YMCI Family Support Specialist

Schedule: TBD

Salary: $25.00 / hour

Vinfen provides Community Crisis Services as part of our Community Behavioral Health Center (CBHC), including both crisis intervention services and crisis stabilization services, both are 24/7. Crisis intervention may be completed at the CBHC or in the community. The Family Support Specialist will provide supportive services to parents and caregivers for eligible youth experiencing a behavioral health crisis with the goal of diverting children and youth in crisis from the hospital Emergency Department.

The Family Support Specialist will participate in the assessment and treatment planning process and discharge planning, providing information and referrals to other supportive services for the family, and orienting families to crisis intervention and stabilization services and supporting goal-setting in support of the child/youth. The Family Support Specialist must have "lived experience" as a parent/primary caregiver of a child or youth who is/has been involved in the Mental Health System.

Job Duties and Responsibilities:

The essential job duties/responsibilities of the position include but are not limited to the information listed below:

• Creates a welcoming environment for parents, families, and other community members who identify as supporters in which families/supporters are respected and valued. Orients them to the services their loved one may receive; shares personal experiences with and engages their participation in helping the child or youth to meet their treatment and service goals.
• Provides hope, encouragement, information, and one-to-one support to youth's parents/families, and other supporters during the behavioral health crisis and after.
• Participates in assessment to collect current and historical family/supporters information with focus on understanding the youth's family/supporter relationships and their impact on the youth.
• Assists parents/families and supporters to identify, understand, and plan for the strengths and needs of the youth.
• Provides family psychoeducation to families, supporters, and guardians. Refers families/supporters to resources in the community for family support and education when appropriate; including NAMI Family-to-Family groups.
• Assists families and caregivers in understanding and navigating systems.

• Trains and mentors colleagues in maintaining a family/supporter perspective in their work.
• Employs trauma informed, recovery-oriented, person-centered, culturally competent and strengths based approaches and skills training techniques in their work.
• Provides competency-based clinical evidence-based interventions and best practices, including

Motivational Interviewing; Harm Reduction; Screening, Brief Intervention, Referral and Treatment (SBIRT); Housing First; Stages of Change, as well as the development of Safety Plans and Crisis Prevention and Response Plans, and 8 Dimensions of Wellness.

• Helps develop and sustain the VBH Advisory Council and support families/supporters who express interest in joining.

We are committed to you! We offer great training, great benefits, career growth and job security!

• Medical, Dental and Vision Insurance for employees working 30 hours or more
• 15 days of Vacation, 12 Paid Holidays, 10 Sick Days and 3 Personal Days per year (for employees scheduled for 20 hours or more)
• Education Assistance and Tuition Remission Programs as well as innovative Student Loan Payment Programs. Employment with Vinfen counts toward your Public Student Loan Forgiveness eligibility
• Professional Development programs including year-round online training courses and opportunities to earn CEUs
• Retirement savings programs, including a fully funded, employer sponsored retirement plan and an employee funded 403 (b) plan
• Company paid Life, Accidental Death & Dismemberment and Long-Term Disability Insurance
• Voluntary Term, Whole Life, Accident and Critical Care Insurance
• Flexible Spending Reimbursement Accounts (Health and Dependent care)
• $500 -- $1,000+ Employee Referral Bonuses with no annual cap!
• Other generous benefits including discounted memberships, access to wellness programs and more!

About Us

Established in 1977, Vinfen is a nonprofit, health and human services organization and a leading provider of community-based services to individuals with mental health conditions, intellectual and developmental disabilities, brain injuries, and behavioral health challenges. Our services and advocacy promote the recovery, resiliency, habilitation, and self-determination of the people we serve. Vinfen's 3,200 dedicated employees are experienced, highly-trained professionals who provide a full range of supportive living, health, educational, and clinical services in 318 programs throughout Massachusetts and Connecticut. For more information about Vinfen, please visit www.vinfen.org/careers

Vinfen is an Equal Opportunity Employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, pregnancy, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, age, protected veteran status, or disability status.

• A high school diploma or equivalent is required.
• First-hand experience, primary responsibility for, or substantial involvement with, a child or family member receiving services through the mental health system strongly preferred.
• Demonstrated knowledge of behavioral health systems and services, DMH and DCF resources, special education law and services, as well as other social services resources, including how to access such services is strongly preferred.
• Preference to those representative of the demographics of the youth served by the program, and / or are bi-lingual or multi-cultural.
• Must be able to become CPR and First Aid Certified within two weeks of hire. Trainings are provided by Vinfen upon hire.
• Must be able to successfully pass a CORI, SORI, education, employment verification and drivers record check.