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Position Title: Family Peer Advocate

Department: Family & Youth Peer Support Services

Reports to: Program Supervisor

Schedule: Full-time, Monday-Friday; Saturdays 9am-1pm and evening hours as needed

Pay Range: $29.23 - $32.97

Formerly the Mental Health Association of New York City (MHA-NYC), Vibrant Emotional Health’s groundbreaking solutions have delivered high quality services and support, when, where and how people need it for over 50 years. Through our state-of-the-art technology-enabled services, community wellness programs, and advocacy and education work, we are building a society in which emotional wellness can be a reality for everyone.

Position Overview:

Vibrant’s Family & Youth Peer Support Services are staffed by family advocates who have shared similar life experiences to other parents – including finding success in navigating the complexities of the child-serving system. Family Peer Advocates are committed to the well-being of all, demonstrate respect in every aspect of their work, and thrive in a collaborative team environment. They possess the skills to build and maintain strong relationships.

Duties/Responsibilities:

+ Collaborate with families to assess their needs and link them to appropriate resources in their community

+ Share personal knowledge and experiences about the youth serving system

+ Partner with other staff members and teams of the Vibrant Alliance to provide supportive services

+ Conduct outreach and presentations to schools, early intervention programs, clinics, and other community-based providers with a special emphasis on connecting with communities that have been historically hard to reach

+ Facilitate /co-facilitate parenting education and support groups

+ Conduct home and community visits to meet the family in locations that allow for the best possible opportunity for assistance

+ Organize and support social and recreational activities for families

+ Create and maintain comprehensive documentation of the work completed with individuals and families

+ Additional duties as assigned

Required Skills/Abilities:

+ The Family Peer Advocate (FPA) will be a parent/caregiver of a child who has experienced social, emotional, developmental, substance use, and/or behavioral challenges and has ‘lived experience’ navigating multiple child serving systems on behalf of their child(ren) with social, emotional, developmental, health and/or behavioral healthcare needs.

+ Strong written and verbal communication skills

+ Work flexible hours, as required

+ Bilingual and bicultural candidates are encouraged to apply

Required Qualifications:

+ Able to complete the FPA credentialing process within 18 months of being hired

+ Proficiency in Microsoft Office products (Word, Excel, PowerPoint)

+ High School Diploma or GED

Physical Requirements:

+ Mostly sedentary work; using standard office equipment including: a computer, keyboard, and telephone

+ Ability to work collaboratively with staff, program participants, service providers and other stakeholders

+ Ability to remain calm and composed under stress

+ Ability to respond to telephones and other auditory stimulation

+ Ability to evaluate/interpret information and make independent judgment/decisions

Excellent comprehensive benefits, including medical, dental, vision, supplemental income insurance, pre-tax transit/parking, pre-tax FSA for medical and dependent care, and 401K available. 4 weeks’ vacation, plum benefits, etc. Studies have shown that women and people of color are less likely to apply for jobs unless they believe they are able to perform every task in the job description. We are most interested in finding the best candidate for the job, and that candidate may be one who comes from a less traditional background. Vibrant will consider any equivalent combination of knowledge, skills, education and experience to meet minimum qualifications. If you are interested in applying, we encourage you to think broadly about your background and skill set for the role. Vibrant Emotional Health is an equal opportunity employer. Applicants are considered for positions without regard to veteran status, uniformed service member status, race, creed, color, religion, gender, gender identity, sex, sexual orientation, citizenship status, national origin, marital status, age, physical or mental disability, genetic information, caregiver status or any other category protected by applicable federal, state or local laws. Please be aware that fictitious job openings, consulting engagements, solicitations, or employment offers may be circulated on the Internet in an attempt to obtain privileged information, or to induce you to pay a fee for services related to recruitment or training. Vibrant does NOT charge any application, processing, or training fee at any stage of the recruitment or hiring process. All genuine job openings will be posted on our careers page and all communications from the Vibrant recruiting team and/or hiring managers will be from an @vibrant.org email address.