Family Support Specialist

Spectrum Health & Human Services

LOCATION: 326 Orchard Park Rd

SUMMARY OF POSITION FUNCTION:

The Family Support Specialist provides family peer advocacy services within Spectrum Health & Human Services’ Certified Community Behavioral Health Clinic (CCBHC). The Family Support Specialist guides parents, caregivers, and family members of children and youth receiving behavioral health services by using relevant lived experience, system knowledge, advocacy, engagement strategies, and family-centered support. They work as part of the CCBHC interdisciplinary team to promote family voice and choice, increase engagement in services, assist families in navigating behavioral health and community systems, support crisis planning and stabilization, and strengthen natural supports. Services are provided in a manner that is trauma-informed, culturally responsive, strength-based, and aligned with the family’s goals and the child/youth’s treatment plan. The role is intended to provide peer-based support, education, advocacy, and system navigation from the perspective of a parent or caregiver with relevant lived experience.

MAJOR DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES: 

• Demonstrates knowledge of and commitment to Spectrum’s mission, values, policies, and standards of professional conduct.
• Uses personal lived experience as a parent or caregiver of a child/youth with social, emotional, behavioral health, mental health, substance use, developmental, medical, or cross-system needs in a purposeful, appropriate, and professional manner to support, educate, and empower families.
• Promotes family voice, family choice, self-advocacy, self-efficacy, and empowerment throughout the service planning and treatment process.
• Engages parents and caregivers in a trauma-informed, culturally responsive, strengths-based, and family-centered manner.
• Supports outreach, engagement, and re-engagement efforts for children, youth, and families who are new to services, at risk of disengagement, or experiencing barriers to participation.
• Participates as a member of the interdisciplinary CCBHC team and collaborates with clinicians, care coordinators, psychiatric providers, nurses, crisis staff, and other team members to support coordinated, family-centered care.
• Assists families in identifying strengths, needs, priorities, natural supports, barriers, and goals that may impact the child/youth’s treatment, recovery, stability, and overall functioning.

• Assists families in understanding and navigating behavioral health, education, medical, social service, child welfare, juvenile justice, crisis response, and other child- and family-serving systems, as applicable.

• Supports parents and caregivers in understanding school-based supports and processes, including 504 Plans, Individualized Education Programs, school meetings, behavioral supports, attendance concerns, re-entry planning, and communication with school personnel.

• Assists families in preparing for school-related meetings by helping them identify questions, concerns, strengths, needs, and priorities they may wish to discuss.

• May attend school meetings, including 504, IEP, re-entry, attendance, behavioral, or support planning meetings, when requested by the family and appropriate consents are in place.

• Supports families in preparing for and participating in treatment planning meetings, service coordination discussions, appointments, discharge planning meetings, crisis planning meetings, and other service-related discussions.

• Provides parent/caregiver skill development, family support, and psychoeducation related to advocacy, communication, problem-solving, system navigation, crisis prevention, service engagement, and accessing appropriate supports.

• Provides pre-crisis and crisis support to families, including assistance with identifying early warning signs, developing family-centered crisis or safety plans, connecting to crisis resources, and supporting stabilization following a crisis.

• Provides transitional support to families during changes in level of care, discharge from inpatient or residential settings, transitions between service systems, school transitions, or other significant changes affecting the child/youth and family.

• Provides advocacy and support while maintaining appropriate professional boundaries and respecting the family’s right to make informed decisions.

• Maintains awareness of community resources, school-based supports, family support services, child-serving systems, and local crisis response options.

• Documents services accurately, timely, and in accordance with agency policy, CCBHC requirements, payer requirements, and applicable regulations.

• Maintains confidentiality and complies with all applicable privacy, consent, documentation, and information-sharing requirements.

SKILLS/COMPETENCIES

• Ability to engage parents, caregivers, children, youth, and families in a respectful, nonjudgmental, culturally responsive, and trauma-informed manner.
• Strong understanding of the role of a Family Peer Advocate and the appropriate use of lived experience in supporting families.
• Knowledge of child and family-serving systems, including behavioral health, education, medical care, social services, child welfare, juvenile justice, crisis services, and community-based supports.
• Ability to promote family voice, choice, self-advocacy, and empowerment.
• Ability to work collaboratively as part of an interdisciplinary team while maintaining the distinct role of family peer support. 

• Strong communication, listening, engagement, advocacy, and problem-solving skills.

• Ability to support families experiencing stress, crisis, complex needs, or difficulty engaging in services.

• Ability to maintain professional boundaries and use sound judgment when working with families, providers, and community partners.

• Ability to document services clearly, accurately, and timely in an electronic health record.

• Ability to organize work, manage time, follow through on assigned tasks, and respond to family needs in a timely manner.

• Proficiency with basic computer applications, including electronic health records, Microsoft Office, email, and other agency-required systems.

EDUCATION REQUIREMENTS:

• High school diploma or equivalent required.
• Must possess, or be eligible to obtain within agency-required timeframe, a New York State Family Peer Advocate Credential.
• Must have lived experience as a parent, caregiver, or family member who has navigated child-serving systems on behalf of a child or youth with social, emotional, behavioral health, mental health, substance use, developmental, medical, or cross-system needs.

EXPERIENCE:

• Experience supporting parents, caregivers, children, youth, or families in a behavioral health, family support, education, social service, care coordination, advocacy, or community-based setting preferred.
• Experience navigating child-serving systems on behalf of a child, youth, or family required through either personal lived experience, professional experience, or both.
• Experience working with families impacted by complex behavioral health needs, crisis, trauma, social determinants of health, or multi-system involvement preferred.

OTHER:

• Must possess a valid driver’s license and have access to a reliable vehicle with an acceptable driving record, unless otherwise accommodated.
• Must be able to travel to agency sites, community locations, family homes, schools, hospitals, and other service locations as needed. 

COMPENSATION: $23.09-$29.44hourly