Parent Partner

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Job description

Nexus Family Healing is looking to add a Part Time Parent Partner to our newest location in Portland, Oregon!

Nexus Family Healing, a national non-profit mental health organization serving youth and families for over 50 years, is expanding to Oregon! This small PRTF program serves up to six youth at a time, ages 10-17 with mental and developmental disabilities who have become involved in the justice system. The program, located at Nexus' Walden Crossing, is a secure location, providing high staff to youth ratios as well as 24/7 nursing, recreational and therapeutic professionals, psychiatric services, and an array of other types of therapies.

Join an organization that makes a true difference in the lives of youth and their families!

Schedule/Pay/Location:

• Part-Time, on-site opportunity
• Schedule varies
• Pay Rate: $24.00+ per hour
• Paid Time Off
• NEW - Talkspace Therapy Benefit for the whole family
• Advancement pathways and internal promotion
• And much more!

Position Summary:

Our Parent Partner provides active, hands-on, trauma-informed, and family-guided peer support to parents of youth receiving services while collaborating with families, team members and service providers. The Parent Partner's role is to increase family involvement within the program, connecting families to formal and informal resources, and advocating for families to decrease unintentional, programmatic, and institutional bias toward caregivers.

Primary Responsibilities:

Family, Caregiver and Treatment Facilitation:

• Manages and coordinates positive family involvement in the treatment process using trauma-informed, strength-based, and client-driven engagement techniques.
• Creates community relationships to enhance resource and referral opportunities for the youth and their family and/or caretakers.
• Connects with families immediately upon referral to engage and build involvement.
• Participates in the initial family information-gathering and assessment process to help identify needs, orient the family and youth program, and assist in the development of treatment goals by recommending actions, accommodations, and services for youth and their family members.

Client Advocacy:

• Works with families, caregivers, and treatment team members and all informal and formal supports to assist and support individualized family plans and treatment goals to ensure successful family involvement, advocacy, representation, and resources (to include housing, financial and food resources) are provided during and post-treatment.
• Attends and participates in a variety of meetings - including, but not limited to, treatment planning meetings, clinical staffing, team meetings, court review hearings, team decision-making, and IEP - to provide support and information to teams and families.
• Provides and assists with ongoing advocacy for families during the treatment process and with outside providers involved in the family's life. Role models and coaches' skills so that family can learn to advocate for themselves.
• Delivers consultation and training to treatment team members to enhance the delivery of family-driven care and positive family engagement techniques, as needed.

Family and Client Liaison:

• Provides parent skill building education, consultation, role modeling through individual and group counseling with families; leads/co-leads parent support groups.
• Provides monitoring of court-ordered visits between youth and family member(s) as needed; provides visit feedback to the clinician, treatment team members, and county personnel.
• Acts as a resource for families during family time; responds to family crisis in a prompt, effective and collaborative manner. Follows-up and problem solves with families to address concerns during family time.
• Coordinates and conducts family-finding activities to help youth establish a strong support network and support permanency as needed.
• Submits timely documentation in the electronic health record regarding work with families.
• Facilitates the linking of youth and families with appropriate community services, and follow-ups. Consults and collaborates with community services to ensure families receive appropriate services, and work with families to help them make and keep appointments.
• Meets with the family and youth (electronically or in-person) at a minimum of one time per-month, 6-months post-discharge from residential care. Ideally frequency will be increased for the first three months post-discharge to include meeting with the family or youth one time every one to two weeks for the first three months of the six months of required aftercare services.
• Coordinates the distribution and completion of family and youth satisfaction surveys.
• Conducts discharge follow-up calls to inquire about sustained success following care.

Required Education and Licensure:

• High School diploma or equivalent and must be at least 21 years of age.
• Must have prior experience as the primary parent or caregiver of a child with emotional, behavioral, or mental health challenges.
• Must have experience with Children's Mental Health systems such as: DHS, DOC, social services, probation, or the Department of Mental Health.
• Currently have or be willing to successfully complete the Department of Human Services-Approved Certified Family Peer Specialist Training and certificate exam.
• Completion of a successful background check.
• Valid driver's license required. Must meet state regulating agency driving requirements.

Preferred Education and Experience:

• College coursework in behavioral/mental health field.
• Experience working with families and trauma-exposed children or adolescents.
• Experience with a child in a residential treatment facility.

Physical Demands:

The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. While performing the duties of this job, the employee must be able to lift 10 lbs. unassisted, is regularly required to talk and hear. Specific vision abilities required by this job include close vision and ability to adjust focus. The job requires extended periods of standing, sitting and/or driving for 2-4 hrs. at times. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

At Nexus Family Healing, our voices and actions are focused on recognizing, affirming and respecting people of every race, ethnic background, socio-economic status, sexual orientation, gender expression and faith.

Our ICARE Values:

• Innovation: Leading the way and implementing creative, cutting-edge ideas and approaches.
• Compassion: Listening, honoring differences, and showing respect, kindness, empathy care, and concern.
• Agility: Exhibiting flexibility and adapting quickly.
• Responsiveness: Being quick, positive, and accurate.
• Excellence: Demonstrating quality results that surpass ordinary standards.

APPLY TODAY TO BE CONTACTED BY OUR RECRUITING TEAM! When you work at Nexus, you have the opportunity to change lives - including your own!

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