Family support specialist job description

Job DescriptionAt Brigham Health, we place great value on being a diverse and inclusive community. Brigham Health and the Department of Social Work are dedicated to diversity, equity and inclusion as we aim to reflect the diversity of the patients in our local community. We have a dedicated focus on equity. Thus, we believe in equal access to quality care, employment and advancement opportunities encompassing the full spectrum or human diversity: race, gender, sexual orientation, religion, ethnicity, national origin and all the other forms of human presence and expression that make us better able to provide innovative and cutting-edge healthcare and research.

To develop and implement informational, educational, and emotionally supportive programs to families of BWH NICU babies and to BWH NICU staff within the NICU setting. This is a part-time position (up to 20 hours); some evening or weekend work will be required.
Program Management

Develops new and supports existing BWH programs for our NICU Families. This includes organizing and facilitating parent coffee hours, arranging guest speakers, celebrating significant holidays and distributing various NICU materials
Family Advocacy

Serve as a family/patient advocate to develop programs, services, support and education to improve the experience of NICU families as they adjust to having a baby in the NICU, taking their baby home, and seeking community support and services as needed Facilitate effective communication between families and providers to enhance family-centered care and ensure common goals. Negotiate and mitigate family expectations to promote satisfaction, ensure quality and safety to minimize risk Conduct rounds with families to obtain feedback regarding the family's hospital experience
Administrative Support

Collaborate with BWH NICU Administration to support and facilitate the BWH NICU Parent Advisory Council by soliciting professionals and NICU graduate parents as new group members Assist with the development and implementation of service improvement initiatives within the NICU. Works to optimize usefulness of publications, web sites including Facebook, and educational materials for NICU Families Participate on departmental and organizational improvement teams
Resource/Operations Strategy

Proactively monitor trends in patient/family concerns to identify systematic, process, or cultural barriers to the delivery of patient/family-centered care Seek opportunities for appropriate family participation in the development of institutional improvement strategies Tracks parent and family satisfaction and designs strategies to increase satisfaction Identifies useful and appropriate resources/materials for NICU/preemie families and works collaboratively with others in the department to ensure they are successfully made available Represents the voice of the families on the various NICU initiatives and teams and reviews material or letters that would be sent to the families
Education/Training

Provide training/education in the NICU on establishing effective interpersonal connections with families Identify opportunities for staff education and facilitate learning of staff in improving our NICU family experience Work collaboratively with BWH NICU staff to educate them on the perspectives of NICU families
Department Liaison

Collaborate with BWH NICU staff, NICU Parent Advisory Group, BWH Volunteer Services, and volunteers to implement NICU Family Support programs Serve as liaison between families, staff management, Patient Relations Department and Administration. Cultivate and maintain relationships with BWH NICU administrators, physicians, nurses, social workers and other staff, as well as NICU parents and extended family members


Qualifications
Minimum Qualifications:

Bachelor's degree in Psychology, Education, Public Health or related field required. Experience working with parents and families in NICU setting preferred. Experience as a NICU parent strongly preferred. Bilingual preferred, and able to speak English and another language, preferably Spanish, Portuguese or French/Creole.
Competencies:

Basic knowledge of the emotional and medical issues inherent in a NICU hospitalization Requires ability to advocate for families in a complex ICU environment Requires excellent leadership skills to bring about improvement in organizational culture Requires excellent interpersonal skills with families in crisis Requires skills in working with teams to achieve goals Requires excellent negotiation skills in a diverse and multicultural environment Requires high level of sensitivity to confidential information Requires excellent verbal, written and presentation skills and ability to effectively communicate with all levels of the organization Requires superior organizational skills, with ability to function independently and effectively in a fast-paced environment, develop and meet deadlines, prioritize multiple projects, and manage time effectively Must be willing/able to attend assigned training sessions, including off-site training as assigned.


EEO Statement
Brigham and Women's Hospital is an Affirmative Action Employer. By embracing diverse skills, perspectives and ideas, we choose to lead. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religious creed, national origin, sex, age, gender identity, disability, sexual orientation, military service, genetic information, and/or other status protected under law. We will ensure that all individuals with a disability are provided a reasonable accommodation to participate in the job application or interview process, to perform essential job functions, and to receive other benefits and privileges of employment. Partner's Healthcare is acting as an Employment Agency in relation to this vacancy.

1035 Cambridge Street
Work Days: 9-5
Category: Human and Social Services
Department: SAMHSA Safety Net Approach
Job Type: Full time
Work Shift: Day
Hours/Week: 40.00
Union: No
Union Name: Non Union
DEPARTMENT DESCRIPTION:
Cambridge Health Alliance has a vibrant academic community with strong education, training and research programs. We are proud to have 700 providers on the faculty at Harvard or Tufts University School of Medicine. Currently we are recruiting for a Family Support Specialist who can do the following:
Summary:
The Family Support Specialist (FSS) brings a key family perspective to clinical teams providing Integrated Child Mental Health and Pediatric Care (ICMH-PC).
In that context, they can help translate between the professional culture and the family's culture, building trust and facilitating critical information sharing.
That two-way process, clarifying communication about symptoms, diagnoses and treatment planning, enhances engagement between parents and clinicians, so that children and youth are more likely to receive needed mental health services.

Key Responsibilities:
Identify support services for children and families based on the ICMH-PC team's evaluation of the child's needs
Conduct home visits, when appropriate, to supplement office-based assessment; or to facilitate contact with home-bound caregivers and clarify any additional needs, such as parenting education, or discuss potential referrals for other services related to their child's mental health
Coordinate resource information and service recommendations with the integrated clinical team, including the PCP, the Child Mental Health specialist, Nursing staff and the Social Case Worker for the clinic
Provide emotional support (under clinical supervision), to families in crisis and assist with urgent access to clinical care
Attend regular meetings with physicians and other staff at the clinic, to hear their concerns on behalf of families who may have missed an appointment, not connected with a referral or who are otherwise at-risk
Assist with parent communication during Initial Child Mental Health Consultation visits at Pediatric Clinic, as well as any follow-up episodes; including identification of areas of disagreement or confusion on the part of the family
Follow-up with identified families, either at the clinic or in their homes, at the request of the clinical team, regarding the child's mental health status or treatment needs
Bring new information back to the ICMH-PC team (and document in the EMR) so that the plan can be clarified or changed to better fit the family's needs, or other steps taken to improve family engagement.

MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS:
Work Experience:
Experience as a parent or caregiver of a child with special health care needs important for other parents to know the FSS person has been there, and can understand what families go through
Prior experience advocating for families beside their own, learning when and how to share their own stories as examples, and how to collaborate with clinicians and/or other professionals
Ability to represent family voice on the clinical team when interventions are being discussed, but, also, at a leadership level, if asked. For example, capacity to represent the family perspective regarding such things as development of useful resource materials for clinic families, or strategies for health promotion in the community
Positive interpersonal presence as a team member
Preferably bi-cultural and bi-lingual, when needed for the population being served


THIS IS A VERY UNIQUE OPPORTUNITY AND ALL QUALIFIED CANDIDATES WILL RECEIVE CONSIDERATION. APPLICANTS WHO INCLUDE A COVER LETTER SUMMARIZING THEIR SPECIFIC "LIVED" EXPERIENCE WILL RECEIVE PRIORITY REVIEW.
Other Experience Critical to the role:

The FSS provides what is often called peer-to-peer support. A "parent" includes the child's birth, foster, or adoptive parent or guardian - a person who, over time, has been the primary caregiver for the child.
Peer-to-peer parent support or FSS provider is someone with current or previous experience raising a child or youth with emotional, behavioral, or mental health challenges.
They must have navigated the service systems on behalf of their child and be able to draw from their personal experience to support, mentor, and empower other families, and be able to bring the perspective of a parent to the care planning process.



In keeping with federal, state and local laws, Cambridge Health Alliance (CHA) policy forbids employees and associates to discriminate against anyone based on race, religion, color, gender, age, marital status, national origin, sexual orientation, gender identity, veteran status, disability or any other characteristic protected by law. We are committed to establishing and maintaining a workplace free of discrimination. We are fully committed to equal employment opportunity. We will not tolerate unlawful discrimination in the recruitment, hiring, termination, promotion, salary treatment or any other condition of employment or career development. Furthermore, we will not tolerate the use of discriminatory slurs, or other remarks, jokes or conduct, that in the judgment of CHA, encourage or permit an offensive or hostile work environment.

$39,200/year salary!

Generous benefit package!

58 Paid Days off to start!

Job Details

In the Early Childhood Program the Bilingual Family Support Specialist/Parent Involvement will provide comprehensive family support services, advocacy, case management, development of Family Success Plan, daily Head Start/Early Head Start Center visits, parent education/training, school involvement, parent involvement, social services, linkage and referral, and crisis intervention. Facilitate, communicate, and collaborate with program partners. Assist in the development, coordination and implementation of a family and child centered program to enhance parent involvement and parenting groups.

Requirements

Bachelor's Degree and fluency in English and Spanish.
Prefer two years' experience in social services or a degree in social work or a related field.
Generally, has one to two years' experience working with youth/adults/families, case management/home visitation, skills in group facilitation, knowledge of community resources.
Must be bi-lingual in English and Spanish and have strong communication skills.
Ability to handle multiple tasks; strong interpersonal skills; ability to work across cultures; skill in developing respectful relationships with families.
Must possess a valid Driver License and satisfactory driving record and use personal automobile to travel to locations other than primary office. [mileage reimbursement provided*]

Drug-Free Workplace

This job is classified as a “safety-sensitive” position as defined by the Oklahoma Medical Marijuana and Patient Protection Act. Possession of a medical marijuana license will not exclude any applicant; however, all employees are subject to the Family & Children's Services Drug Free Workplace Policy.

Education
Required
Bachelors or better in Psychology or related field
Licenses & Certifications
Required
Drivers License

Equal Opportunity Employer/Protected Veterans/Individuals with Disabilities

The contractor will not discharge or in any other manner discriminate against employees or applicants because they have inquired about, discussed, or disclosed their own pay or the pay of another employee or applicant. However, employees who have access to the compensation information of other employees or applicants as a part of their essential job functions cannot disclose the pay of other employees or applicants to individuals who do not otherwise have access to compensation information, unless the disclosure is (a) in response to a formal complaint or charge, (b) in furtherance of an investigation, proceeding, hearing, or action, including an investigation conducted by the employer, or (c) consistent with the contractor's legal duty to furnish information. 41 CFR 60-1.35(c)