Family Support Partner - Seneca Family of Agencies

Overview

Do you have personal, lived experience as a caregiver to a youth who has received mental/behavioral health services or had cross system involvement (Juvenile Justice; Mental and/or Behavioral Health treatment; Special Education; Substance Use Disorder Treatment)?  Are ready to use your experience as a parent/caregiver to positively impact youth and families?

At Seneca, we seek a compassionate and thoughtful professional to work directly helping caregivers and families reach their goals.

The Peer Support Specialist provides peer support and advocacy to consumers of Seneca's services. Peer support may include one-on-one peer support as well as in group settings. The Peer Support Specialist draws upon their own personal experience navigating systems to work individually with youth and/or family members to engage them in the process, increase their involvement, and assist them in achieving their care plan goals. This includes a wide range of activities in order to function as a member of the supporting team as well as provide individual support. The Peer Support Specialist may also be involved in community awareness and leadership activities.

ABOUT WRAPAROUND

Seneca offers intensive "Wraparound" services to children and youth at risk of placement in a high-level residential treatments or juvenile hall, and to their families. The Wraparound programs are strengths-based, family-driven, flexible, and creative, with the goal of helping the family develop the skills and supports to prevent or reduce the possibility of residential placement of their child. A family-based team addresses the needs of the entire family, not just the at-risk child. This family-based team consists of family members, Seneca's Care Coordinators, Youth counselors, Parent Partners, Permanency Specialist and other community members who have an important role in the family,

ABOUT SENECA 

Seneca Family of Agencies is a non-profit with a simple but powerful mission: to help children and families through the most difficult times of their lives. Since then, Seneca provides a broad continuum of permanency, mental health, education, and juvenile justice services, which today reach over 18,000 youth and families throughout California and Washington State each year. The agency’s growth has been guided by a commitment to our Unconditional Care® model – doing whatever it takes to help children and families thrive, even when faced with tremendous challenges. Seneca is committed to supporting historically underrepresented communities and informing agency policies and practices through its agency-wide DEI Initiative and DEI Advisory Board. Seneca is committed to fostering an agency culture that is welcoming, cooperative, and inclusive of diverse peoples and worldviews.

Responsibilities

• Provide and communicate guidance, expertise, and support for youth, families, and/or any other natural supports one-on-one and in group settings
• Demonstrate high level engagement and alignment skills, to build trust and rapport with youth, families, and collateral supports
• Work as a "collaborative advocate," helping youth, caregivers, and family members understand the mandates and perspectives of other team members while navigating through county systems
• Use knowledge of community resources, school systems, or other mental health services to help youth and families identify and connect to a family safety network and/or natural support team in the community
• Provide coaching and support related to safety planning/self-control plans as well as self-care plans for youth/families
• Attend and participate in mental health awareness activities in the community
  • Participate in peer forums which may include public speaking engagements
• Complete all training requirements as indicated by the supervisor
• Participate in weekly supervision/mentorship with the supervisor or designee
• Maintain accurate and high-quality documentation and paperwork including but not limited to mental health notes, timesheets, expense reports, and mileage
• Participate in on-call rotation, if applicable per program requirements
• Utilize crisis communication and de-escalation techniques as per Seneca's EQ-4 model training. This may include intervening with the clients' behavioral program through physical management of the clients, if applicable. Training in additional crisis intervention modalities such as CPI may be required
• Demonstrate professional behavior at all times in accordance with Seneca's mission and philosophy

Qualifications

• High school diploma/GED
• Personal, lived experience as a caregiver of a youth that has navigated relevant systems (e.g., child welfare, juvenile justice, mental health, special education, etc.)
• Ability to work as a part of a multidisciplinary tea in a fast-paced environment
• Ability to work with diverse population
• Strong organization and communication skills
• At least 18 years of age
• TB test clearance, fingerprinting clearance, and any other state/federal licensing or certification requirements
• Valid driver's license, clean driving record, and insurability through Seneca Family of Agencies' insurance policy
• Proof of up-to-date COVID-19 vaccination or an HR-approved medical/religious exemption

Schedule

• Full-time
  • Monday -  Friday
  • 9:00 AM - 5:30 PM

Benefits

• Salary range is $21.63 - $24.13 per hour, commensurate with experience
• • Additional compensation provided upon passing bilingual language proficiency exam
  • Salary increases each year
• Comprehensive employee benefits package, including: 
  • Medical, dental, vision, chiropractic, acupuncture, and fertility coverage
  • Long-term disability, family leave, and life insurance
  • 50% paid premiums for dependents 
  • 403b retirement plan
  • Employer-paid Employee Assistance Plan
• Seneca is a Public Service Loan Forgiveness certified employer.
• 5 weeks of flexible paid time off and 11 paid holidays
• Abundant professional development, scholarship, and promotional opportunities