Job Description

Peer Family Mentor

Counseling Office, Kent

Full-Time, 40 Hours/Week

$20.00-$23.00/Hour

The Ohio START Family Peer Mentor helps families navigate the child welfare and other systems by providing peer support and promoting healing to keep children safe and families together. The Ohio START Family Peer Mentor serves families referred to the public children services agency (PCSA) due to child maltreatment with substance use being the primary risk factor. The Ohio START Family Peer Mentor serves as a member of the local START team along with the child welfare caseworker, child welfare supervisor, and behavioral health service provider. The goal of the entire team is to keep children safe and families together. The Ohio START Family Peer Mentor will have a caseload of no more than 10-12 families.

SUPERVISOR: Clinical Director or Designee

DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES:

• Participate as an active member of the Ohio START team.

• Assist with the safety of the child(ren) by working collaboratively with the Ohio START case worker and behavioral health provider to ensure the seamless and efficient delivery of intensive wrap-around services to the START families on their caseload.

• Participate in initial meetings, weekly status meetings and Family Team Meetings to review families’ progress and child safety in their respective cases.

• Provide continual exploration of family’s needs to empower the family to take ownership over their long-term successes and the safety of the child(ren).

• Support the parent(s) to achieve personal independence.

• Connect START families to community resources.

• Teach families skills to effectively navigate the child welfare system.

• Assist families to identify and access natural support systems in the community.

• Promote coordination and linkage among providers within local community.

• Coordinate access to crisis intervention services and assist with family stabilization.

• Teach START families self-advocacy and empowerment skills.

• Identify barriers (internal and external) to full participation in community resources and develop strategies to overcome those barriers.

• Provide input on court forms as needed; and

• Provide input on development of the case plan and child safety. Other duties as assigned.

The Duties and Responsibilities above represent the most significant duties of this position, but do not exclude other assignments that would be within the qualification and responsibility levels of this position.

Requirements

MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS:

• High School Diploma or GED

• Demonstrate long term recovery (at least 2 years is required, three years is preferred) from a substance use disorder.

• Demonstrate no ongoing criminal activity.

• Have lived experience with the child welfare system as a parent, with the case closed at least one year, or indirect lived experience with the child welfare system. Indirect lived experience means the candidate navigated a system (mental health, SUD recovery, public benefits, court, etc.) coupled with 1) intervention by a relative who took informal/formal custody of their child(ren), 2) an understanding of how their substance use/recovery affected their own children, or 3) raising a child of a relative/friend with a substance use disorder.

• Maintain a current driver’s license; and

• Be certified by the Ohio Department of Behavioral Health as an Ohio Peer Recovery Supporter or agree and have the ability to become certified upon hiring.

The START Family Peer Mentor should have knowledge or be able to attain knowledge of:

• Alcohol and drugs (pharmacology)

• Behaviors associated with addiction

• Court processes

• Diversity

• Ethics

• Family dynamics

• Family Team Meetings

• Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA)

• Human behavior

• Local resources and services

• Maintaining confidentiality

• Medically Assisted Treatment (MAT)

• Navigating systems

• Pathology of addiction

• Process of recovery

• Ohio START Program

• Self-help programs

• Signs of child abuse and neglect

• Trauma Informed Care

• Behavioral health and/or substance use treatment options

The START Family Peer Mentor should have skills in:

• Advocacy

• Coaching

• Communication (listening, verbal, nonverbal, written)

• Computers and technology

• Coping

• Crisis intervention

• Cultural competency

• De-escalation

• Driving

• Motivational interviewing

• Multi-tasking

• Negotiation

• Networking

• Observation

• Organization

• Parenting

• Problem solving

• Professionalism

• Setting personal/professional boundaries

• Time management

The ideal candidate will possess the following traits:

• Common sense

• Compassion

• Creativity

• Empathy

• Honesty

• Integrity

• Non-judgmental

• Open-minded

• Patience

• Personable

• Positivity

• Professional courage

• Reliability

• Self-motivation

• Sympathy

• Tolerance

LICENSES OR CERTIFICATIONS REQUIRED:

• Unrestricted State of Ohio driver’s license

COMPLIANCE:

This position requires compliance with AFS’ written standards, including its Compliance Program and Standards of Conduct and policies and procedures. Such compliance will be an element considered as part of the regular performance evaluation.

Failure to comply with AFS’ Written Standards, which may include the failure to report any conduct or event that potentially violates legal or compliance requirements or AFS’ Written Standards or, for managers and supervisors, fails to detect non-compliant conduct where reasonable efforts would have resulted in detection, will be met by the enforcement of disciplinary action, up to and including possible termination, in accordance with AFS’ Compliance Program Policy and Procedure: Addressing Instances of Non-Compliance through Appropriate Disciplinary Actions.

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. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

While performing the duties of this job, the employee is regularly required to sit, and use hands to finger handle or feel; to talk; or hear. The employee is frequently required to reach with hands and arms. The employee must occasionally stand, walk, climb or balance, stoop, kneel, crouch or crawl. The employee must be able to frequently lift up to 25 pounds. The employee may occasionally be required to lift 25 to 50 pounds; however, this is not essential; duties may be shifted to accommodate lifting restrictions.

WORK ENVIRONMENT:

The work environment characteristics described here are representative of those an employee encounters while performing the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

While performing the duties of this job, the employee is frequently required to use close vision (clear vision at 20 inches or less). The employee will occasionally be working near moving mechanical parts, be exposed to outdoor weather conditions and exposed to a risk of electrical shock while running the copier, printer, other standard equipment and answering the telephone. The noise level in the work environment is low to moderate. Stress level can be high at times.

Note: This job description is not intended to be an exhaustive list of all duties, responsibilities or qualifications associated with the job.