Peer Parent Partner

Position Summary:

Peer Support Parent Partners are parents/caregivers who have first-hand experience with the various state systems as well as in recovery from substance use, mental health and co-occurring disorders who use their lived experience as a tool to assist others by sharing their personal journeys and knowledge gained; and who exhibited exceptional qualities in their own efforts to understand how systems work and an appreciation of what it takes to be successful, and the personal qualities that lend themselves to collaboration on various levels. Serves as an advocate to mentor parents currently involved with the system(s), as well as provides strength-based support for persons in or seeking recovery from behavioral health-related issues. In order to be considered, the Parent Partners cases must be closed, and he/she is maintaining family stability.

The service offers a type of partnership where the person in or seeking recovery self directs his/her care while the Peer Support Parent Partner provides expertise in supporting successful change. The Parent Partner focuses on achieving any goals important to the individual and asks questions and offers suggestions to help the person begin to take the lead in addressing their own needs. The practice focuses on honoring values and making principle-based decisions, creating a clear plan of action, and using current strengths to reach future goals. The Peer Support Parent Partner serves as an accountability partner to help the person sustain his or her recovery and helps to access the systems needed to support the individual, such as disability benefits, health care, housing, etc; and serves as a consultant to parents and caregivers.

Essential Job Functions:

• Serves as a consultant to parents and caregivers throughout the wraparound process, on an as needed basis;
• Utilize personal and professional life experience to provide peer support to parents/caregivers served by wraparound.
• Provide new parents and caregivers with information about the agency and the wraparound process and procedures, including the Family Partner role to assist them to successfully engage
• Possess the ability to work with people, ability to communicate with people, maintain confidentiality, engage in respectful interaction;
• Assist with and attend special events, as required;
• Attend the various Wraparound Team Meetings as the supportive voice for the family;
• Act as the parents voice as participants on various committees and workgroups;
• Demonstrate an understanding of and an ability to successfully implement concepts presented in orientation;
• Possess good interpersonal skills;
• Exhibit qualities of dependability, empathy, genuineness, respect, and maintain a positive and supportive attitude;
• Encourages, Inspires and empowers to reach treatment goals;
• Coordinates & facilitates psychoeducational peer groups related to removing environmental obstacles and improving healthy life skills and social connectedness including teaching relaxation and mindfulness strategies
• Assists individuals in developing strategies to communicate with and advocate for themselves to adopt a proactive role in their own behavioral and physical health
• Instructs about services provided to help them (e.g., availability of peer services, benefits, advanced directives, living will opportunities, clients rights process)
• Mentors in the recovery process (e.g., reassures to the reality of recovery, assists with increasing personal empowerment, helps set & achieve goals)
• Provides information & assists with applying for supplemental programs such as housing
• Assists persons with completing forms; develops services & supports to identify service & support gaps for individuals with mental health or co-occurring mental health and substance use disorders; participates on treatment teams with persons consent;
• Collaborates to assist with intake/discharge planning (e.g., conducts intake & discharge surveys, facilitates exit interviews)
• Provides support and encouragement to family members
• Complete all paperwork, including but not limited to, leave requests, mileage forms, and correspondence in an organized, accurate and timely fashion;
• Regularly attend supervisions with the Project Coordinator.
• Follow through on all cases and assignments;
• Embraces and embody the mission, vision, guiding principles, clinical vision and goals of WestCare Foundation; and
• Other responsibilities, as assigned, to support specific organization needs.

Essential Qualifications:

Certifications/Licenses:

• Valid drivers license
• Ability to pass first level and NABS background clearance
• As mandated by Presidential Order all employees of WestCare Foundation, Inc. and all affiliates of WestCare Foundation, Inc. will be required to be fully vaccinated against COVID-19 effective 11/1/2021. Employees that have requested a Medical or Religious Exemption, which has been approved by Human Resources will be required to test for the virus weekly

During your tenure with WestCare there may be new requirements, including, but not limited to vaccinations that are issued by local, State, Federal, and/or Funders that WestCare may have to comply with. Should this occur Human Resources or appropriate personnel will inform you

Education:

• High School Graduate; some college preferred

Experience and Competencies:

• Life-trained paraprofessional who has successfully negotiated the child welfare, juvenile justice and/or early learning systems.
• Must have behavioral health lived experience
• Must be 18 Years of age or older
• Strong reading comprehension, written and oral communication skills
• Demonstrated experience with leadership advocacy or governance
• Bilingual would be an asset
• A minimum of one year without receiving in-patient and/or intensive treatment services
• A minimum of one year without involvement with law enforcement
• A minimum of 6 months in stable and safe housing
• A minimum of 6 months of stable employment or active enrollment in educational setting
• Continues to participate in support groups and/or behavioral health networks
• Must provide 3 letters of references

Working Conditions:

• Work is performed in multiple community based settings including the individuals place of residence.
• A minimum of 40 hours per week are expected but significantly more hours will be required from time to time. Completion of job duties may require working before and after normal working hours. Regular attendance is required. Being able to work as many hours as is necessary to complete job tasks is a required and essential duty of this position.

Essential Physical and Mental Demands of the Job

The employee must be able to perform the following essential duties and activities with or

without accommodation:

Physical Demands:

• Requires mobility and physical activity: Having an adequate range of body motion and mobility to work in an office, residential, or outdoor environment including standing and walking (even and uneven surfaces), sitting for extended periods of time, bending, twisting, reaching, balancing, occasional lifting and carrying of up to 30 pounds. Use of computer and telephone systems is required which includes coordination of eye and hand, and fine manipulation by the hands (typing, writing, and working with files). Requires the ability to defend oneself and clients in physically abusive situations through the use of approved physical de-escalation techniques.
• Requires talking: Expressing or exchanging ideas by means of the spoken word. Talking is required to impart oral information to employees, clients, patients, and the public, and in those activities in which the employee is required to convey detailed or important spoken instructions to others accurately, loudly, or quickly.
• Requires hearing: Hearing is required to receive and communicate detailed information through oral communication.
• Requires seeing: Clarity of vision at 20 inches or less and at distance. This factor is required to complete paperwork for many of the employees essential job functions and to observe client behavior and activities in and out of the facility.
• The normal work routine involves no exposure to human blood, body fluids or tissues. However, exposure or potential exposure may be required as a condition of employment. Appropriate personal protective equipment will be readily available to every employee