Bilingual Family Advocate

Mental Health Assn of Alameda County • Oakland, CA

5d • Onsite

About The Position

The Family Education and Resource Center (FERC) is seeking compassionate, organized, and family-centered individuals who believe that no family should navigate mental health challenges alone. As a Family Advocate, you will provide education, emotional support, resource navigation, and advocacy to caregivers throughout Alameda County while helping families build hope, resilience, and connections to community resources. The Mental Health Association of Alameda County (MHAAC) is a well-established non-profit organization with long term staff that assists and advocates for people with mental illness and their family members through programs including the Family Education and Resource Center, the Family Partnership Program, the African American Family Outreach Project, and Patients' Rights Advocacy. Together, these programs assist thousands of people with serious mental illness and their family members every year. We envision a world without stigma where people with mental health challenges and their family members are free to live their best lives. MHAAC's current budget is around $5 million. FERC is a program of the Mental Health Association of Alameda County funded through Behavioral Health Services Act and operated under contract with Alameda County Behavioral Health Care Services. FERC is a family-centered program that provides free education, advocacy, and support to family caregivers of a loved one living with mental health conditions and resides in all regions of Alameda County. What makes FERC unique is that all of our staff have family or loved ones with mental health issues. FERC's programmatic components include: a warm-line; education, training and support for family/caregivers; a resource center; assistance with AB1424 Historical Information Forms; support for the development of family leadership; and collaboration with other MHSA funded programs.

Requirements

• Direct lived experience as a family caregiver of a loved one who has a mental health challenge or serious mental illness; professional experience and/or education does NOT replace the personal lived experience that is required
• High school diploma or GED required
• Must successfully pass a fingerprint background check by CADOJ and FBI
• Must have proficiency in Microsoft Office - Outlook (email) and Word (documents)
• Some positions require a valid CA Drivers License, daily access to a working motor vehicle.
• Must maintain legally required car insurance
• Bilingual in one of Alameda County's threshold languages: Chinese (Cantonese or Mandarin), Farsi, Korean, Spanish, Tagalog, or Vietnamese

Nice To Haves

• Associates or Bachelor's degree
• Experience navigating behavioral health, educational, healthcare, or social service systems
• Certification as a Family Partner, Peer Support Specialist, or related credential
• Experience facilitating support groups, psychoeducational workshops, or community presentations
• Experience using video-based platforms such as Teams and/or Zoom
• Experience working with diverse populations in underserved communities
• Knowledge of Alameda County behavioral health systems and community resources

Responsibilities

• Provide individualized support, advocacy, and guidance to family caregivers navigating behavioral health, educational, and community support systems
• Assist clients in identifying needs, developing goals, and accessing appropriate services and resources within Alameda County and surrounding communities
• Conduct client engagement and support through in-person meetings, phone communication, virtual platforms, community visits, and outreach activities
• Deliver information, education, emotional support, encouragement, and referrals to promote self-advocacy and informed decision-making
• Collaborate with behavioral health providers, schools, social service agencies, community organizations, and other stakeholders to coordinate care and improve outcomes for clients and families
• Facilitate support groups, workshops, educational presentations, and community discussions focused on mental health awareness, family support, and resource navigation
• Maintain accurate, timely, and confidential client records, service documentation, and program data in accordance with agency and funding requirements

Benefits

• Competitive salary
• Eligible for first pay increase after successful completion of 3-month introductory period
• Bilingual Pay Differential for fluency in an Alameda County threshold language
• 100% paid medical and dental coverage for the employee
• Generous time off benefits: 14 paid Holidays, including the week between Christmas and New Years
• Vacation leave 2 weeks per year, increases to 4 weeks by year four of employment
• Reimbursement for work travel
• Paid volunteer time-off
• Tuition reimbursement
• On the job training
• Opportunities to attend local and state-wide workshops and conferences
• Paid training to become a Certified Peer Support Specialist
• Family to Family facilitator training through NAMI CA
• Wellness Recovery Action Plan facilitator training
• Mental Health First Aid instructor training
• 401(k)
• Dental insurance
• Employee assistance program
• Flexible schedule
• Flexible spending account
• Health insurance
• Life insurance
• Vision insurance
• Paid time off

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Entry Level
• Education Level: High school or GED