Certified Family Peer Specialist

Come join our life-changing team building hope, resilience, and well-being as a Certified Family Peer Specialist!

Shift Details: FT - 40 hours/week

Schedule: Monday-Friday days, some evening availability

Compensation:  starting at $25/hour
 
Location: Avanti - 10300 Flanders St NE, Blaine, MN 55449

About the job: 

As a Family Peer Specialist, you will partner with young people, caregivers, families, and the clinical interdisciplinary team (CID) to support and empower the voice of families, ensure access to needed resources, and prioritize the family’s ownership within their residential and post-transition care plan(s). This role will serve as a supportive mentor to caregivers and as an engaged residential team member and client advocate. The Certified Family Peer Specialist draws on their own personal experiences (past or current) with accessing mental health services for a child to model wellness, offer hope, provide encouragement, and empower caregivers’ ability to support the family’s plan of care. This position requires completion of the Department of Human Services- approved Certified Family Peer Specialist Training and certification exam within 6 months of hire.

Essentials: 

• Act as a bridging support between families/caregivers and Clinical Interdisciplinary Teams.
• Build trusting, respectful relationships with youth, caregivers, family members, and treatment team members.
• Maintain regular contact with caregivers as identified in the treatment and transition plans.
• Provide caregiver-to-caregiver mentoring, advocacy, support, and encouragement.
• Share lived experience as a caregiver in an ethical, appropriate, and supportive manner to promote hope and engagement.
• Empower caregivers to advocate for themselves, their youth, and their families.
• Assist caregivers in identifying, recruiting, and engaging natural, community, and long-term support systems.
• Provide post-transition family-peer support and aftercare services for up to six months following discharge, as appropriate, and meeting aftercare requirements for the programs licensing and accreditation.
• Attend weekly Teams, Admin, interdisciplinary teams, and other assigned meetings.

Program Operations and Quality Improvement

• Coordinate the distribution, collection, tracking, and reporting of youth, family, referral source, and provider satisfaction surveys.
• Compile survey findings, identify trends, and communicate results to support quality improvement efforts.
• Collaborate with Leadership to strengthen caregiver engagement practices, service quality, and program outcomes.

Professional Practice

• Maintain professional relationships with coworkers, caregivers, external team members, and other community resources and stakeholders.
• Demonstrate cultural humility and responsiveness by interacting respectfully, non-judgmentally, and effectively with individuals from diverse backgrounds.
• Provide services under the supervision of a Licensed Mental Health Professional, as required.
• All other duties as assigned.

Job Highlights:

• Medical, Dental & Vision Insurance
• 403(b) Retirement Plan
• HSA & FSA Programs
• Employer Paid Life Insurance & Long-Term Disability
• Paid Time Off (Vacation, Holiday & Sick Days)

Required Qualifications: 

• Candidates must have raised or be currently raising a child with a mental illness, have had experience navigating the children's mental health system, and must demonstrate leadership and advocacy skills and a strong dedication to family-driven and family-focused services.
• High school diploma, GED, or equivalent
• Bachelor's Degree in Human Services Field, preferred.
• At least 21 years of age
• Certified as MN DHS-approved Certified Family Peer Specialist, or has previous related work experience and expects to be certified within 6 months of hire.

About Us:  

Avanti is part of VOA Minnesota and Wisconsin which serves as an affiliate of the Volunteers of America parent organization.
 
VOA Minnesota is a nonprofit health and human services organization that annually serves more than 25,000 children, adolescents and their families, older adults, students, persons with disabilities and special needs, and adults completing incarceration. Since 1896, we have helped people gain self-reliance, dignity, and hope.

Take pride in helping others and join us today!

At VOA Minnesota and Wisconsin, we celebrate sharing, encouraging and embracing diversity. Equal employment opportunities are available to all without regard to race, color, religion, sex, pregnancy, national origin, age, physical and mental disability, marital status, parental status, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, genetic information, military and veteran status, and any other characteristic protected by applicable law. We believe that blending individual strengths and unique personal differences nurtures and supports our organizations’ shared commitment to our mission and creates an inclusive and diverse environment where everyone feels valued and has the opportunity to do their personal best.