Family Advocate

The Jewish Board•New York, NY

12d•$22

About The Position

The Youth ACT Family Advocate is part of a multidisciplinary team that provides treatment and support services to families and children ages 10 through 21 who have significant behavioral health needs and are at risk of entering or returning home from high-end care. Youth ACT aims to address functional impairments and symptoms related to mental illness or serious emotional disturbance, strengthen family functioning, and support youth stability and reintegration after residential treatment or inpatient hospitalization. Services are family-driven, youth-guided, developmentally appropriate, and address needs across family, school, medical, behavioral, psychosocial, and community domains. The Family Advocate provides services in families’ and youths’ homes, in the community, and in the office. The role involves advocacy, education, parent skill development, resource identification, family goal-setting, progress monitoring, documentation, and collaboration with the multidisciplinary team. Most services take place in the community, with less time spent in office-based work.

Requirements

High school diploma or equivalency.
Lived experience parenting a child or adolescent with a serious emotional disturbance and/or lived experience of mental health challenges.
Ability to work with a diverse population across social, cultural, and economic groups.
Background in advocating for mental health and/or in the educational system.
Prior experience with electronic health records and Microsoft Office.
Ability to read paper and electronic documents and perform significant data entry.
Manual dexterity and hand-eye coordination to travel independently using public transportation.
Ability to carry work equipment weighing up to approximately 10 pounds.
Ability to travel to appointments using public transportation and throughout the assigned borough.

Nice To Haves

Specialty credentialing in advocacy; this can be obtained during the probationary period.
Bilingual ability, such as Spanish.

Responsibilities

Advocate with providers across the child-serving system to raise awareness, reduce stigma, engage families, and coordinate services.
Educate families about self-help techniques and self-help group processes.
Provide psychoeducation to family members, caregivers, or social supports.
Provide individual or group parent skill development related to the behavioral health needs of the child or youth.
Teach effective coping strategies based on personal experience and assist in developing community support systems.
Identify culturally affirming formal services and informal resources for families experiencing social-emotional, behavioral, or mental health challenges.
Help families identify challenges, strengths, areas for improvement, and goals.
Monitor and document family progress in accordance with agency and regulatory policies.
Participate in multidisciplinary team meetings, staff meetings, training, and supervision.
Maintain professional behavior and ethical standards established by the licensing board, relevant professional association, and Jewish Board policies and procedures.
Use an electronic database to document demographic data, family goals, and services provided.
Provide services in the family’s home, youth’s home, community, or office.
Perform additional duties as assigned.