Family Peer Advocate

Family Peer Advocate

Reporting to the Manager, Programs – Clinic P+ECMH, the Staff, Programs – Family Peer Advocate serves to empower clients and caregivers through strength-based, family-driven support. This role focuses on achieving measurable improvements in children's socio-emotional development and caregiver capacity by guiding families in system navigation, goal setting, and personalized support planning. By fostering engagement, coordination, and access to resources, this position ensures children remain in safe, nurturing home environments and advances Northside's mission through impactful service delivery, community outreach, and strengthened family resilience.

Duties and Responsibilities:

1. Partner with P+ECMH clinicians and consultants to implement strategies that promote children's socio-emotional wellbeing and empower parents/caregivers to create stable, supportive home environments, through home-based supports, community partner visits, and clinic-based family engagement.
2. Conduct group and individual sessions to provide peer support aimed at improving family engagement and planning, ensuring children thrive and remain in their home setting.
3. Guide families in developing actionable plans and accessing resources that address their child's development, social, and emotional needs, leading to improved family stability and child outcomes.
4. Accompany youth and families to agencies, meetings, and appointments to ensure successful navigation of systems and timely access to essential services.
5. Provide transitional and bridging support that strengthens caregiving capacity to self-advocate, navigate complex systems, and meet their child's developmental and emotional needs effectively.
6. Monitor and evaluate family progress towards individualized goals, ensuring measurable improvements in child development and family functioning.
7. Actively participate in supervision, team conferences, trainings, and staff meetings, applying insights to enhance service quality and family outcomes.
8. Complete all required documentation accurately and within established timeframes, ensuring compliance and supporting program accountability.
9. Maintain strict adherence to ethical standards and HIPAA compliance, safeguard confidentiality and trust in all interactions.
10. Advance Northside's mission by consistently meeting program targets and leveraging outreach initiatives to build community connections, increase program awareness, and improve access to services for families.

Specific Skills:

• Ability to build trust, foster collaboration, and empower families to set and achieve goals.
• Strong understanding of child development and strategies to strengthen emotional well-being.
• Expertise in developing individualized support plans that lead to measurable outcomes.
• Skilled in guiding families through complex social services, healthcare, and educational systems.
• Ability to work effectively with diverse populations and respect cultural differences.

Core Competencies:

• Excellent work ethic
• Commitment to working in a mission-driven organization.
• Demonstrated personal ethics and values.
• Cross-team collaboration and cooperation.
• Team player who works well with a diverse group of people.

Qualifications:

• High School Diploma or GED required, associate or bachelor's degree in human services, Social Work, Psychology, or related field preferred.
• Family Peer Advocate (FPA) credential obtained or able to obtain within 6 months of employment.
• Lived experience as a parent or caregiver of a child with social, emotional, behavioral, or development challenges (required for Family Peer Advocate certification).
• Ability to travel between locations or offices and perform home visits.
• Bilingual preferred to meet community needs.

Compensation and Benefits:

Salary commensurate with experience. Northside offers a competitive salary and benefits package.

Salary $42,000 - $50,000

About Northside:

Northside Center for Child Development serves more than 5,500 children and families across New York City each year through high-quality, outcome-driven behavioral health, early childhood education, and enrichment services. With over $34 million in annual funding, Northside provides the comprehensive support children and families need to overcome adversity, build resilience, and pursue their dreams.

Founded in 1946 in Harlem, Northside has been a cornerstone of the community for eight decades, leading the way in integrating education and mental health to support children's development. Several of Northside's innovative programs were the first of their kind in Harlem, setting standards of care that continue to influence social service agencies throughout the United States today.

Northside's founders, Drs. Kenneth B. and Mamie Phipps Clark, were renowned, pioneering psychologists whose groundbreaking research was instrumental in the 1954 Brown v. Board of Education landmark Supreme Court decision that declared school segregation unconstitutional. Their belief in the worth, dignity, and potential of every child continues to guide Northside's mission and inspire its work today. Northside is driven by its vision and principle, "Each Child…First Chance."