Family Support Training Specialist

The Education Secretariat is committed to equity and valuing the unique and diverse characteristics and experiences of every member of its workforce. We encourage an authentic workplace where colleagues show up as their full selves, where collaboration, innovation, and connections are key to realizing our mission that all children, youth, and families thrive socially, academically, and economically. We seek teammates who are committed to promoting a diverse and inclusive work environment, where everyone is valued and engaged. We encourage you to apply and identify your strengths in these areas.  

The Children’s Trust prevents child abuse and neglect by addressing root causes and strengthening the systems that support families — programs, policies, communities, and the workforce. As a public-private organization, the Children’s Trust is in a unique position to bring the day-to-day experiences of families and the family support workforce to life, ensuring policy is data-informed and grounded in the real experiences of families. The Children’s Trust works across sectors and communities to share learnings and resources, and to turn bold ideas into action so every family can thrive. Learn more at childrenstrustma.org.

Children's Trust is seeking a Family Support Training Specialist! This position will contribute to the development, delivery, and continuous improvement of training content for the family support workforce as part of the Children’s Trust Training Institute. This role leads curriculum development, facilitates training across multiple modalities, and provides content expertise and support to internal staff and contracted trainers.

The Family Support Training Specialist ensures that training content reflects best practices in family support and child abuse and neglect prevention and is responsive to the needs of the field. Training is delivered statewide and is offered through in-person, virtual, hybrid, conference-based, and learning management system platforms. 

The candidate will work a hybrid schedule, with a mix of remote, in the field, and in-office work at the Children’s Trust office in Boston.

Key Responsibilities:

Training Delivery and Facilitation

Facilitate training to support statewide child abuse and neglect prevention efforts in a variety of modalities (virtual, in-person, hybrid/asynchronous, and/or recorded) on various prevention and family support related topics. This includes becoming trained, as needed, to deliver model-specific content including, but not limited to, Strengthening Families and Facilitating Attuned Interactions (FAN)

Assess the diverse needs of learners, considering learning differences, and utilize varied methods of training instruction and delivery to accommodate, including delivering training in languages other than English, when possible

Stay current on the latest research on adult learning and training design and delivery and integrate these learnings to continually improve training modules

Create learning environments that encourage active participation and foster deep learner engagement

Curriculum Development & Resource Management  

Develop family-centered, relationship-focused, culturally relevant, and inclusive training modules, delivery methods and materials used to train the family support workforce

Lead the development of model neutral, broadly applicable competencies for family support staff and oversee the content, delivery, and organization of training content and materials based in these competencies

Develop training objectives, competencies, and measures

Tailor materials to ensure they are relevant, accessible, and effective by considering the needs of the audience, learning objectives, insights from program collaboration, current events, etc. 

Manage training materials, ensuring tools and technologies are up to date and prepared for each session

Systematically and regularly update curriculum and materials based on trends in the field, updated research, needs of the learners, etc.

Lead the development of resources and materials to support learners with integration of training into practice after training is complete, in collaboration with the Director of Training Content and other Training Institute staff, as applicable

Provide content expertise for staff and stakeholders by staying current on the latest research and trends in the fields of family support and child abuse prevention

Training Content Quality Assurance

Provide consultation and content guidance for internal staff and training consultants

Support training content evaluation and implement a variety of methods that evaluate the effectiveness of training

Provide in-person and virtual trainer support through initiatives such as train-the trainer, community training programs, and engagement with contracted trainers and Children’s Trust staff on training content

Assess Learner Understanding

Establish and implement assessments to measure training effectiveness, solicit learner feedback and gain insights into audience demand for additional training

Reflect on training and incorporate data/feedback from participants to add/improve future training sessions, facilitation skills, etc.

Analyze collected data, draw conclusions, present findings and provide recommendations for continuous improvement that may impact Training Institute objectives, measures and overall quality

Support agency wide training evaluation efforts

Collaborate with Stakeholders

Plan and collaborate with Program Teams to support program implementation through training

Gather feedback and information from internal staff and external partners to ensure training is responsive and connected to needs in the family support field

Share data/feedback from learners, information about training issues and/or training requirement changes to stakeholders to stay aligned, responsive and maintain ongoing program improvements and quality assurance

Support the process to transfer and monitor content/courses to a Learning Management System (LMS) and integrate data collected via LMS

Work closely with the Director of Training Content and the Director of Training Services to develop the annual Training Institute training calendar

Provide feedback to management staff to aid in expansion efforts and strategic goal planning

Provide insight into training issues and potential effects on program implementation to ensure all issues are considered in program, training and conference planning

Participate in the development and review of program-related policies and strategies as they relate to training content and delivery

Represent the Children's Trust on advisory councils and workgroups, as assigned

Partner with internal staff and external entities to gather information, feedback, and data to ensure training and conferences are responsive and connected to needs in the field

Develops and Facilitates Communities of Practice 

Lead the development and facilitation of role-specific networking opportunities for learners following their training for ongoing support with practice, reflection and implementation

Provides ongoing professional development skills refresher opportunities for learners

Observes, analyzes, and makes recommendations on learning implementation in the field

Performs other duties as assigned

 The successful candidate will have the following qualifications: 

Experience in family support practice

Experience delivering training to participants with a diverse range of experience and education

Knowledge of child abuse and neglect prevention and/or family support

Knowledge of adult learning principles

Ability to develop training curriculum and materials

Strengths-based mindset and approach to working with families

Ability to establish positive relationships with diverse stakeholders and staff

Ability to champion diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging

Strong oral and written communication skills

Ability to prepare and analyze charts, graphs, and tables.

Knowledge of the methods of general report writing.

Ability to understand, explain, apply and follow laws, rules, regulations, policies, procedures, specifications, standards, and guidelines

Strong attention to detail and multi-tasking skills

Ability to gather, analyze and determine the applicability of data, to draw conclusions and make appropriate recommendations.

Ability to maintain accurate records.

Professionalism

Customer service skills

 

Preferred Qualifications:

Bilingual in Spanish preferred 

Experience in early childhood development preferred  

Association for Infant Mental Health Endorsement preferred 

Learning Management System (LMS) and/or instructional design experience preferred  

LICENSE, CERTIFICATION AND/OR OTHER REQUIREMENTS

Possession of a current and valid Massachusetts Class 3 Motor Vehicle Operator’s license required

Travel may be required for this position.

Questions regarding this position or the application process please contact martine.laine@mass.gov

MINIMUM ENTRANCE REQUIREMENTS: Applicants must have at least (A) three years of full time, or equivalent part-time, professional, administrative or managerial experience in business administration, business management or public administration the major duties of which involved program management, program administration, program coordination, program planning and/or program analysis, or (B) any equivalent combination of the required experience and the substitutions below.

Substitutions:

I. A Bachelor's degree with a major in business administration, business management or public administration may be substituted for a maximum of two years of the-required experience.*

II. A Graduate degree with a major in business administration, business management or public administration may be substituted for the required experience.*

III. A Bachelor's or higher degree with a major other than in business administration, business management or public administration may be substituted for a maximum of one year of the required experience.*

*Education toward such a degree will be prorated on the basis of the proportion of the requirements actually completed.

Comprehensive Benefits

When you embark on a career with the Commonwealth, you are offered an outstanding suite of employee benefits that add to the overall value of your compensation package. We take pride in providing a work experience that supports you, your loved ones, and your future.

Want the specifics? Explore our Employee Benefits and Rewards!

An Equal Opportunity / Affirmative Action Employer.  Females, minorities, veterans, and persons with disabilities are strongly encouraged to apply.

The Commonwealth is an Equal Opportunity Employer and does not discriminate on the basis of race, religion, color, sex, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, age, disability, national origin, veteran status, or any other basis covered by appropriate law.  Research suggests that qualified women, Black, Indigenous, and Persons of Color (BIPOC) may self-select out of opportunities if they don't meet 100% of the job requirements.  We encourage individuals who believe they have the skills necessary to thrive to apply for this role.