WES Healthy Chicago- Family Peer Specialist/Care Coordinator

GENERAL OVERVIEW OF KEY ROLES & RESPONSIBILITIES:

The Family Peer Specialist-Care Coordinator, an adult with lived experience as an individual or family member of a child with behavioral health challenges. They will provide support to consumers by engaging with families, incorporating their voice into treatment. Additionally, they will help to assess consumers’ needs and secure new services that are appropriate.

ESSENTIAL & CORE FUNCTIONS:

1. Share peer perspective with treatment team helping to improve the life of the youth, family, or young adult.

2. Provide consumers with links to new services needed.

3. Ensure appropriate referrals to community resources and follow-up on these referrals.

4. Work with families to reduce stigmas, crisis, and overcome challenges.

5. Provide peer-led support to individuals experiencing mental health crises, struggles or behavioral health concerns, utilizing.

6. Attend staffing/meetings, as needed.

7. Provide support to consumers from the perspective of a peer.

8. Empower consumers to understand their role as a member of the treatment team.

9. Share peer perspective with treatment team helping to improve understanding of parent point of view.

10. Provide support and coaching during meetings.

11. Work with consumers to develop natural supports.

12. Complete SDOH with families.

13. Follow up with any needs identified on the SDOH providing support and connection with services.

14. Review Assessment for needs identified and connect consumer and families to services to address these needs.

15. Collect and input outcome data into computer system.

16. Identify and establish contact with community resources.

17. Maintain the resource spreadsheet by adding newly identified resources or changes in contact information.

18. Provide timely completion and follow up of Clinician and Directors requests for outreach and or connecting families to needed resources.

19. Escort families to appointments.

20. Complete home and community visits.

21. Represent program/Agency at community activities/fairs.

22. Meet service productivity expectations.

23. Complete all paperwork within specified time frames.

24. Maintain an understanding of agency policies and procedures.

25. Attend trainings as required by WES.

26. Attend and participate in supervision and staff meetings in accordance with regulatory standards.

27. Adhere to WES’s Code of Ethics and comply with State Mental Health Code.

28. Participate in continuous quality assurance/program development.

29. Comply with WES standards for service delivery.

30. Maintain consumer confidentiality.

ADDITIONAL RESPONSIBILITIES:

Performs other duties and special projects as assigned.

PREREQUISITES & QUALIFICATIONS FOR THE POSITION:

1. A bachelor’s degree with major course work in sociology, social work, psychology, gerontology, anthropology, political science, history, criminal justice, theology, counseling, education. PLUS a minimum of one (1) year experience (paid or unpaid) in a human service field. This experience must involve direct contact with the individual receiving services (i.e. coaching, teaching, case management, etc.)

OR

2. Be a registered nurse. OR

3. A high school diploma and 12 semester credit hours in sociology, social welfare, psychology, gerontology, or other social science. PLUS two years paid experience in public or private human services with one year in direct client contact.

4. Lived experience as an individual, parent or primary caregiver who has raised or is raising a child with a mental, emotional, or behavioral health disorder.

5. Preferred bilingual or multilingual skills.

6. Preferred experience working with diverse and underserved populations.

7. Valid FBI clearance, criminal history check and child abuse history clearance required.

ORGANIZATIONAL ACCOUNTABILITY & RELATIONSHIPS:

The individual is to be supervised by the Director.

COMPETENCIES & PERSONAL CHARACTERISTICS

1. Experience with computer programs such as Microsoft Office, Excel, Word and PowerPoint.

2. Solid oral and written communication skills including, business writing, proper grammar and spelling.

3. Knowledge of community resources.

4. Good organization skills including the ability to prioritize work and manage conflicting deadlines.

5. The ability to work well with others.

6. The ability to handle conflicts with diplomacy and tact.

7. The ability to listen and evaluate objectively

PHYSICAL DEMANDS:

The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

While performing the duties of this job, the employee is occasionally required to stand; walk; sit; use hands to finger, handle, or feel objects, tools or controls; reach with hands and arms; climb stairs; balance; stoop, kneel, crouch or crawl; talk or hear; taste or smell. The employee must occasionally lift and/or move up to 25 pounds.

Specific vision abilities required by the job include close vision, distance vision, color vision, peripheral vision, depth perception, and the ability to adjust focus.

WORK ENVIRONMENT:

Work environment characteristics described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

While performing the duties of this job, the employee is exposed to weather conditions prevalent at the time. The noise level in the work environment is usually moderate.

GENERAL SIGN OFF:

The employee is expected to adhere to all agency policies and to act as a role model in adherence to agency policies. I have read and understand this explanation and job description.

Print Name:

Signature: Date:

Benefits

• Health Care Plan (Medical, Dental & Vision)
• Retirement Plan (401k, IRA)
• Life Insurance (Basic, Voluntary & AD&D)
• Paid Time Off (Vacation, Sick & Public Holidays)
• Short Term & Long Term Disability