FIT Family Partner

Why Children's Services of Roxbury?

At Children's Services of Roxbury, we're not just offering a job - we're offering a chance to be part of something bigger. Our mission is to bring peace of mind to children and families across Massachusetts. We foster a culture of trust, humility, and respect, where every team member is valued and supported. If you're looking to make a real impact and grow with a team that strives to create a brighter future for children and families across Massachusetts, this role is for you. At CSR, our Behavioral Health Department (BHD) offers a comprehensive array of high quality, culturally-sensitive mental health services that provide children and families with the services they need for success at home, in school, and in the community.

Position Overview

The Family-Based Intensive Treatment (FIT) Family Partner provides intensive, community-based behavioral health services to children and youth under the age of 21 with Serious Emotional Disturbance (SED) and their families. FIT Family Partners use lived experience as a parent or caregiver of a youth with emotional, behavioral, or mental health needs to support and empower families in navigating complex systems of care. As a core member of the FIT team, the Family Partner provides peer support, advocacy, and skill-building for caregivers, helping them to strengthen their ability to support their child and family.

This role embodies the mission of Children's Services of Roxbury by building trust, fostering resilience, and empowering families to thrive. The FIT Family Partner ensures that caregivers are active partners in treatment and that services are family-driven, youth-guided, and culturally responsive.

Essential Functions:

• Engage caregivers in home and community settings to support identified treatment goals on the family's individualized treatment plan.
• Use lived experience to provide peer mentoring, encouragement, and hope to parents/caregivers of children with SED and other behavioral health needs.
• Support caregivers in navigating child-serving systems (behavioral health, schools, child welfare, juvenile justice, medical, and community resources).
• Model and coach effective parenting, advocacy, and problem-solving strategies.
• Educate caregivers on community resources and assist in building sustainable support networks.
• Co-facilitate family meetings, treatment planning sessions, and caregiver support activities with the FIT Clinician and Paraprofessional.
• Provide crisis support and guidance to caregivers in both crisis and non-crisis situations.
• Maintain timely and accurate documentation of services in compliance with agency, CBHI, and MassHealth standards.
• Participate in interdisciplinary team meetings, supervision, and required trainings.
• Perform other related duties as assigned.

General:

• Must comply with all regulations
• Ability to respect and communicate effectively with co-workers and managers
• Adheres to agency and departmental regulations, policies and procedures
• Mandatory reporter of actual and suspected abuse and knowledgeable of agency mandatory reporting practices regarding any suspected cases of abuse, mistreatment, or neglect
• Promote a respectful, inclusive, and collaborative work environment.
• Demonstrate cultural humility and appreciation for diverse families and communities.
• Uphold ethical standards, integrity, and confidentiality in all interactions.
• Attend staff meetings, trainings, and professional development opportunities.
• Contribute to continuous improvement and innovation in FIT services.
• Comply with organizational policies, procedures, and state/federal requirements.

Requirements and Qualifications:

Education & Experience

• Lived experience as a parent or caregiver of a child/youth with emotional, behavioral, or mental health needs is required.
• High School Diploma/GED and at least 2 years of experience as a parent/caregiver of a youth with special needs OR
• Associate's or Bachelor's degree in a human services field and at least 1-2 years of experience working with children, youth, or families.
• Experience navigating child- and family-serving systems is required.

Skills & Competencies

• Strong advocacy, coaching, and mentoring skills.
• Ability to build trusting relationships with families and partners.
• Knowledge of community resources and willingness to support caregivers in accessing them.
• Strong written, verbal, and organizational skills.
• Comfort working independently in home and community settings as well as part of a team.
• Bilingual/bicultural candidates strongly encouraged to apply.

Physical Requirements:

• Frequent travel to homes and community locations required.

• Must have access to reliable transportation, valid driver's license, and insurance.

• Ability to work evenings and some weekends, including participation in on-call rotation.
• Must be able to perform the essential functions of the job with or without reasonable accommodation.