Parent Partner- Jackson

Position Description

Child & Family Services

Building Community Partnerships

Job Title:

Parent Partner
Status:
Full Time

Reports To:

Program Supervisor
FLSA Status:
Non-Exempt/Hourly

Our Mission: To provide expert, comprehensive services that strengthen children, adults and families impacted by abuse and neglect, autism, developmental, behavioral and physical health challenges so they can achieve whole health, well-being and maximum potential.

General Acknowledgement: To perform this job successfully, an individual must be able to perform each essential duty satisfactorily. The requirements listed below are representative of the knowledge, skill, and /or ability required. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

Job Summary: The Parent Partner works with families that may include birth parents, non-custodial fathers, absent parents, resource parents and children placed in out of home care with a goal of reunification.

• Participates in the initial Building a Better Future training;
• Provides training/education to DHS staff about the Parent Partner Program;
• Assists in the goal of reunification and/or the development of appropriate alternative permanent plans
• Is available for support and education for family visits;
• Meets face to face with each referred parent at a minimum of once a week for two hours, and as needed, whenever possible in the family home;
• Work intensively with birth parents to promote engagement in case plan activities via face-to-face visits, letter, emails, and/or phone calls;
• Makes contact with the referred biological parent(s) within seventy-two hours of the referral to begin to establish a relationship and rapport with the client and clarify the intent of the Parent Partners service;
• Makes contact with the assigned foster care provider within five days of receipt of referral.
• Works with the parent and the assigned foster care provider to develop the Parent Agency Agreement/Treatment Plan (PAATP) tailored to the needs of the client, children and court expectations;
• Assists parents by providing support, empathy and information about the foster care system, courts, services, etc;
• Provide a sense of hope and inspiration through encouragement, outreach, and connecting parents with resources;
• On a monthly basis, reports on dates and times of each contact and the nature of the contact, a summary of the family contacts with regard to family progress toward reunification goals, any issues of concerns related to the family, child placing agencies, courts, services, etc;
• Accompanies parents to court proceedings, Family Team Meetings, treatment recovery, other agency required meetings, other gatherings with parents, etc. for the purposes of support and advocacy of the parents' rights;
• Along with the parent, interacts with child placing agency staff to see that clients are receiving appropriate services in a timely manner;
• Collaborate with Parent Partner team including the Parent Partner Supervisor and/or Program Manager, child welfare case worker, planning committees, and others;
• Meet with DHS caseworker periodically during the duration of services, as needed or requested by the family;
• Assists in mediating conflicts between the assigned foster care worker and the client as needed;
• Assists in providing child placing agency staff with a more thorough understanding of birth parents' experiences in the child welfare system by providing in-service trainings for staff and through regular contact with child placing agency staff;
• Requests re-assignment if there is a conflict or concern (including if he/she knows the birth family or lives in close proximity;
• Provides self-advocacy and empowerment skills to all referred parents on navigating through the system;
• Help maintain connections between parents and children by observing and advocating for children and family rights;
• Participates in required trainings.
• Attend all scheduled team meetings.
• Perform other duties as assigned.

• Personal experience with the child welfare system resulting in successful reunification with children and dismissal of wardship.
• Ha…