At Risk Family Peer Navigator

Program Summary

Philadelphia Family Voices (PFV) is Philadelphia's first and only family-legacy organization. Our mission is families helping families navigate and improve child-serving systems by creating opportunities for education, empowerment, advocacy, and support.

The At-Risk Family Peer Navigator provides peer-to-peer support to families experiencing complex system involvement and heightened vulnerability, including homelessness, juvenile justice involvement, residential treatment placements, and child welfare engagement. This role centers lived experience, trauma-informed practice, and family-driven care to stabilize families, strengthen protective factors, and promote long-term wellness.

Position Summary

Reports to: Program Supervisor

Direct Reports: None

Status: Non-Exempt; 35-hour workweek; may include evenings and weekends

The At-Risk Family Peer Navigator provides confidential support, mentoring, advocacy, and guidance to caregivers and youth navigating multiple systems such as child welfare, juvenile justice, behavioral health, housing instability, substance abuse, and residential treatment. The Navigator works collaboratively with families to develop individualized roadmaps that address immediate needs, remove barriers to care, and connect families to coordinated supports.

The Navigator meets families where they are, using empathy, lived experience, and systems knowledge to promote stabilization, engagement, and empowerment. This role supports caregivers and youth impacted by behavioral health challenges , substance use disorders , housing instability, justice involvement, and child welfare systems. The Navigator uses lived experience and trauma-informed practice to help families stabilize, access treatment and recovery supports, and navigate multiple systems of care.

Summary:

• Utilize experience and partnership skills to help other families and the systems that serve them.
• Utilize lived experience and partnership skills to support families impacted by high-risk circumstances.
• Establish and maintain strong effective relationships with the Program Supervisor and/or Manager, Philadelphia Family Voices staff, management, and key stakeholders.
• Establish and maintain strong effective relationships with members of the community that we support:

1. 1. Families and youth
   2. General public
   3. Community agencies and organizations
   4. The Philadelphia child serving systems [Department of Human Services (DHS), Juvenile Justice (JJ), Early Intervention (EI), Autism related services and programs
   5. Schools and Education System
   6. Community Behavioral Health (CBH)
   7. Administrators/ staff of Philadelphia Department of Behavioral Health & Intellectual Disabilities (DBHIDS).
   8. Child welfare, juvenile justice, behavioral health, housing, and education systems

• Promote a positive public image of all PFV programs and serve as a representative in assigned committees, task forces, as well as other meetings.
• Promote and model high ethical, professional and respectful behaviors both within Philadelphia Family Voices and externally.

Key Duties & Responsibilities:

Administrative

• Participate in regular 1:1 supervision and team meetings as scheduled.
• Participate in all required agency staff meetings.
• Attend required trainings and conferences.
• Attend all required meetings/conference calls in the community in a professional manner.
• Gather and provide data as assigned.
• Other duties as assigned.

Program and Staff Responsibilities:

• Assist families in navigating educational, therapeutic and social services systems; identify and address gaps in insurance and/or waivers; work with families in solving problems related to the care of their child or youth.
• Provide peer support to families involved in child welfare, juvenile justice, residential treatment, homelessness, and behavioral health systems
• Assist families in navigating housing resources, educational supports, court-related systems, treatment programs, and community services
• Follow PFV's family-driven, strength-based, and empowerment model
• Support caregivers in crisis stabilization, safety planning, and system engagement
• Coach families to develop advocacy skills and make informed decisions; serve as an emotional support and positive role model to parents and caregivers.
• Provide education, training and resources to parents and caregivers to enhance their capacity to meet their child's overall wellness needs; link families to other supports and provide "warm hand-offs" to other services including CBH care managers.
• Schedule regular meetings with assigned families, virtual and in-person; attend meetings with families; maintain documentation of all provided services through our electronic database.
• Along with families, identify needs and develop goal plans and action steps to achieve their goals; review and update plans as needed.
• Adhere to the Philadelphia Family Voices family support empowerment and family-driven model and philosophy in providing community-based peer-to-peer support to parents of children and youth with behavioral and/or mental health or autism.
• Utilize knowledge of service systems and the range of resources available for children, youth and families; share knowledge effectively during family meetings and consultation with professionals.
• Facilitate support groups, workgroups, trainings and presentations; represent Philadelphia Family Voices at resource fairs and other community events.
• Follow all company policies related to the Fleet Manager/Drivers Standards Operating Procedures.
• Other duties as assigned.

Electronic Health Record (EHR) Data Base

• Enters participant data in the Electronic Healthcare Records/ Program Database system upon intake.
• Ensures that all participants' contacts are documented in EHR/Database according to agency polices.
• Document all services and activities (i.e. trainings, system meetings) according to agency policies.

Education, Knowledge, Skills & Abilities:

Minimum Experience

• Individual who self-identifies as parent or primary caregiver of an individual with of an individual with behavioral and/or mental health challenges and/or autism spectrum disorder.
• Ability to use lived experience to support other families.
• At least two years' experience working to support children, young adults and/or families impacted by autism or behavioral and/or mental health challenges, or other significant experience working with the disability community.
• Demonstrated knowledge of the system of services for children/adults with behavioral/mental health and/or autism including diagnostic process, early intervention, special education/IEP process, and treatment options.
• Completion of Family Peer Support training within 60 days of hire.
• FBI, Child Abuse, and Criminal Background Clearances.
• Reliable mode of transportation.

Preferred Experience Requirements

• Knowledge of or training in Systems of Care and trauma informed care.
• Experience with Child and/or Family Advocacy.
• Experience in working with families and communities on behalf of children with mental health issues is highly desirable.
• Experience working with and understanding of billable service with the Medicaid system.
• Philadelphia County Resident.
• Valid Driver's License.

Minimum Education Requirements

High School Diploma or GED.

Preferred Education Requirements

Bachelor's Degree.

Required Skills

• Demonstrated effective written and verbal communication skills.
• Ability to interact with families and other external parties effectively and professionally, including multi-disciplinary teams.
• Possess excellent computer skills to perform job duties including desktop computing, email, time sheet management, electronic health records, using Microsoft Office Applications, ADP and other relevant software.
• Ability to be flexible, collaborative, and creative.
• Dependable with strong time management and organizational skills.
• Excellent communication, listening and interpersonal skills including public presentations.
• Negotiation and conflict resolution abilities.
• Utilizes a strength-based perspective.
• Ability to maintain regular and punctual attendance; available for flexible work schedule including evenings and weekends as needed.

Physical Requirements

• Able to sit/work at a computer and perform general office functions.
• Able to travel within the community that may not be handicap accessible, including stairs.
• Able to use public transportation and/or drive around the city, including in inclement weather.
• Able to carry computer equipment to external sites as needed.
• Able to communicate clearly with others; possible exposure to vulgar or inappropriate language or gestures.

Working Environment

Work in a variety of settings, including but not limited to:

• Philadelphia Family Voices office,
• ZOOM or other approved digital meeting platforms,
• Community settings and schools,
• Family's homes,
• Treatment programs and Crisis Centers
• Family Court,
• Community Behavioral Health office.

Reasonable accommodations will be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform essential job duties.
Employees may be required to be fully vaccinated against COVID-19 before beginning employment. Reasonable accommodations will be considered for those with qualifying medical or religious exemptions.