Reports to: CEO
Rate of Pay: $20/hr to start, 21 hours per week
Start Date: ASAP
How to Apply: Submit a cover letter expressing your interest and your resume to Josephine Gibson, CEO at jgibson@mhaedu.org.

Family Peer Advocates use their own personal experience in order to personalize care and assist parents and care-givers with understanding the services that will help promote and support the success of their child/children with emotional and/or behavioral challenges. FPA’s help to empower parents/caregivers to attain the goals that they’ve identified through regular discussions and meetings.  FPA’s model strength-based, family-driven and youth-guided care at all levels of contact with families, communities, and service providers. Emphasis is made on FPA’s becoming certified within six months of employment through Families Together in NYS.

Job Duties and Responsibilities: 

• Provide strength-based support to families at their homes or at a mutually agreed upon location. Use a strength-based approach by identifying with the family/caregiver goals they want to work on.

• Attend meetings with parents/caregivers when requested and when appropriate.

• Link and refer families to community-based services.

• Facilitate trainings in parenting skills. These may be in group settings or on a one-to-one basis. Facilitate support groups as needed.

• Act as spokesperson for Family Support Services and promote relationships with other agencies.  

• Conduct regular outreach to maintain and increase referrals, and community awareness of Family Support Services.

• Represent the agency at various councils, committees, and with other agencies.

• Meet documentation requirements in a timely manner per program guidelines.

• Other duties as assigned. 

Education, Experience, Skills

• Strong analytical, critical thinking and decision-making skills.

• Capable of working both independently and as an interdependent member of a team.

• Ability to maintain confidentiality and support families without judgment.

• excellent oral and written communication skills.

• Individuals must demonstrate sensitivity, respect, and competency with diverse cultural backgrounds, social identities and practices of community members and be willing to participate in anti-racism focused diversity training to increase skills in this area.

• Computer proficiency including word processing, data entry, spreadsheets, and generating reports using standard software applications.

• Skill in planning and scheduling to establish deadlines and ensure the timely completion of several independent tasks and short-term projects.

• Ability to work some evenings and weekends.

• Reliable transportation