Family Support Partner

OPEN UNTIL FILLED

JOB SUMMARY:

In partnership with the Intensive Care Coordinator, the Family Support Partner (FSP) will provide support to families of youth that have been diagnosed at risk or seriously emotionally disturbed (SED) and are at risk of entering or currently placed in an out of home placement. The FSP is a formal member of the High Fidelity Wraparound (HFW) team whose role is to serve the family and help them engage and actively participate in the HFW process.

ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS:

• Assist families in identifying their strengths/needs and ensure the needs of the family are being addressed. FSP will coach, educate, support, and encourage family members to use their own voice to express their views clearly and to make informed decisions.
• Help families identify and utilize formal and natural support systems. The FSP will help the family to develop and discover natural supports presently in their lives as well as opportunities to develop new support relationships in their community.
• Educate families on the HFW process and work with the family in preparation of the meetings. Actively ensures that the family's own voices drive the wraparound process and their wraparound plan.
• Provide education and inform families of resources available in their community. The FSP will assist the family with accessing community resources.
• Help families understand the current systems they are navigating and the different services plans.
• Help families prepare for or accompany families to: HFW meetings, school meetings, court appearances, appointments with mental health or other professionals, FAPT meetings, IEP meetings, etc.
• Provide peer support to the family. Peer support allows the FSP to provide education, modeling, active listening, and the disclosure of personal experiences to the family.

OTHER DUTIES:

• Build and maintain a relationship with the family throughout the delivery of services.
• Participate in weekly face-to-face supervision.
• Assist families with visiting youth that may be in out of home placement.

QUALIFICATIONS:

• Ability to establish and maintain rapport with SED youth and their families on a social and problem-solving level.
• Knowledge of basic social skills and daily living skills.
• Ability to communicate effectively, orally, and in writing.
• Skill in working effectively with youth and families.
• The Family Support Partner is someone with a personal experience of having a child with a SED who can use that experience to help other families currently receiving community services.