals and clinical waitlist processes as assigned; provide ongoing caregiver support throughout the investigative and healing process.

FORENSIC INTERVIEW COORDINATION & TEAM COVERAGE

• Coordinate Family Support Specialist assignments and coverage for emergency forensic interviews, communicating promptly with forensic interview staff and leadership.
• Ensure a Family Support Specialist is available to support caregivers during scheduled and emergency forensic interviews whenever operationally feasible.
• Respond to urgent scheduling and coverage changes while maintaining continuity of services for families.
  
  

RESOURCES, PARTNERSHIPS & COLLABORATION

• Maintain ownership of the family support resource network, including accurate resource information, referral pathways, and relationships with community partners.
• Develop and sustain partnerships that improve access to safety, basic needs, therapeutic services, and other family supports.
• Communicate with multidisciplinary professionals and attend Child Protective Investigative Team case reviews as appropriate to share relevant family progress and safety concerns.
  
  

DATA MANAGEMENT, GRANT REPORTING & COMPLIANCE

• Oversee timely, complete, accurate, and confidential documentation of family support referrals, follow-up, and case activity in agency tracking systems.
• Review the team’s records and reporting for completeness, accuracy, and compliance with agency procedures and applicable grant requirements.
• Prepare and contribute to grant reports, program statistics, outcomes, and other reports requested by leadership; resolve data gaps with team members.
• Track family support cases through closure and ensure required follow-up is completed.
  
  

QUALITY IMPROVEMENT & STRATEGIC SUPPORT

• Identify service gaps, workflow challenges, and opportunities to improve family experience and team effectiveness.
• Promote equitable, culturally responsive, trauma-informed services and model NCA’s core values.
• Assist the Director of Forensic and Family Services with program improvements, staff onboarding, and other duties as necessary.
  
  

REQUIRED QUALIFICATIONS

• Bachelor’s degree in social work, psychology, criminal justice, child development, or a related field.
• At least two years of experience working with children and families, preferably in child advocacy, victim services, or a related field.
• Demonstrated knowledge of child abuse and neglect, child development, crisis intervention, and trauma-informed care.
• Strong communication, organization, de-escalation, supervision, and relationship-building skills.
• Ability to maintain strict confidentiality, manage sensitive case data, and ensure accurate reporting.
  
  

PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS

• Experience supervising, mentoring, or coordinating the work of a family advocacy or victim services team.
• Experience with grant reporting, tracking systems, and multidisciplinary partnerships.
• Spanish-speaking or other bilingual abilities reflective of the community served.
  
  

POSITION INFORMATION

Position Title: Lead Family Support Specialist

Supervisor: Director of Forensic and Family Services

Location: Nashville Children’s Alliance, Nashville, Tennessee

Employment classification:  Exempt Full-Time Employee

INCLUDED BENEFITS

Nashville Children’s Alliance offers paid time off and recognizes 20 holidays throughout the year. NCA provides insurance options including medical, vision, dental, and life. Staff members receive 1.5 hours of wellness time each week, and NCA’s facility includes a gym available to employees at no cost.

Nashville Children’s Alliance is committed to equal employment opportunity and does not discriminate in recruitment, selection, or placement of employees on the basis of protected characteristics.

HOW TO APPLY:

Please send your resume and a cover letter to Dawn Harper at dawn.harper@nashvillechildrensalliance.org with the subject line “Lead Family Support Specialist”.