Join Our Team as a Violence Reduction Specialist Early Intervention Peer Specialist and help make a difference in the lives of children, youth, and families!

Job Summary

Are you passionate about supporting the healthy development of children, youth, and families for a brighter future?
Look no further! At Northern Children’s Services (Northern), every role in the organization contributes to helping us achieve our mission and vision.
We believe that every child and youth has the potential to transform themselves – no matter their background or life situation.
We work to “walk the talk” when it comes to our organizational values: Excellence, Respect, Resilience, Cultural Humility & Justice, Healing, and Wellness.

Why Choose Us? As a Violence Reduction Specialist Early Intervention Peer Specialist, you’ll embark on a fulfilling journey.

• Leadership Opportunity
• Supportive Environment
• Empowerment and Progress
• Effective Communication
• Empowerment Through Planning
• Continuous Monitoring and Progress
• Documentation Excellence
• Networking and Collaboration

Benefits:

• We offer comprehensive health, dental, and vision insurance for full-time employees.
• Life Insurance/AD&D and LTD: We provide full-time employees with a $20,000 life insurance policy through Mutual of Omaha Company at no cost. Additionally, Mutual of Omaha LTD coverage and AD&D insurance offer financial security to our employees and their families.
• Our partner insurance company offers a range of self-funded insurance plans, including accident insurance, cancer insurance, life insurance, critical illness coverage, and short-term disability insurance, providing additional financial protection to our employees.
• 401(k) Retirement Plan: We offer a 401(k)-savings plan with a generous matching contribution after one year of employment.
• Paid Leave: Employees have access to generous paid time off or sick leave, allowing them to prioritize their health and well-being.
• Employee Assistance Program (EAP): Our EAP offers confidential referral and counseling services to help employees and their families manage life's challenges, including stress management, legal and financial concerns, depression, and substance abuse.
• Legal Services: Self-funded legal services provide valuable support and resources for various legal matters.

Qualifications You Bring:

• Expertise
• Physical Capabilities
• Trauma-Informed Approach

At Northern Children’s Services, Inc., we value diversity, inclusion, and the well-being of every individual. Join us in our mission to empower children and families, one meaningful interaction at a time. Apply today and be a part of something truly extraordinary!

Under the supervision of the IBHS Director, Family Peer & Violence Reduction Specialist provides support to families receiving IBHS services from a person with lived experience with the community behavioral health system in Philadelphia. This may include supporting the empowerment of families to understand their role as members of the treatment team, providing support & coaching during meetings, & working w/ families to develop natural supports. The Family Peer & Violence Reduction Specialist will also work with IBHS staff and external partners to manage Northern’s IBHS Youth Violence Reduction Project. This will include initiating meetings with school and City staff. Direct or indirect life experiences with gun violence is also preferred.

THE FOLLOWING ARE THE ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS OF THIS POSITION

Communication

• Support youth and families in their initial and continuing engagement with IBHS, as well as in the violence reduction project and related activities
• Engage with youth and families, providing empathetic listening and emotional support
• Incorporate youth and family voices into treatment and the violence reduction project and related activities
• Provide youth and families with information about child serving systems (i.e., children’s behavioral health) and other community resources and supports, including resources for primary, secondary, and tertiary trauma resulting from exposure to violence.
• Provide peer support and peer perspective to families with IBHS and violence exposure
• Empower families to understand their role as members of the treatment team
• Provide support and coaching to families and youth during treatment team and other meetings, gatherings, and events

Implementation

• Coordinating with cross-discipline team members to make sure that all parties are on track with project requirements, deadlines, and schedules.
• Facilitate caregiver engagement with service providers
• Model collaboration between families, communities, and systems
• Engage in safety and care planning; exploring and eliminating barriers to care plan follow through
• Offer skill building for caregivers that enhances resiliency, communication, advocacy, and other areas affecting the ability to maintain an individual with complex needs in the home, school, and community
• Encourage selfcare activities

Documentation

• Complete case management services documentation weekly.
• Accurately complete documents to ensure continuity of service.

Planning

• Assist families in navigating systems
• Arrange and offer transportation (when needed) for families to appointments and meetings.
• Attend mandatory in-service training.
• Participate in Performance Improvement Activities.
• Develop and implement service coordination plan in conjunction with the treatment team.
• Plan community events, such as community fairs
• Ensure that project goals and milestones are met and adhering to approved
• Submitting project deliverables and ensuring that they adhere to quality standards.
• Preparing status reports by gathering, analyzing, and summarizing relevant information.
• Establishing effective project communication plans and ensuring their execution

Monitoring

• Maintain coordination through interagency meetings conducted as required by funding source.
• Work with families to assess and reassess their service needs.

Networking

• Connect community members to the support needed to help people heal from trauma and give the resources needed to seek more in-depth care if needed. 
• Identify, visit, and develop relationships with community resources (e.g., after school programs, summer camps, mentoring programs, etc.).
• Attend inter-agency team meetings, IEP meetings, etc.
• Represent agency at conferences, training, and interagency meetings.
• Assure that the consumer keeps all appointments (parents, teachers, medical, school, etc.) by coordinating with appropriate personnel, offering transportation when needed.
• Assists with active recruitment of potential staff members from the IBHS communities when appropriate.

BASIC SKILL SETS

• Proven experience in project management.
• A self-starter with community connections and experience engaging community members.
• Comfortable talking with individuals on the phone and in person.
• Flexible, patient and calm; willing to learn.
• Demonstrated problem-solving and workflow management skills.
• Strategic and creative thinker who can transform ideas into action.
• Effective communicator with the ability to expand the agency’s visibility, influence, and impact.
• Comfortable speaking in front of others.
• Skilled at recognizing and creating opportunities and leveraging resources.
• Strong management, leadership, and interpersonal skills.
• Excellent oral and written communication skills and the ability to interact in a positive manner
• Ability to communicate and interact with all team members.
• Ability to define problems, collect data, establish facts, and draw valid conclusions.
• Ability to effectively present information and respond to questions from varied groups, including the media.
• Ability to accurately calculate numbers such as in addition, subtraction, and percentages.
• Ability to give clear and concise oral and written instructions.
• Excellent working knowledge of the Philadelphia Community Behavioral Health system. Knowledge of and ability to navigate other systems.
• Ability to read and understand complex instructions such as regulatory policies.
• Strong computer and pertinent software programs proficiency.

QUALIFICATIONS 

• Education: Bachelor’s degree from an accredited university in a human services field preferred 
• Experience: Lived experience with the community behavioral health system in Philadelphia, as well as with exposure to violence. 
• Two years case management or counseling experience with children and families 
• Special Skills: Familiar with multiple child-serving systems (e.g., education, juvenile justice, child welfare, mental health, drug and alcohol, health care, and vocational rehabilitation). 
• Driver’s license with comfort driving a large mobile unit if needed. 
• Proven experience in project management. 
• Ability to lead project teams of various sizes and see them through to completion. 
• Strong understanding of formal project management methodologies. 
• Able to complete projects in a timely manner.

PHYSICAL CAPABILITIES AND WORK ENVIRONMENT 

• Ability to walk up and down steps. 
• Ability to lift 20 lbs.
• Ability to operate a calculator or computer. 
• Current valid driver's license. This position requires travel throughout the City of Philadelphia.
• Requires flexible work schedule, some evening and weekend hours. 

Trauma-Informed Behavior

• Willingness to learn and maintain the value of a trauma-informed culture.
• Commit to the maintenance of a therapeutic environment and community that promotes safety, nonviolence, and resilience as the basis for all we do with clients and staff.
• Knowledge and utilization of trauma-informed practices:
• Emotional intelligence
• Effective communication
• Understanding of the impact of trauma on human development
• Use of person-first and strengths-based language

Americans with Disabilities: As with all positions at Northern Children’s Services, Inc. we recognize the importance of accommodations individuals with disabilities. In that, we are committed to every extent possible accommodating disabled individual. We recognize the American With Disabilities Act of 1991 and understand the need to reasonably accommodate employees. All accommodation will be evaluated on a case- by case basis, evaluating the essential functions of the positions.

DISCRIMINATION IS PROHIBITED IN EMPLOYMENT, PROMOTION, ASSIGNMENT OR DISMISSAL, ON THE BASIS OF RACE, RELIGION, COLOR, AGE, SEX, NATIONAL ORIGIN, and HANDICAP, OR RECEIPT OF SERVICES FOR MENTAL DISABILITY.