Parent Advocate

Purpose Jewish Board’s Community Behavioral Health treatment programs provide compassionate, high quality, evidence-based services to individuals and families in the communities we serve. Our staff uses a culturally competent, person centered approach to help individuals and their families develop skills and resources to improve overall functioning, to instill hope, and to strengthen resiliency. Our programs work closely with community partners to address health disparities in our neighborhoods while also celebrating the strengths and resilience of our communities. Position Overview Family Peer Advocate works as part of a multi-disciplinary team to provide treatment and support services to families and children, ages 10 to 21, who have significant behavioral health needs and who are at risk of entering, or returning home from high end services, such as inpatient settings or residential services. The role involves providing highly individualized services focused on clinical treatment, family psychoeducation and skills development. The Family Peer Advocate provides services to youth and families in their homes and communities and collaborates closely with other service providers and systems with which the family interacts. The role will require some evening availability and rotating on‑call coverage. Key Essential Functions Provide advocacy with providers across the child serving system to raise awareness, reduce stigma, engage families in and coordinate services. Educate about self‑help techniques and self‑help group processes. Provide psychoeducation to family members, caregivers or social supports. Providing individual or group parent skill development related to the behavioral health needs of the child/youth. Teach effective coping strategies based on personal experience and assist in the development of community support systems and networks. Support families, parents/caregivers in developing skills to effectively manage their child/youth behaviors and navigate the multiple systems involved. Work to identify formal services and informal resources for families that are culturally affirming who are experiencing social‑emotional, behavioral, or mental health challenges. Assist families with identifying the challenges they face, their strengths and areas of improvement/goals. Monitor and document family progress to track progress in accordance with agency and regulatory bodies policies. Collaborate with care providers and community supports to help families track their progress towards meeting their goals. Participate in multi-disciplinary team meetings, staff meetings, trainings, and supervision. Maintain all documentation according to the standards and time frames established by the Jewish Board, regulatory agencies and/or funding sources. Maintain professional behaviors and ethical standards as established by licensing board, relevant professional association and the Jewish Board policies and procedures. Using an electronic database, document demographic data on all individuals seen, document and track family’s goals, and all services provided to parent/caregiver; participate in quality improvement activities. Perform these services in the family’s home, youth’s home, community, office. Any additional duties assigned. Other duties as assigned. Additional Functions May Include Since this is an evolving program, other tasks and duties may be assigned. Educational / Training Required High School Diploma or Equivalency. Certified Family Peer Advocate Certificate. Specialty credentialing in advocacy – can be obtained during probationary period. Lived experience in parenting a child or adolescent with a serious emotional disturbance and/or lived experience of mental health challenges. Demonstrates qualities of leadership, including knowledge of advocacy, and can positively reflect on and share his/her experiences with others. Strong written and verbal communication skills. Proficiency in Microsoft Office products (Word, Excel, PowerPoint). Work flexible hours, as required. Bilingual and bicultural candidates are encouraged to apply. Candidates possessing exceptional skill but not all of the qualifications are also encouraged to apply. Has completed or is currently completing the accreditation process to be a certified youth peer advocate. Computer Skills Required Prior experience with electronic health records and Microsoft Office. Visual and Manual Dexterity The candidate should be able to read paper and electronic documents and perform significant data entry into various computer programs. Manual dexterity and hand‑eye coordination to travel independently using public transportation. Work Environment / Physical Effort Services are provided in the community and the office. While the offices of the Jewish Board are accessible in accordance with the ADA, the sites to which staff may need to travel may or may not be. To perform the essential functions of this job the candidate must be able to travel within New York City carrying equipment such as a notebook, forms, laptop, mobile hotspot and cell phone weighing up to approximately 10 pounds. To perform the essential functions of this job, the candidate is routinely required to sit (60% of the time) and stand (20% of the time), and travel to and from appointments using public or private transportation options (20% of the time). Risks/hazards associated with the position are those which may be encountered traveling around New York City. We are an equal opportunity employer that does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, disability, marital status, veteran status, or any other status protected by applicable federal, state, or local law. #J-18808-Ljbffr Jewish Board of Family and Children's Services