Family Partner | Bilingual English to Spanish | Lawrence

Gandara Center•Fitchburg, MA

6d•$45,000 - $50,000

About The Position

The Family Partner works as part of a team directly with families who are receiving clinical services. Family Partners have lived experience because they were or still are a caregiver for a child with special needs, preferably mental health needs. Because of their experience, the Family Partner is able to work one on one with families who may be in a similar situation as they were. The Family Partner will mentor families and help them navigate the child serving systems and support them in trying to get services and follow a care plan.

Requirements

High school diploma or HISET and a minimum of two (2) years’ experience working with children/adolescents/transitioning youth.
Experience as a caregiver of youth with special needs, and preferably a youth with mental health issues.
Experience with children and youth, strength-based, family centered and child focused services.
Experience in navigating any of the child and family-serving systems and teaching family members who are involved with the child and family serving systems;
Demonstrated ability to be innovative, creative, analytical and decisive in problem solving.
Demonstrated communications, administrative and organizational capabilities.
Ability to work effectively with diverse populations and community agencies: School Dept., DYS, Juvenile Court, etc.
Understanding/willingness to be part of a Program that supports youth and families 24 hours per day, 365 days a year.
Must have a driver’s license and availability of vehicle to support Program needs.
Bi-Lingual Spanish/English or Portuguese

Responsibilities

Provide education and support throughout the duration of treatment, attends care coordination meetings, and may assist the caregivers in articulating the youth's strengths, needs, and goals.
Educates caregivers about how to effectively navigate the child-serving systems and about the existence of informal/community resources available to them and facilitates the caregiver's access to these resources. This may include:
Support the parent/caregiver/guardian in navigating the child-serving systems and processes, fostering empowerment, including linkages to peer/parent support and self-help groups.
Provide care coordination as clinically indicated through phone calls, in-person meetings, and/or virtual meetings with collaterals throughout their work with the youth and family, including making appropriate referrals and "warm hand offs" to follow-up providers, as indicated.
Identify community resources and development of natural supports for youth and family to support and sustain achievement of the youth's treatment goals and objectives.
Work closely within a multi-disciplinary team that includes a clinical team lead and counselor to provide support and interventions that teach the caregiver to navigate the child-serving system and empower them to do so on their own.