Peer Specialist

OVERVIEW

Using personal past experiences, the Family Support Peer provides peer support to youth and families receiving child and adolescent services. Family Support Partners assist families by supporting their engagement in the team process, helping youth and families identify strengths, and furthering development of family-advocacy, resiliency and self-care skills.

DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES (Dependent on assignment)

1. Serve as a peer partner/coach to families navigating behavioral health systems and other formal and informal community resources, ensuring families have the information they need to successfully engage in the team process and understand service options.
2. Work collaboratively with team coordinator, therapists and case managers to provide team-based care for identified clients.
3. Support the voice and choice of the youth and family through modeling the effective presentation of ideas and suggestions during team meetings.
4. Assist the youth, family and team in the strengths and needs discovery, and promote and reinforce strength-based strategies. Mentor and coach families to act on strengths and use setbacks to increase resiliency.
5. Build trust with parents/caregivers by engaging in a confidential, respectful, non-judgmental, and supportive relationship. Listen to and validate each family member's perspective, feelings and values, allowing everyone to be heard.
6. Help families understand their child's needs and services. Help families discern and manage information received related to diagnosis, treatment, and services.
7. Teach, coach, and empower families to communicate more effectively by role modeling appropriate interpersonal, win-win conflict resolution, problem-solving, meeting facilitation and shared decision-making techniques.
8. Support parents/caregivers and encourage them to continue to have hope and effectively use family and community support and learn skills to parent children so they become empowered and effective adults.
9. Coach parents/caregivers and family members on how to advocate for themselves.
10. Participate in connecting family with a variety of support services for parents/caregivers such as support groups, family activities, etc.
11. Use face-to-face meetings, email, social media, and telephone calls to engage families and provide them guidance, information, support and resources.

KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS, AND ABILITIES

1. Ability to articulate the experience and appropriate perspective of a parent/caregiver of a child with complex needs and provide support to other families with similar challenges.
2. Ability to engage and collaborate with people from diverse backgrounds, maintaining a non-judgmental attitude towards youth, families and professionals.
3. Ability to accept supervision and work as part of a team.
4. Ability to be flexible and adapt to change, as well as respond to crises.

TYPICAL EDUCATION, TRAINING AND WORK EXPERIENCE

Must be the current or former biological or adoptive parent or person in the parent role who has been the primary caregiver of a child with emotional, behavioral or mental health and/or substance use challenges. Must have experience navigating Virginia behavioral health systems with their child. High school diploma or GED.

LICENSURE AND CERTIFICATIONS

Virginia Certified Peer Recovery Specialist, including DBHDS training, 500 hours of experience, and registered with the state of Virginia Board of Health Providers. WRAP Facilitator Certification (within six months of employment) First Aid/CPR, Therapeutic Options, Valid VA driver's license.