ASD Family Peer Navigator

Job Description

Job Description

Program Summary Philadelphia Family Voices is Philadelphia’s first and only family-legacy organization. As a family legacy organization, the mission of Philadelphia Family Voices is families helping families navigate and improve child-serving systems by creating opportunities for education, empowerment, advocacy and support.

Position Summary

Reports to: ASD Program Supervisor

Direct Reports: None

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

The ASD Family Navigator is responsible for providing confidential support, mentoring, advocacy, and guidance to families of children and youth with autism spectrum disorder within multiple or complex systems. The Navigator creates an individualized roadmap that spans the array of services, from evaluations and education to treatment and other supports, ensuring that the roadmap and peer services are accurate, specific, and aligns with the families self-determined needs and priorities. Over time, as the family's needs and priorities further develop and change, the goal of the Navigator is to continuously meet the family where they are with flexibility, empathy, and knowledge.

Summary:

• Utilize experience and partnership skills to help other families and the systems that serve them.
• 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:
  • Families and youth o General public
  • Community agencies and organizations
  • The Philadelphia child serving systems [Department of Human Services (DHS), Juvenile Justice (JJ), Early Intervention (EI), Autism related services and programs
  • Schools and Education System
  • Community Behavioral Health (CBH)
  • Administrators/ staff of Philadelphia Department of Behavioral Health & Intellectual Disabilities (DBHIDS).
• 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.
• 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.
• 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 ASD.
• 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.

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 autism spectrum disorder or relatable self-identifies as a parent or primary caregiver of an individual with behavioral and/or mental health challenges.
• 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 autism including diagnostic process, early intervention, special education/IEP process, and treatment options.
• Completion of Family Peer Support training and Autism Family Peer Support training within 3 months of hire.
• 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.
• Active 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 Children’s Crisis Response Center (CRC),
• Family Court,
• Community Behavioral Health office.

Reasonable accommodations will be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform essential job duties.

The candidate for this position may be subject to any of the following screenings as part of the pre-employment process: Motor Vehicle Report (MVR), PA Criminal Background Check, PA Child Abuse Clearance, FBI fingerprint, and drug/alcohol screen.