What is a family support specialist and how to become one

Updated January 8, 2025

4 min read

Quoted Experts

Virginia Schwindt,

Dr. T. Thao Pham Ph.D.

A family support specialist is an individual who provides assistance and resources to families who are struggling with various challenges. They help families cope with issues such as financial struggles, substance abuse, mental health concerns, and parenting difficulties. Family support specialists work with families to develop individualized plans to address their needs and connect them with community resources. They also provide emotional support and guidance to help families navigate difficult situations. Overall, they work to strengthen families and improve their overall well-being.

What general advice would you give to a Family Support Specialist?

Virginia Schwindt

MSW Field Director/Associate Professor, Union University

Take the licensing test as soon as you are able to, and be open to where you work. It is great to want a specific population or employer, but being open to other experiences may be where God wants you to be. Don't limit yourself because, as a social worker, you can do so many different things.

ScoreFamily Support SpecialistUS Average

Salary

2.9

Avg. Salary $37,343

Avg. Salary $59,228

Stability Level

10.0

Growth Rate 9%

Growth Rate 0.3%

Diversity

9.3

Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 1.51%

Asian 2.67%

Black or African American 13.37%

Hispanic or Latino 15.12%

Unknown 4.19%

White 63.14%

Gender

female 86.02%

male 13.98%

Age - 42

Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 3.00%

Asian 7.00%

Black or African American 14.00%

Hispanic or Latino 19.00%

White 57.00%

Gender

female 47.00%

male 53.00%

Age - 42

Stress Level

10.0

Stress level is very high

7.1 - high

Complexity Level

8.5

Complexity Level is advanced

7 - challenging

Work Life Balance

6.2

Work Life balance is fair

6.4 - fair

What are the pros and cons of being a Family Support Specialist?

Pros

Opportunity to make a difference in the lives of families
Rewarding work helping families overcome challenges
Chance for personal and professional growth
Flexibility in scheduling and work location
Competitive salary and benefits

Cons

High levels of stress due to working with families in crisis
Emotional toll of witnessing difficult family situations
Challenging communication with families from diverse backgrounds
Limited resources for families in need of support
High levels of paperwork and documentation required

Key steps to become a family support specialist

Explore family support specialist education requirements

Most common family support specialist degrees

Bachelor's

63.9 %

Associate

16.9 %

Master's

12.6 %

Start to develop specific family support specialist skills

Skills	Percentages
Social Work	23.22%
Child Abuse	9.33%
Patients	6.89%
Child Development	4.18%
Crisis Intervention	3.91%

Complete relevant family support specialist training and internships

Accountants spend an average of Less than 1 month on post-employment, on-the-job training. New family support specialists learn the skills and techniques required for their job and employer during this time. The chart below shows how long it takes to gain competency as a family support specialist based on U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data and data from real family support specialist resumes.

Research family support specialist duties and responsibilities

Manage RSP curriculum for wide spectrum of needs including LD and autism.
Help children/youth in state custody achieve permanency whether through reintegration, adoption or custodianship.
Provide first aid or CPR.
Provide intensive services to families that are DHS who are determine to be reunify with their families.

Prepare your family support specialist resume

When your background is strong enough, you can start writing your family support specialist resume.

You can use Zippia's AI resume builder to make the resume writing process easier while also making sure that you include key information that hiring managers expect to see on a family support specialist resume. You'll find resume tips and examples of skills, responsibilities, and summaries, all provided by Zippi, your career sidekick.

Choose From 10+ Customizable Family Support Specialist Resume templates

Build a professional Family Support Specialist resume in minutes. Browse through our resume examples to identify the best way to word your resume. Then choose from 10+ resume templates to create your Family Support Specialist resume.

Apply for family support specialist jobs

Now it's time to start searching for a family support specialist job. Consider the tips below for a successful job search:

Browse job boards for relevant postings
Consult your professional network
Reach out to companies you're interested in working for directly
Watch out for job scams

How do family support specialists rate their job?

-/5

5 Stars

4 Stars

3 Stars

2 Stars

1 Star

Family Support Specialist reviews

A zippia user wrote a review on Jan 2024

Pros

purpose, options 4 exponential learning

Cons

can be easy to get burnt out, pay is ok

A zippia user wrote a review on Jan 2024

Pros

The children are always worth it.

Cons

Stressful, dangerous neighborhoods, sometimes parents are dangerous as well. Work life balance isn't good. Documentation is very time consuming and you will bring that home to finish. If your agency requires that you do your app recorded time sheets then that will prove ardously time consuming constaint that cuts right into your work/home life balance...it's terrible. Wear and tear on your car, no shows from parents upsetting children and paid mileage is horrible. Get ready to barely have a life.

A zippia user wrote a review on Aug 2022

Pros

Helping others

Cons

Getting approval and watching families go through their proceed with difficulties

What is a family support specialist and how to become one

What general advice would you give to a Family Support Specialist?

What are the pros and cons of being a Family Support Specialist?

Family Support Specialist career paths

Key steps to become a family support specialist

Explore family support specialist education requirements

Most common family support specialist degrees

Start to develop specific family support specialist skills

Complete relevant family support specialist training and internships

Research family support specialist duties and responsibilities

Prepare your family support specialist resume

Choose From 10+ Customizable Family Support Specialist Resume templates

Apply for family support specialist jobs

How Did You Land Your First Family Support Specialist Job

Average family support specialist salary

How do family support specialists rate their job?

Family Support Specialist reviews

Family Support Specialist jobs by state