Family Peer Support Specialist Mental Health

Who We Are

Founded in 1999, Maryland Coalition of Families (MCF) is a statewide nonprofit with a central office in Columbia, Md., and staff located in communities throughout the state. Using personal experience as parents, caregivers, youth and other loved ones, we connect, support and empower Maryland’s families. Our staff provide one-to-one support to parents and caregivers of people with mental health, substance use or gambling issues. We also advocate to improve systems that impact individuals with behavioral health challenges.

Overview

Maryland Coalition of Families (MCF) has a full-time (40 hours per week) employment opportunity for a Family Peer Support Specialist (FPSS) to serve families in PG County. The candidate must have personal (not work-related) experience as a primary caregiver of a transition youth (18-26 y/o) who has/had mental health needs. After training and orientation, the Family Peer Support Specialist will provide family-to-family support, education, advocacy, coaching, information, referrals and follow-up to families seeking assistance.

Essential Duties and Responsibilities:

• Provide support, encouragement, and education to help families, caregivers, and allies who care about someone transitioning from youth to adulthood, who have experienced or are experiencing mental health needs, navigate behavioral health, social, legal, educational, and health care systems.
• Offer a strengths-based, non-judgmental, solutions-oriented approach to helping families, caregivers and allies identify challenges and needs and develop a plan to overcome them.
• Provide opportunities for families, caregivers, and allies to engage in activities which help and encourage them to build a natural support network.
• Educate families, caregivers and allies about available resources and facilitate access as needed.
• Educate families, caregivers, and allies regarding their rights in various systems.
• Advocate on behalf of the families, caregivers, and allies with key stakeholders in various systems with they are involved to ensure needs are met.
• Support families, caregivers, and allies to be equal partners in planning, implementing, monitoring, and evaluating plans of care or service.
• Facilitate educational workshops for families, caregivers and allies related to behavioral health topics or other subjects relevant to the community.
• Build and maintain strong, positive partnerships with behavioral health, child-serving agencies, and other service providers.
• Act as an ambassador to disseminate information and raise awareness about all MCF programs and services.
• Contribute relevant and timely information to a centralized directory of various types of resources, including behavioral health, financial, legal, housing, and basic needs as well as curate resources specific to program focus area (i.e., substance use, problem gambling, mental health, early childhood, child welfare, DJS, co-occurring, etc.).
• Maintain accurate and timely documentation regarding delivery of services.
• Stay abreast of emerging issues within the field of family peer support and specific program focus area through a commitment to professional growth and continued learning.
• Represent MCF on various state and local committees, commissions and boards as assigned to increase awareness of family peer support and provide family voice as part of conversations related to policies, systems, and other issues that impact families, caregivers, and allies.
• Contribute positively to a community of peers supporting each other in the delivery of high-quality services to families, caregivers, and allies.
• Other duties as assigned

Qualifications:

• Personal, lived experience as a family member or primary caregiver of a transition youth (18-26 y/o) who has/had mental health needs.
• Must live in PG County
• High school diploma or equivalent; some combination of college and/or professional work experience preferred.
• Familiarity with state and local resources and knowledge of how to access them.
• Prior experience assisting other families to obtain appropriate services and supports for their child or family members is desirable.
• Familiarity and comfort with public speaking and conducting outreach to the community preferred.
• Willingness and strong ability to build and maintain partnerships with agencies and providers.
• Active listening skills for providing non-judgmental peer support to families with a strengths-based perspective.
• Strong written and oral communication skills.
• Strong computer skills and the ability to efficiently utilize internet search to identify resources.
• Ability or willingness to learn how to use a database (Salesforce).
• Current Maryland driver’s license and access to own vehicle; in-state travel required.
• Successful completion of a background check.

Hours/Compensation

• Full-Time/40 hours per week.
• Flexible work schedule.
• Salary: $18/Per Hour
• MCF provides equipment, mileage reimbursement, and paid training.
• Full benefits include generous paid time off (2-Weeks Vacation, 2-Weeks Sick leave, 3-Personal days, 2-Floating holidays, 11-Holidays per year), health plans, dental, vision, life insurance, FSA, long-term disability, 401(k), and EAP.