Direction Service

Description

To be considered for this position, please submit a cover letter alongside your application describing the lived experience you would bring into this role as a parent or caregiver who has navigated multiple child/youth serving systems, including but not limited to mental health, child welfare, and developmental disabilities.

Position Type: Full-time, between 32 and 40 hours/week, non-exempt, typically Monday-Friday 8AM-4:30PM

Benefits:

• Medical
• Dental/Vision
• 401(k)
• Paid Sick and Vacation
• 13 Paid Holidays per year
• And More!

General Description: 

The Family Support Specialist (FSS) is a peer with shared lived experience who works with families raising a youth with emotional, behavioral, mental health, developmental or other health challenges. The FSS role is to support the parent/caregiver by helping them to engage and actively participate on their team and/or treatment process and make informed decisions that drive the process. The FSS uses personal and professional life experience to provide consultation and coaching to increase awareness and improve parent/caregiver-professional partnerships and maximize parent/caregiver voice, choice, and involvement. FSS's work in a variety of environments, such as Wraparound, Service Coordination (educational based advocacy), Parent/Caregiver Education, and support the unique needs of families by using consistent and unified principles of the Family Support practice and competencies. 

Family Support Specialists have the unique opportunity to utilize their lived experience with child/youth serving systems in order to support parents/caregivers with achieving their family's goals. Family Support Specialists will help parents/caregivers achieve their goals by; connecting them to appropriate resources; identifying natural and community supports; helping them build skills that promote personal wellness and recovery; empowering them and promoting the development of self-advocacy skills; and providing parent/caregiver voice within leadership opportunities in the community and at all levels of the child/youth serving systems if they so choose. Being able to work independently as well as with a team will be important.  

Reasonable Accommodations: 

To perform this job successfully, an individual must be able to perform each job duty/responsibility satisfactorily. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable qualified individuals with disabilities to perform essential job functions. 

Supervisory Responsibilities: 

• None. 

Duties / Responsibilities: 

• Use lived experience with mental health and other child/youth serving systems and overcoming adversity to provide parents/caregivers with non-judgmental support, empathy, and hope. 
• Serves as an advocate and mentor for parent/caregiver adults participating in the Wraparound program in Lane County. 
• Facilitates individual and group meetings with parent/caregiver adults that promote sharing, learning, and growth.  
• Connects parent/caregiver adults to services, programs, and other community supports. 
• Acts as a resource on services, programs, and connections throughout the community. 
• Creates partnerships with parent/caregiver adults, and professionals in order to meet the need of the client. 
• Implements developmentally appropriate, culturally relevant, and parent/caregiver adult driven services and supports.  
• Improves and promotes cross-system collaboration and advocacy. 
• Supports parents/caregivers in developing and negotiating a variety of skills that build on their strengths. 
• Serve as a role model in communication, health and wellness, and conflict resolution. 
• Participates in individual and group supervision, multidisciplinary consultation meetings, team meetings, meetings that promote mental health policy change at the state and local levels, and other relevant meetings as assigned. 
• Attend agency required trainings, and external trainings as applicable to position. 
• Maintains a flexible work schedule, and travels to meet parent/caregiver adults in the community. 
• Communicates and maintains schedule using agency's communication and calendar applications. 
• Participates in fundraising, development, and outreach activities. 
• Participate in workspace norms and duties including maintenance and upkeep of agency spaces. 
• Performs other projects/duties as assigned. 

Requirements

 Necessary Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities: 

• Performs work accurately and thoroughly within timelines. 
• Ability to use discretion and maintain confidentiality regarding sensitive client and company information. 
• Ability to follow legal/ethical guidelines for the profession. 
• Ability to make critical decisions while following Direction Service procedures. 
• Ability to work effectively with people regardless of their age, gender, race, ethnicity, religion, or job type/status. 
• Ability to problem solve and deal proactively with work-related problems. 
• The ability to maintain a professional image and carry out duties in a professional manner. 
• The ability to show consideration for and maintain good relations with others. 
• The ability to use standard office equipment, mobile technology, computers, and computer software such as Electronic Health Record and the Microsoft 365 Suite. Ability to learn other computer software programs as required by assigned task. 

Minimum Position Requirements: 

• Minimum of a high school diploma or GED required. 
• Must hold a Family Support Specialist certification, as defined in OAR 414.665, from a State approved training program, OR be willing and able to become certified upon hire. 
• Must have direct experience as a parent or caregiver who has navigated multiple child/youth serving systems, including but not limited to mental health, child welfare, and developmental disabilities. 
• Must have the ability to articulate the experience and perspective of a parent/caregiver of a child with complex needs to build mutuality with families. 
• Must be willing and have the capacity to share your story in a way that engages, inspires, and validates the experiences of parents/caregivers in this program. 
• Must be self-motivated and able to work independently and as part of a team. 
• Driving is an essential function for this position. Must have own reliable transportation for travel throughout Lane County. Must also possess a valid driver's license and an acceptable driving record. Employees are required to maintain insurance on their vehicle in accordance with Oregon law.  
• Employment contingent on a satisfactory Criminal History Check as required by the State of Oregon (OAR 407-007-0200 to 407-007-0370) and as deemed acceptable by Direction Service. 

Working Conditions / Physical Demands: 

• Work will be performed in a wide range of settings. Work areas are often noisy, irregular and unpredictable and can be stressful at times. The work is primarily sedentary. Typically, the employee will sit to do the work. The employee will also be required to stand, walk, hear and/or respond to verbal/audio cues, see and/or respond to visual cues, perform repetitive motions of hands and wrists, and read a computer screen. Additional physical requirements may include reaching with hands and arms, stooping, kneeling, crouching, and climbing up stairs. Must be able to lift and/or move up to 20 pounds at times. 
• Exposure to communicable diseases found in children and the public. 
• Ability to manage situations with clients who may use challenging or offensive language with the potential for escalation to physical aggression and related follow-up.

Direction Service is committed to the principles of equal employment. We are committed to complying with all federal, state, and local laws providing equal employment opportunities, and all other employment laws and regulations. It is our intent to maintain a work environment that is free of harassment, discrimination, or retaliation because of race (including physical characteristics that are historically associated with race , including but not limited to natural hair, hair texture, hair type and protective hairstyle color), color religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender, gender identity, age, national origin, genetic information, marital status, veteran status, disability, or other characteristics protected under local, state, or federal law. Direction Service is dedicated to the fulfillment of this policy regarding all aspects of employment, including but not limited to recruiting, hiring, placement, transfer, training, promotion, rates of pay, and other compensation, termination, and all other terms, conditions, and privileges of employment.