Youth & Family Peer Specialist

Family Peer Advocates provide support to families raising a child who is experiencing social, emotional, behavioral, or developmental challenges in their home, school, placement or community. Family Peer Advocates are uniquely qualified to work with families based on their own personal experience parenting a child with similar needs. The advocates develop a structured, strength-based relationship with families to provide support, information, empowerment, parent skill development and advocacy using strength based, family driven and youth guided care at all levels of contact with families, communities and service providers.

• Provide strength-based support to families at their homes or at agreed upon community locations.
• Assist families with identifying needs, strengths and challenges.
• Using a strength-based approach, identify with the family/caregiver the goals that they want to work on.
• Collaborate with care providers and community supports to help families meet their goals.
• Monitor family progress to determine goals met.
• Coach families on how to advocate for themselves.
• Attend meetings with parents when requested and when appropriate.
• Link and refer families to community-based service and supports as needed.
• Facilitate training in parenting skills. These may be in a group setting or on a one-to-one basis.
• Facilitate support groups as needed.
• Maintain records in a timely manner.
• Attend all required trainings.
• Participate in bi-weekly supervision and monthly group supervision.
• Participate in monthly staff meetings
• Use an electronic healthcare record to document family’s demographic information, goals, progress and all services.

• Must have provisional Family Peer Advocate Credential
• NYS Peer Specialist Certification by an OMH-approved Certified Peer Specialist program
• Strong knowledge of OMH peer services and Recovery Oriented Systems of Care.
• Skills in active listening, motivation, and awareness of self.
• Strong work ethic.
• Experience with culturally diverse populations.
• Ability to navigate EHR, Microsoft Office, and Zoom.
• Availability to work flexible schedules.