Family Peer Advocate (Youth Act)

Jewish Child Care Association • New York, NY

101d

About The Position

JCCA’s Youth Assertive Community Treatment (ACT) serves youth ages 10 to 21 who are at risk of entering or returning home from high-end services, including inpatient or residential care. A multidisciplinary team provides intensive support to address children’s and families’ complex needs, reduce the need for institutional-level care, and support successful transitions back to the community. Services use a family-driven, youth-guided, developmentally appropriate approach across family, school, medical, behavioral, psychosocial, and community domains. Youth and families enrolled in ACT are the responsibility of the collective team.

The Family Peer Advocate (FPA) supports parents and caregivers raising children with serious mental health concerns, drawing on personal familiarity with these challenges and available community resources. As a member of the Youth ACT team, the FPA educates caregivers about self-awareness, self-help techniques, symptom management, rehabilitation, and effective coping strategies, using their lived experience to help caregivers support their child’s wellbeing and recovery. The FPA maintains ongoing communication with the entire team, completes required ACT Institute training, and obtains and maintains CANS certification.

Requirements

• Self-identify and provide supporting documentation as a person with firsthand experience of mental health and/or co-occurring behavioral health challenges.
• Have at least a high school diploma or high school equivalency.
• Possess a credential recognized by the State Office of Mental Health.
• Complete specialized training and supervision.
• Successfully complete required ACT Institute trainings.
• Obtain and maintain CANS certification.
• Have computer skills, particularly with Microsoft Office.
• Ability to work with multiple functional departments.
• Knowledge of community resources, including food, housing, education, financial benefits, and employment.
• Patience and ability to work as part of a team.
• Understanding of Social Determinants of Health, Race Equity, Social Justice, and trauma-informed care.
• Exceptional interpersonal, communication, and organizational skills.

Nice To Haves

• Bilingual Spanish.

Responsibilities

• Provide case contacts, including psychoeducation, treatment planning, referrals, training, monitoring, crisis management, and crisis response (60% of time).
• Participate in team meetings and supervision (25% of time).
• Complete documentation (15% of time).
• Maintain consistent, ongoing communication with the entire team.
• Educate caregivers about self-awareness, self-help techniques, symptom management, rehabilitation, and effective coping strategies.

What This Job Offers

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