Florence Crittenton Services is looking for a Parent Peer Support Specialist to provide case management and support to families in our PRTF Aftercare Program.
Florence Crittenton has been a resource for youth and families in the Topeka community for more than 100 years. Today, Florence Crittenton offers a continuum of behavioral health services including an Outpatient Mental Health Clinic, Psychiatric Residential Treatment Facility for girls and gender expansive youth aged 13-18, Center for Integrative Health, Stress Management Clinic, and Heat Up Topeka Community Wellness Program.
Primary Role:
The Parent Peer Support Specialist is responsible for providing assistance and support to the family of residents in our Psychiatric Residential Treatment Facility (PRTF) program. Parent Peer Support (PPS) services will be provided to families during the inpatient phase of treatment and continue throughout the resident’s transition back into the community and home settings to help ensure a successful discharge. While in the residential setting, PPS services will be provided throughout the resident’s stay on an ongoing weekly basis. For residents residing within 150 miles of the facility, additional PPS services will be provided as follows. The Parent Peer Support Specialist will attend portions of initial passes home with the resident to provide support within the family system as the resident adjusts to being back in the home setting. Upon discharge, PPS services will be provided as needed (a minimum of monthly) in home, community, and telehealth settings for up to 6 months. This will be for the purpose of aiding the resident and family in obtaining success and stability in the home/community until they become securely engaged with ongoing outpatient services and support, at which point PPS will discontinue. Parent Peer Support Specialists will complete additional tasks as follows. Provide clinical assessment and safety planning for families assigned to their caseload. Provide education, support, and crisis counseling to parents and guardians as needed. Participate in a multidisciplinary team in providing treatment programming to support residents’ treatment goals.
Essential Functions:
Treatment Planning and Counseling Activities:
- Provide coordination of services to a caseload of PRTF families.
- Facilitate family engagement around all aspects of treatment.
- Assist caregivers with discussing questions or concerns about medication, diagnosis, or treatment approaches with the providers and treatment team.
- Help caregivers articulate their goals and actively participate in their treatment plan during their child’s time in the PRTF.
- Provide parent-education, coaching and skills training to caregivers to aid in increasing their ability to provide a safe and supportive environment in the home and community for their child.
- Assist with increasing overall regulation of the family system by aiding families in identifying and using healthy coping strategies to decrease caregiver strain and reduce the risk of blocked care.
- Provide understanding of symptoms and behavior in the context of psychiatric needs related to the family system.
- Development and enhancement of the family’s specific problem-solving skills, coping mechanisms, and strategies for behavior management.
- Coordinate with all providers in the multidisciplinary team to ensure a cohesive goal directed treatment process.
- Participate in treatment team meetings and recommend appropriate therapeutic interventions for residents based upon knowledge of family strengths, needs, abilities, and preferences.
- Provide initial and ongoing assessment, case conceptualization, treatment/safety planning, transition/discharge planning, and progress reporting for resident families.
- Provide community and in home support to caregivers and residents for the purpose of aiding successful reintegration home.
- Assist caregivers with identifying and effectively responding to, or avoiding identified precursors or triggers that result in functional impairment.
- Provide crisis support and coaching for caregivers as needed.
- Provide on-call consultation and support on a rotation to support the treatment team.
- Collaborate with outside agencies for the purpose of care coordination to meet the unique needs of each client/family (i.e., referring agencies, hospitals, schools, mental health centers).
- Represent the agency in community activities at the direction of the Chief Executive Officer.
Performance Improvement and Training Activities:
- Participate in quarterly peer review process for the PRTF.
- Develop and conduct training on clinical topics for staff or outside agencies at the request of leadership.
- Meet individually with the Parent Peer Support Project Manager on a regular basis and for additional consultation as needed.
- Monitor own CEU hours accumulated and license renewals.
Administrative Activities:
- Assure that documentation is timely and accurately reflects services provided.
- Ensure timely development/reviews of treatment plans, treatment summaries, and other required documentation.
- Report directly to Case Management Supervisor.
- Collaborate with other departments, to provide coordinated services to the families and referring agencies.
- Support leadership and staff in special projects.
- Remain current on any regulations and/or guidelines applicable to their activities.
Qualifications:
- Bachelor’s degree in Social Work, Psychology, Counseling, or a Human Services field.
- Lived experience as a caregiver to a child with a Serious Emotional Disturbance (SED).
- Must complete parent peer support certification within 6 months of hire.
- Mental health, parent support, or case management experience.
- Knowledge of current trends and practices in treatment of children and adolescents.
- Knowledge of principals of social work and their application to a residential environment.
- Knowledge of mental illness, behavioral and maladaptive problems and the associated symptoms, treatment, and social implications.
- Knowledge of clinical diagnosis and treatment planning.
- Knowledge of child and adolescent development and behavior as well as normal and abnormal psychology.
- Knowledge of the emotional, social, economic, and cultural influences on adolescents.
- Knowledge of facility guidelines and/or contractual agreements, information sharing, and confidentiality.
- Ability to apply psychological theories and best practices.
- Ability to establish and maintain effective therapeutic relationships with parents by demonstrating compassion and ongoing empathy for parents who are experiencing blocked care.
- Ability to establish and maintain effective working relationships with co-workers.
- Ability to communicate effectively orally and in writing.
- Ability to write clear, concise, accurate reports.
- Basic computer skills, to include word processing, e-mail, spreadsheets.
- Working knowledge of the child welfare system.
- Working knowledge of the juvenile justice system.
- Ability to collaborate with all internal levels of organization and external contacts.
- Knowledge of evidence-based parenting strategies and experience collaborating with parents preferred.
Physical Demands:
- Read and write fluently in English.
- See well enough to read reports, monitor youth, drive a vehicle, and observe discreet behaviors.
- Hear well enough to converse on the telephone and hear comments mumbled under breath.
- Speak well enough to teach skills, give feedback, and discuss strategies and converse on telephone.
- Body movement or mobility to move around the building, including stairs, bend, stoop and/or reach as needed.
- Stamina to work on your feet, as needed, for 8-hour shifts.
- Remain awake and alert throughout the work shift.
- Frequently required to lift and move up to 10 lbs. occasionally required to lift and move up to 25 lbs. and 50 lbs. with assistance.
- Ability to push/pull up to 250 lbs during a physical restraint. Required to physically assist in the verbal and physical restraint of clients up to 250 lbs who need external controls.
- Satisfactory level of dexterity to complete various tasks including, but not limited to, operating a computer keyboard, cooking, or driving, leading exercise and activity groups.
Work Environment:
- Worker is subject to outside environmental conditions with regularity, inside conditions frequently, usually with protection from weather conditions but not necessarily from temperature changes.
- The work includes constant interruptions, inappropriate behaviors, and the potential for verbal and physical threats from youth.
Travel Requirements:
- Type - conferences, seminars, meetings, trainings, routine home visits, and community-based service delivery to families transitioned from PRTF to home setting.
- Qualifications – valid Driver’s License with an acceptable driving record.
Job Type: Full-time
Pay: $45,000.00 - $57,000.00 per year
Benefits:
- 401(k) matching
- Dental insurance
- Employee assistance program
- Flexible schedule
- Health insurance
- Life insurance
- Paid time off
- Referral program
- Tuition reimbursement
- Vision insurance
Healthcare setting:
- Children's hospital
- Community health center
- Outpatient
Medical specialties:
Schedule:
Application Question(s):
- Have you parented a child in your home who was diagnosed with a mental health disorder or Serious Emotional Disturbance (SED)?
Education:
Experience:
- case management: 1 year (Preferred)
- social services or mental health: 1 year (Preferred)
Ability to Relocate:
- Topeka, KS 66614: Relocate before starting work (Required)
Work Location: In person
