Family Peer Support Specialist

Job Description

Job Description

Role: To provide direct support and advocacy to families and promote family involvement in the local systems of care within a 30 hour per week role.

Key Responsibilities: The 30 hour per week Family Peer Support Specialist (FPSS) is responsible for providing direct family peer support services with families. Approximately 60% of his/her time is meeting, supporting and assisting families at their home, PPTs, CFTs and any other meeting the family needs support; 20% will be working on behalf of the family by reading and preparing for meetings, researching resources and services, making and receiving calls from families, organizing family files, writing and submitting intake and discharge forms and anything regarding a family that is not face-to-face;

the remaining 20% is for writing and submitting required paperwork – monthly, bi-weekly and mileage reports.

Area Served: Northeast and North Central CT

• Provide direct support and advocacy to families
• Attend meetings with families
• Consult with families about available resources. Assist in obtaining needed resources – including but not limited to, assisting families in accessing the FAVOR network of support and training
• Provide direct services and support for families referred by Care Coordination in the promotion and furtherance of each family’s Plan of Care
• Regular attendance and support to family’s at their Child and Family Team Meetings by partnering with the care coordinators
• Maintain a caseload of approximately 15 families referred through the system of care, self-referrals and/or community referrals for a 30 hour/week FPSS
• Maintain and submit appropriate records in a secure, confidential and timely manner - appropriately document all activities undertaken on behalf of each family.
• Participate in activities which support the inclusion of family members in the planning, decision-making and implementation of services to their children

• Participate in outreach efforts with providers in their region to facilitate referrals through the system of care, promote family involvement and promote FAVOR initiatives
• Attend scheduled supervisory meetings, monthly community collaborative meetings, staff meetings and other meetings required by FAVOR
• Provide technical assistance to local systems of care collaboratives in the areas of family support, advocacy, sensitivity to the needs of the families and strategies to promote proactive involvement

• Maintain and submit reports on time as required by the Director of Family Peer Support Services, ie: a bi-weekly summary of daily work activities, monthly case load summary, bi-weekly timecard approval, and family intake and discharge data information.
• Maintain organized family files for each family served.
• Files should contain but are not limited to: intake and discharge, release of information forms, meeting summary notes, school records and doctor’s notes

• Should be a parent with a child or have experience providing assistance to someone who has mental or behavioral health needs
• Must use own transportation (car required) – mileage to meetings with families reimbursed
• Demonstrated experience in advocacy on behalf of other families and children
• Demonstrated knowledge of CTWRAP and the local systems of care in their community
• Demonstrated knowledge of supports and resources available to families in their region