Part Time Parent Peer Support Partner

We have an immediate opening for a Parent Peer Support Partner (PSP). The PSP assist parents in engaging in the Rise2.0 Program. PSPs have strong community connections and are very knowledgeable as it relates to resources, services, and supports for families. The PSP's personal experience is critical to earning the respect of parents and establishing a trusting relationship while encouraging parents to develop his/her voice in the program planning process.

Essential Job Functions

1. Family Voice and Choice. The PSP makes an intentional effort to insure a parent's point of view is heard throughout the planning process. Coaching, educating, supporting and encouraging the parent to use his/her own voice to express his/her views clearly and to make informed choices are the very essence of the role of the PSP. When a parent feels unable or unwilling to talk about an issue during the planning process, the PSP can offer to be the spokesperson for the parent, as long as the parent is present and confirms what is communicated.
2. Team Based. The PSP uses his/her knowledge of the schools, communities, services, and neighborhoods to help the parent identify friends, neighbors, relatives, providers, and others from his/her culture and community who could participate during the planning process.
3. Community Based. The PSP informs parents about supports and services that are available in his/her community and helps the parent frame specific questions he/she may want to ask agencies and providers. In addition, PSPs encourage parents to think beyond the customary services and supports. However, regardless of his/her own views, the PSP strives to understand the reasons behind a parent's preferences and helps, with approval of the parent, the rest of the team understand what the parent thinks is best for the child.
4. Culturally Competent. The PSP recognizes and values the differences among parents, families, ethnic and cultural groups, and communities. The PSP draws on his/her own experiences to illustrate cultural intelligence and to guide discussions about cultural needs.
5. Strengths Based. The PSP should model a strengths based approach in all his/her interactions with the parent. The PSP can appropriately share portions of his/her own family story of discovering strengths, in order to help the parent develop hope for a productive future.

Essential Services

1. The PSP gets to know the parent by meeting with the parent in locations, and at times, that the parent feels comfortable. Together with the parent, the PSP explores the extent to which the parent feels comfortable supporting and advocating for his/her family and how much coaching and support he/she will want from the PSP. The PSP can also offer to help the parent identify and organize various documents and information he/she may need to support and advocate for his/her child. As needed, the PSP can discuss system mandates with the parent and help him/her to prepare for court hearings and various other interactions with formal services
2. The PSP will work with the parent to bring issues, concerns, and successes to the team to be managed appropriately. The PSP should have regular check-ins with the parent and provide additional supports, if needed. Additional coaching, practicing and encouragement can take place at this time, and the PSP can help the parent strategize about how to work with his/her team to modify anything in the plan of care that he/she is not comfortable with.
3. As the youth, parent and family move along in the planning process, the PSP can help the parent begin to think about what life may look like when the services end. During these conversations, the PSP may begin to encourage a parent to think about what forms of long-term supports, both formal and informal, his/her family may need to remain stable; what worries the parent may have about team meetings ending; and how the parent may share those thoughts at team meetings. The PSP can also develop a plan with the parent on follow-up communication and support when the planning process ends.

Education and/or Experience

Required:

• The PSP must be the biological or adoptive parent or person in the parent role who has been the primary caregiver of a child with emotional, behavioral, developmental, or mental health and/or substance use challenges.
• Must have experience navigating one or more formal support systems for youth such as juvenile justice, board of developmental disabilities, mental health service, special education services, etc.

Masters of Human Services (preferred)
Bachelors of Human Services (preferred)
High School (preferred)

Must be the biological or adoptive parent or person in the parent role who has been the primary caregiver of a child with emotional, behavioral, developmental, or mental health and/or substance use challenges (preferred)
Experience navigating one or more formal support systems for youth (preferred)