Peer/Support Advisor

At Wellpoint Care Network, our mission is to facilitate equity, learning, healing, and wellness by restoring the connections that help children and families thrive.

Every person deserves the opportunity to reach their fullest potential. It’s part of human nature, and the promise of our country, that everyone be given a fair chance to be and do their best. Yet, many in our community live with unresolved childhood and generational trauma.  

That’s where we come in. We believe we can create a world where children and families have a clearer path to their fullest potential. Wellpoint Care Network has championed the restoration of families for nearly 175 years.

Job Purpose: 

Our next Peer Support/Advisor  will be responsible for partnering with the Supervised Independent Living (SIL) Team to advocate for youth enrolled in the program. They will work a flexible schedule to allow them time to meet with youth, attend group trainings or events, and accommodate youth schedules. This role intends to provide youth with peer/support who has a shared lived experience. This role will seek to confirm the youth’s understanding of the program, and provide additional guidance, and coaching to help them succeed in their goal of independence.

Qualifications: 

• High school diploma or equivalent required.
• Associate degree preferred. Relevant experience may be considered equivalent to a degree.
• Must be able to perform the following functions: read, write, lift, walk, stand, sit, reach over shoulder and head, push, and pull, repetitive bending and stooping, repetitive finger and wrist motion, repetitive use of arms, and ability to respond to telephones and other auditory stimulation. Lift at least 10 pounds.
• Experience with and/or as a youth in foster care required. 
• Experience making connections and interacting with community groups and representatives preferred. 
• Ability to engage others in conversation and information sharing.
• Ability to share lived experience with youth who may share similar experience(s)
• Skills in advocacy and communicating with large groups.
• Demonstrate an ability to effective understanding and practice of cultural humility and ability work and communicate respectfully with individuals from diverse backgrounds.
• Maintain accurate and timely collaborative documentation.
• Must be honest, dependable, and able to meet deadlines; Self-motivated and able to work independently.
• A valid Wisconsin Driver’s License or occupational driver’s license, reliable transportation and insurance is required. Required reliable transportation to conduct on-site learning throughout the state.
• Regular travel in personal vehicles is required with the ability to move intermittently throughout the workday.
• Willingness to work beyond normal working hours: evenings, nights, and weekends.
• Ability to demonstrate critical thinking skills, detail oriented, highly effective verbal, and written communication skills.
• Demonstrate an ability to effective understanding and practice of cultural humility and ability work and communicate respectfully with individuals from diverse backgrounds.
• Proficient in the usage of computer software; demonstrate an understanding of computer file systems and databases, e.g., Microsoft Office, Excel, Outlook, Teams, ADP, etc.
• Physical exam, drug screen, motor vehicle report, and background checks are required for this position.

Duties:

Advocacy and Relationship

•        Meet face to face (and/or virtually) with program youth to create peer connections in their homes and the community.

•        Have a flexible schedule to accommodate the times when youth are available, including occasional weekends.

•        Share lived experiences or use lived experiences to help guide youth to positive resources and support in the community and benefit their needs.

•        Provide coaching and modeling for youth to help them learn how to communicate their concerns/opinions effectively with others.

Engagement 

•        Weekly contact with youth, virtually, by phone or in person and conduct at least 2 wellness checks a month.

•        Seeks out new resources in the community, thinking outside of the box to support the youth in developing a network of caring connections.

•        Attend meetings and or community activities, such as an IEP or job fair, as requested by youth for support.

Agency Representation 

• Acts as a positive ambassador for the program as well as advocates for the needs of young adults aging out of care within Wellpoint, stakeholder systems and in the community.

Documentation and Information Sharing

• Provides accurate, professional, timely documentation for all program participants.

•Utilizes CoBRIS and eWiSACWIS to document case activities as required.

•Maintains database of measurable outcomes for engagement, and enrollment.

Position Details & Extras:

• Full time.
• Onsite / Hybrid work is available with reliable broadband connection.
• Fast paced, flexible work schedule includes evenings and some weekends to accommodate program needs.
• Moderate exposure to noise.
• Subject to frequent interruptions with ability to manage multiple tasks simultaneously.
• Demonstrates an understanding of the cultural differences among diverse groups and the need to adapt service provision to match these differences in respectful ways.
•  Public Service Loan Forgiveness (PSLF) - Wellpoint employees may be eligible for loan forgiveness under the Public Service Loan Forgiveness program. 
• Regular travel in personal vehicles is required with the ability to move intermittently throughout the workday.
• Willingness to work beyond normal working hours: evenings, nights, and weekends.

Organizational Information: 

At Wellpoint Care Network, we have seen exactly how trauma, poverty, systemic racism, social injustices, and other barriers create instability in all areas of life. The people in our care face education and health disparities, high unemployment rates and unaffordable housing. What’s worse, many have lost connections to resources, family, friends, and other support systems. We have seen the toll it has on a person’s physical, emotional, and financial well-being to try and successfully navigate complex systems that may have failed them in the past.

We believe there is a better way. So, we have anchored ourselves in our 170 years of caring for our neighbors through modernized human services.

Wellpoint Care Network provides a rich continuum of services, including:

•        Child Welfare and Foster Care 

•        Support for youth who have aged out of care

•        Care Coordination and Wraparound services 

•        Mental health therapy and supports such as our Clinic, Family Preservation, Caregiver Support, and Integrated Community Treatment

•        Professional education and clinical consultation (for organizations, schools, and individual/family) 

Wellpoint Care also works to promote a diverse and caregiving environment to ensure that those we serve, and employ are valued, accepted, respected, and treated equitably.

•        Equity means we work tirelessly toward fair and just treatment, systems, and policies. At Wellpoint Care Network, we believe that we are accountable – individually and collectively – when inequity or injustice replaces equity and inclusion. 

•        Inclusivity means that we consciously build groups that welcome and celebrate differences in age, race, ethnicity, class, gender, sexual orientation, religion, gender expression, education, socio-economic background, personal history, geographical location, marital status, parental status, and work experiences.   

Interested parties please apply online. We are committed to enhancing diversity, equity and inclusion and strongly encourage minority candidates to apply. For more information, visit our website www.wellpointcare.org.

Equal Opportunity Employer