Family Care Coordinator

University of Washington•Seattle, WA

6d•Onsite

About The Position

At the University of Washington School of Social Work, we commit ourselves to promoting social and economic justice for poor and oppressed populations and enhancing the quality of life for all. We strive to maximize human welfare through education, research, and public service. We embrace our position of leadership in the field of social work and join in partnership with others in society committed to solving human problems in the twenty-first century. The UW and the School of Social Work promote diversity and inclusivity among our staff, faculty and students; we seek applicants for this position who are committed to these principles and whose experiences have prepared them to fulfill our commitment to inclusion and have given them the confidence to fully engage with audiences from a wide spectrum of backgrounds. Forefront Suicide Prevention (Forefront) is a Center for Excellence housed within the UW School of Social Work. Forefront Suicide Prevention is a leader in advocating for policy changes and disseminating evidence-based approaches to suicide prevention in Washington state and beyond. Its mission is to educate and empower individuals and communities to improve mental health services and suicide prevention policy. Forefront takes a systems approach to suicide prevention, recognizing that schools both influence—and are influenced by—the communities in which they’re embedded. As a core member of Forefront’s Education Team, the Family Community Connector (FCC) strengthens the community side of this school–community equation. Forefront’s work with schools (K-12) focuses on increasing access to comprehensive suicide prevention through systems change, collaboration, and robust training and technical assistance. Our partners currently include over 50 high schools within Washington State, the Office of the Superintendent of Public Instruction, all nine educational service districts (ESDs); we anticipate continued program growth as our program seeks to scale to a larger audience statewide. As part of Forefront’s Education Team, the Family Care Coordinator will work district partners to identify and elevate community strengths, needs, and culturally responsive supports across school‑based programming. This role is fundamentally about strengthening the flow of information, resources, and partnerships that make effective school–community suicide prevention possible Forefront is seeking a full‑time, FCC to support our comprehensive suicide prevention efforts with a primary focus on Seattle Public Schools (SPS). The FCC connects resources across families, schools, and community organizations so that school‑based prevention efforts are informed by, and responsive to, the communities they serve. This role will focus on building and growing Tier One practices that promote welcoming, inclusive, and supportive school climates within a Multi-Tiered Systems of Support (MTSS) framework. FCCs will assist SPS in engaging with students, family, and school communities to provide prevention education and resource information related to behavioral health and wellbeing, centered on suicide prevention. FCCs will not provide clinical or other direct care through this position.

Requirements

Bachelor’s Degree in in social work, psychology, mental health, or similar subject area preferred.
2 years of employment working with youth, families, and/or young adults in a school or community-based organization preferred; two years required.
Equivalent education and/or experience may substitute for minimum qualifications except when there are legal requirements, such as a license, certification, and/or registration.
Demonstrated ability to work effectively on a multi-disciplinary team.
Experience with prevention, intervention and postvention supports and programs.
Experience working in communities with diverse populations and stakeholders.

Nice To Haves

Experience working with or alongside K–12 schools—whether from a community‑based organization, district partnership, or other relevant setting—is strongly preferred
Excellent interpersonal communication and collaboration skills.
Knowledge of and ability to disseminate information about mental health and illness across diverse populations with culturally responsive and equitable communication.
Passion for culturally responsive mental health of youth, families and communities.
Ability to work independently and initiate and implement project deliverables.
Professional judgment and ability to skillfully handle confidential information and situations.
Strong work ethic and dedication to a team-based work environment
Working knowledge of youth and family related community resources.

Responsibilities

Support mental health and wellbeing events sponsored within SPS and the local community – bridging school, family, and community networks of care.
Disseminate resources through publicly available channels (ie. website, resource page, social media).
Perform outreach and relationship building with community partners, mental behavioral health agencies, parent/family advocates, and other stakeholders.
Collaborate with SPS school staff to assist in linking youth and families with appropriate services as needed/requested.
Support schools in postvention support and events as directed by district level partners.
Participate as a member of the Forefront in the Schools and the SPS teams supporting comprehensive suicide prevention.
Participate in developing culturally responsive resources related to mental health literacy and crisis response for school/district to provide students, family, and the larger community.
Participate in staff meetings, professional development, and quality improvement activities.
Engage in professional learning and growth opportunities.
Provide support in grant management and program development as needed.
Perform other duties and tasks as assigned.
Catalog the mental health resources available to youth and their families in a central location, expanding transparent linkages between school, home, primary care, and specialty care so youth/students & their families/guardians get the support needed.
Work with the school/district/community to assess what resources/supports are already in place and identify the gaps that exist – centering youth and families/guardians.
Incorporate pathways and resources that already exist in Washington state.
Identify challenges and opportunities related to each support – ie. accessibility.
Update & maintain internal and external resources.
Participate in ongoing needs assessments.
Work with Forefront’s Evaluation Team to evaluate the program’s effectiveness and report findings to funders and partners.
Partner with Forefront’s Training and Technical Assistance Team to ensure all training and materials are anchored in empirical evidence and are delivered with fidelity.
Other Duties as Assigned