Parent/Caregiver Peer Support

 20 HOURS- Mon-Fri 3p-7p

The Parent/Caregiver Peer Support acts as a role model for parents and caregivers in interacting with schools, mental/medical health professionals, community providers, agencies, and other formal/informal supports.

Flexible Support Services is a program to assist children and youth diagnosed with serious emotional disturbance (SED) and their families. Services are provided within the scope of the wraparound model, which includes fmaily-driven services, formal and natural supports, and professionals in a team approach.

The Parent/Caregiver Peer Support helps to provide support and advocacy to parents and caregivers to ensure the family's voice is heard throughout the treatment/wraparound process.

• Lived experience as a Parent/Caregiver of a youth/TAY/YA with significant social, emotional, behavioral health, medical or trauma-related needs; and is also experienced in navigating child and family-serving systems (especially the DMH system of care); 3-5 years experience preferred.

BAMSI is a private, non-profit culturally diverse human services organization providing services to adults and children with developmental disabilities, mental illness, behavioral health, and public health needs. We at BAMSI believe that those we serve are capable of amazing things and deserve our best.  We support them in their journeys and celebrate their accomplishments along the way.

We strive to offer valuable benefits that promote a healthy work/life balance and add value to our employees’ lives. Our comprehensive benefits include:

• Generous Time Off Package
• Highly Specialized Paid Trainings
• Health and Dental Insurance
• Life, Short Term and Long Term Disability Insurance
• 403B plan with discretionary match
• Wellness Activities
• Employee Assistance Program
• Career Development Opportunities

*Available benefits are based on position and scheduled hours.

Responsibilities

1. Meet and engage with new FSS Parents/Caregivers in a timely and family-friendly manner.
2. Provides guidance, coaching, training, support, education, and advocacy to Parent/Caregiver with regard to interacting with their youth/Transitional Age Youth (TAY)/Young Adult (YA), and networking with community resources and treatment providers appropriately and effectively to meet the needs of identified youth.
3. Educate parents/caregivers on effective ways to navigate systems of care; maximize treatment efforts; and build supportive relationships.
4. Model and coach on conflict resolution, problem-solving, and advocacy skills with Parents/Caregivers.
5. Fosters empowerment of Parent/Caregiver in articulating youth/TAY/YA strengths, needs and goals for treatment/community service planning and implementation.
6. Develop and implement an individualized Family Action Plan in partnership with Parent/Caregiver and youth/TAY/YA that outlines creative activities and measurable progress monitoring and transition indicators in support of family vision.
7. Engages the Parent/Caregiver in activities in the home and community that are designed to address one or more goals on the youth/TAY/YA’s community service plan.
8. Utilize Parent/Caregiver self-assessment data to monitor and collaboratively determine transition in collaboration with Clinician, wrap team, and DMH.
9. Assists Parents/Caregivers in recognizing the importance of self-care as a vital component of their parenting and helping them connect with support in the area of self-care as well as support in the form of individual, peer/parent support and other self-help groups.
10. Celebrate with youth/TAY/Parent/Caregiver incremental success throughout service delivery.
11. Attends meetings with Parent/Caregiver (e.g. attendance at IEP, hospital discharge, treatment team, trainings, support groups, and other meetings) as needed and provide support with ongoing treatment, transition planning, and discharge.
12. Provide advocacy to ensure all aspects of Parent/Caregiver services are voice and choice driven and incorporate the identified strengths, needs, and culture.
13. Participates in team meetings and may be required to facilitate and/or co-facilitate meetings with Parent/Caregiver as needed.
14. Conducts a minimum of weekly face-to-face home visits with Parent/Caregiver, organizes and co-facilitates peer-to-peer support groups and provides telephone support to Parent/Caregiver as needed.
15. Assist families in identifying, accessing and/or developing natural community resources and formal supports.
16. Provides transportation to families as needed or in support of goals identified in the community service/action plan document.
17. Maintains professional boundaries, and share lived experiences (of parenting a youth with mental health challenges) with purpose and intent in order to encourage hope and inspiration.
18. Guides and assists families in moving effectively through the four phases of Wraparound (engagement, planning, implementation, and transition).
19. Support parent/caregivers through the achievement of self-efficacy and empowerment.
20. Attends and actively participates in weekly supervision with FSS Director and Director of FS&T; monthly group supervision and consultation; quarterly behavior rehearsals and field observations.
21. Completes weekly progress notes, action plan goals and other required documentation in a timely manner, adhering to the highest professional standards.
22. Provide other interventions commensurate with the Parent/Caregiver Peer Support credentials, experience, and training.
23. Maintain monthly and annual consumer satisfaction surveys for FSS.
24. Perform duties consistent with DMH/BAMSI policies and procedures.
25. Execute duties to reflect reasonable safety standards.
26. Universal/standard precautions must be utilized and training obtained in areas that constitute risk.
27. Perform other related work duties as needed or as assigned by supervisor and/or designee.

• Must have valid driver’s license in state of residence and own means of transportation.

Qualifications:

• Lived experience as a Parent/Caregiver of a youth/TAY/YA with significant social, emotional, behavioral health, medical or trauma-related needs; and is also experienced in navigating child and family-serving systems (especially the DMH system of care); 3-5 years experience preferred.
• Ability to be strengths-based and accepts families, children and youth unconditionally without judgment or blame for the challenges they face.
• Must be flexible and able to respond to families under stress and in crisis.
• Knowledge of Wraparound principles, phases, and meeting facilitation a plus.
• Understanding and experience working with challenges specific to a mental health diagnosis such as Depression, Mood Disorder, Bipolar, Schizophrenia, ADD/ADHD, Conduct Disorder, Anxiety, etc.
• Experience working with various state systems, including DMH, DCF, DDS, and DYS required.
• Able to multi-task and work in a fast-paced environment.
• Strong administrative, organizational, computer, professional writing, and oral communication skills preferred.
• Willingness to travel up to 80% of the time in-state within BAMSI region.
• Must have valid driver’s license in state of residence and own means of transportation.