Summary

Supporting the Brunswick Community

A “Family Support Specialist” as a parent of a child with mental health, substance use, autism or other developmental challenges. The Family Support Specialist is required to have 5 or more years of lived experience as a parent, therapeutic foster parent, or a guardian of a child with or at risk of serious emotional challenges, autism or other developmental delays.

Position Highlights:

Starting hourly rate: $19.14 Part Time Growth: Largest Employer in the State and the largest Healthcare provider in Northern New England Requires travel to client’s homes and meetings in the community.

What you will do:

Encourage families to move toward self-advocacy in the attainment of culturally specific life goals for themselves and their children and help them develop the skills to do so by working directly with each family involved in the program for children. Use the training and skills of the 5 core competencies as set forth by the National Certification Commission for Family Support, to build mutually supportive relationships that allow each parent to grow and learn together. Act as a bridge-builder, building respect for the family voice within the Family System Team. Assures that client confidentiality and the rights of clients are protected as delineated in applicable standards, policies, and procedures.

Responsibilities:

Develop supportive relationships with family/caregivers with children through one-on-one meetings, telehealth and telephone conversations Assist with program-wide training efforts on family peer support in collaboration with family support team and Peer Services department, including planning, development of materials, training facilitation and quality control efforts on training improvement Provides direct support to parents in a variety of settings, including the court system, hospitals, medical offices, school meetings, juvenile probation, etc.

Required Minimum Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities (KSAs) – “What you will need”:

Education: High School Diploma or equivalent preferred. License/Certifications:  Certification as Family Support Specialist: Completion of, or ability to complete, the “Parent/Family Peer Support Training” offered by G.E.A.R. is required. Certification is required within 12 months of hire date. Ability to provide support according to the values and principles of the training is required. Employment will be contingent on the above certification guidelines. Experience:  Five or more years of lived experience as a parent, therapeutic foster parent, or a guardian of a child with or at risk of serious emotional disturbance, autism or other developmental challenges are required. Certification as a Parent Support Provider is required within 12 months of date of employment. The Family Peer Support Partner works as part of the Behavioral Health Home Organization (BHHO) team at MBH and supports Family members with a child(ren) in BHHO, PIER, or other programs.