Ohio START Family Peer Mentor (Hamilton County)

About Us

Mental Health America of Northern Kentucky and Southwest Ohio is a forward-thinking non-profit organization that promotes mental health and overall wellness. We deliver a wide range of services including prevention, education, and direct care provision. At the heart of our work are our employees, a highly passionate group of people working together to help our community.

We are an affiliate of Mental Health America, the country's leading nonprofit dedicated to helping all people live mentally healthier lives.  The organization has over a century of advocacy, public education, and program/service delivery experience. 

Position Summary 

The Family Peer Mentor position is a dynamic role with Mental Health America of Northern Kentucky and Southwest Ohio, contracted through Job and Family Services of Hamilton County. You will serve as a member of the Hamilton County START team along with the child welfare caseworker, child welfare supervisor, and behavioral health service provider. The goal of the entire team is to keep children safe and families together. We are looking for a highly reliable and collaborative individual to join our team. Give us your best and we’ll give you ours.

What you’ll do

• Assist with the safety of the child(ren) by working collaboratively with the Ohio START case worker and behavioral health provider to ensure the seamless and efficient delivery of intensive wrap-around services to the START families on their caseload. 
• Participate in initial meetings, weekly status meetings and Family Team Meetings to review families’ progress and child safety in their respective cases.
• Provide continual exploration of family’s needs to empower the family to take ownership over their long-term successes and the safety of their child(ren). 
• Support the parent(s) in achieving personal independence. 
• Connect START families to community resources. 
• Teach families skills to effectively navigate to the child welfare system. 
• Assist families with identifying and accessing natural support systems in the community. 
• Promote coordination and linkage among providers within local community. 
• Coordinate access to crisis intervention services and assist with family stabilization. 
• Teach START families self-advocacy and empowerment skills. 
• Identify barriers (internal and external) to full participation in community resources and develop strategies to overcome those barriers. 
• Provide input on court forms as needed.
• Provide input on the development of the case plan and child safety.
• Data entry to ensure quality communication and timely reporting. 

What you’ll need 

• High school diploma or equivalent. 
• Ohio Peer Recovery Supporter certification or agree and have the ability to become certified upon hiring. 
• Demonstrate long term recovery from substance use disorder. 
• Demonstrate no ongoing justice system involvement. 
• Have lived experience with the child welfare system as a parent, with the case closed at least one year, or indirect lived experience with the child welfare system.
• Hold a valid driver’s license, maintain current automobile insurance and be able to travel as required. 
• Ability to maintain healthy professional boundaries while fostering respectful and collaborative working relationships with community partners and internal teams.
• Models and encourages healthy boundaries with the participants to promote psychological safety, accountability and mutual respect.
• Willingness to participate in continuous learning and training. 
• Previous experience in a certified peer support specialist role – preferred but not required.

Reasons why MHANKYSWOH is a great place to work 

• 2025 Recipient of the Platinum Bell Seal For Workplace Mental Health 
• We advocate for wellness for everyone 
• We encourage everyone to explore their talents and work toward a satisfying career experience 
• We appreciate diversity and encourage people of all experiences, backgrounds, and cultures to share their talents 
• Company sponsored health, dental, and vision insurance 
• Additional voluntary benefit options 
• Vacation time 
• Personal time 
• Sick time 
• Mileage Reimbursement 
• Team-building experiences and outings