Certified Family Peer Support Worker - Valencia County, New Mexico

Full Time| Days
Pay begins at $18.15/hour
*Eligible forBilingual Pay Differential

Application Process:
*Please include most up to date resume
*Please include a cover letter describing your lived experience as a parent/primary caregiver to your child(ren) and/or youth, navigating the child serving systems stated below.

Essential Functions:

The Certified Family Peer Support Worker (CFPSW) can work independently or in conjunction with other providers or multidisciplinary teams, under the supervision of a licensed mental health professional or an individual who has completed the Certified Family Peer Support Worker (CFPSW) supervisor training, providing support services to parents and primary caregivers of children who are receiving services through the agency.

The Certified Family Peer Support Worker is an individual who self-identifies as a parent/primary caregiver who has lived experience navigating child-serving systems such as mental health services, behavioral health systems, special education, juvenile justice, or child protective services on behalf of their child.

The CFPSW can offer unique expertise and experience based on their own experience navigating these child serving systems.

Specific Duties:

1. Engages parents, legal guardians, and other primary caregiver’s service delivery processes.

2. Promotes parent, legal guardian, and other primary caregiver participation in meetings and other activities.

3. Supports parents, legal guardians, and other primary caregivers to build skills and self-efficacy

4. Models effective personal interactions

5. Assists parents, legal guardians, and other primary caregivers in identifying their strengths and resiliencies in order to effectively articulate those strengths and prioritize their needs.

6. Assists parents, legal guardians, and other primary caregivers in identifying community and natural resources.

7. Helps parents, legal guardians, and other primary caregivers in identifying and engaging advocates and supporters as part of their team

8. Teaches parents, legal guardians, and other primary caregivers how to effectively navigate complex service delivery systems including juvenile justice, child protective services, education, physical health, behavioral health, and others.

9. Informs parents, legal guardians, and other primary caregivers of service options; explains their differences and purposes for informed decision making; and explains relevant terms and conditions related to service options.

10. Remains aware of current community resources and maintains Valencia County community resource guide.

11. Encourages parents, legal guardians, and other primary caregivers to access services and supports the family in overcoming access barriers when needed.

12. Assists parents, legal guardians, and other primary caregivers in meeting the child’s educational needs through written requests for special education and other evaluations and attending education related meetings.

13. Assists parents in crisis response and stabilization as needed.

14. Prepares parents, legal guardians, and other primary caregivers for juvenile justice preliminary inquiries, meetings and hearings.

15. Empowers parents, legal guardians, and other primary caregivers to effectively build upon their child’s strengths through role-modeling of persuasive self-advocacy skills and facilitating collaborative working relationships with professionals.

16. Maintains verbal or written communication on behalf of families with physical health and behavioral health providers, Juvenile Probation Officers, Protective Service Specialists, Education Administrators, Community Support Specialists or other providers as needed.

17. Procures signed Releases of Information from parents, legal guardians, and other primary caregivers to ensure parents, legal guardians, and other primary caregivers permission to acquire assessments and records or to communicate with other agencies or organizations.

18. Completes documents and maintains case files in accordance with agency polices and contractual agreements.

19. Adheres to Code of Professional Conduct.

20. Organizes support groups, educational opportunities or social gatherings as requested

21. Recruits parents, legal guardians, and other primary caregivers and youth to advocacy and systems level work as requested.

22. Maintains confidentiality of family and youth information except in cases of suspected neglect and/or abuse or exploitation of the vulnerable.

23. Other duties as assigned.

Knowledge, Skills and Abilities to Perform the Job:

1. Parent or other family member of a child or youth who has received a diagnosis of Serious Emotional Disturbance and/or has received mental health and/or substance use treatment and support services.

2. Ability to manage your own well being

3. Excellent written and verbal communication skills and relational skills

4. Ability to function as a team member, with initiative and flexibility.

5. Organizational skills, with good attention to details and ability to handle multiple responsibilities and discretion as to how multiple responsibilities should be handled.

6. Computer literacy and solid computer skills.

7. Valid Driver’s License.

8. Ability to drive for work-related tasks.

9. Bilingual skills are highly desirable.

Education and Experience Requirements:

Experience in this position pertains to personal lived experience.

1. Applicants must be 18 years of age or older.

2.HS Diploma/GED Equivalent.

3.Must possess a Family Peer Support Worker (FPSW) certification in New Mexico state.

4.Experience with and understanding of child serving systems such as mental health services, special education, juvenile justice and child protective services.

*Please include a cover letter describing your lived experience as a parent/primary caregiver to your child(ren) and/or youth, navigating the child serving systems stated in #4 above.

ADA/EOE

All Faiths Children’s Advocacy Center (AFCAC) is committed to providing an equal opportunity in our employment practices to all qualified applicants and employees, without regard to race, age, national origin, color, religion, gender identity or expression, sex, sexual orientation, pregnancy, ancestry, familial status, citizenship, national origin, physical/mental disability (or perceived disability), serious medical condition, genetic information, veteran status, or any other status protected by law in accordance with applicable state and federal law. All Faiths Children’s Advocacy Center (AFCAC) conforms to the spirit as to the letter of all applicable laws and regulations.

Job Type: Full-time

Pay: From $18.15 per hour

Benefits:

• 401(k)
• 401(k) matching
• Dental insurance
• Employee assistance program
• Flexible spending account
• Health insurance
• Paid time off
• Retirement plan
• Vision insurance

Schedule:

• Monday to Friday

Application Question(s):

• Please briefly explain your lived experience navigating child-serving systems such as mental health services, behavioral health systems, special education, juvenile justice, or child protective services on behalf of your child:
• This application form is intended for use in evaluating your qualifications for employment. All questions must be answered completely & accurately. False or misleading statements during the application, interview or pre-employment process whether contained on this form or not will be grounds for terminating the application process or, if discovered after employment, terminating employment.

Do you attest that all information on this application, to the best of your knowledge, is to be true?

Education:

• High school or equivalent (Required)

Experience:

• "lived experience" navigating child serving systems: 1 year (Required)

Language:

• Spanish (Preferred)

License/Certification:

• NM Family Peer Support Worker Certification (Required)

Work Location: In person