Family/Youth Peer Advisor

Overview

At The New York Foundling, we trust in the power and potential of people, and we deliberately invest in proven practices. From bold beginnings in 1869, our New York-based nonprofit has supported hundreds of thousands of our neighbors on their own paths to stability, strength, and independence. We help children and families navigate through and beyond foster care. We help families struggling with conflict and poverty grow strong. We help individuals with developmental disabilities live their best lives, and we help our neighbors access quality health and mental health services—core to building lifelong resilience and wellbeing. Together, our interrelated programs provide a whole-person, whole-family, and whole-life approach that unlocks solutions for a lifetime.

The Family and Youth Peer Advisor serves as a Trainer and Consultant. In this role, the Family and Youth Peer Advisor will provide information, consultation, and technical assistance to FPAs and YPAs in the DOHMH-funded Family and Youth Peer Support (FYPS) programs and assist in developing training and curricula.

Salary Range: $60,690 to $67,990/ year

Responsibilities

The Family Peer Advisor serves as a Trainer and Consultant. In this role, the Family and Youth Peer Advisor will provide information, consultation, and technical assistance to FPAs and YPAs in the DOHMH-funded Family and Youth Peer Support (FYPS) programs and assist in developing training and curricula.

Reports To The Assigned Manager And/or Assistant Vice President:

Research & Training

• Responsible for planning and implementing activities associated with carrying out assigned program’s vision
• Be prepared to train FYPS and any other Non-FYPS staff on family or youth-guided practice and key principles of family and youth peer support
• Develop and provides training, consultation calls with team assigned or staff. Able to train and consult with participant in navigating the mental health system and individual lived expertise.
• Able to identify and engage key participants, identifying systemic strengths and weaknesses, and developing an SFC referral/community linkage
• Monitors training needs, competencies of FYPS Staff, SFC teams, and development needs
• Ensures ongoing programmatic excellence, quality management, infrastructure to support and advance the services needed to meet community and programs need
• Research Evidence Based Models, create workshops, and support with selected parent implementation models being offered through SFC
• Organize, structure and support with conducting scheduled Parent implementation Cohort calls.
• Continued awareness of state and city regulations and protocols to provide up to date trainings and information
• Knowledge of behavioral health systems in NYC
  
  

Evaluation Specialist

• Proactively recommend alterations when the current systems/training aren’t serving the program or fail to comply with standards of organizational/center goals.
• Support program(s) look at a set of data and seek out trends and utilize the information to meet targets.
• Collaborate with external and internal stakeholders to provide training as needed (incident reports, QLIK, evolv, Maven.)
• Motivate internal/external team towards achieving outcomes.
• Assist in creating and create training content and other materials needed for the trainings in the SFC Center utilizing external experts for area of specific focus.
• Provide supportive and corrective feedback to trainees to promote positive outcomes post training.
  
  

Documentation

• Maintain an organized weekly schedule of meetings and update Outlook calendar daily to ensure supervisor and team are aware of schedule.
• Assure documentation (data entry) for contacts, incidents, and reports are submitted timely (as indicated by program).
• Promptly report related concerns to supervisor and agency staff.
• Able to identify and engage key participants, identifying systemic strengths and weaknesses, developing a workshop/community linkage, and provide Evidence based models to offer from the SFC.
• Adhere to program protocols and procedures and maintains clear, concise, and accurate approved documentation that demonstrates compliance with DOHMH funders and meeting the Foundling’s expectation.
  
  

Coaching and Professional Development

• Participate in weekly or biweekly individual coaching with supervisor and group coaching with SFC team to discuss programs needs and identify areas for improvements.
• Supporting the coaching and mentoring process by proactively co-creating the coaching agenda.
• Participation in training and self-study to ensure that knowledge remains sharp and relevant to the work with programs.
• Attend trainings as required to maintain techniques and skills.
• Receive supervision from NY Foundling leadership. Attend mandatory supervision and consultation in both virtual and in-person setting as identified by direct supervisor.
• Must obtain supervisor of peer advocates credential and obtain this credential in your role.
• Attend in state and out of state conferences pertaining to the field of expertise and expected to provide summary of conference to the SFC Center.
  
  

Engagement And Collaboration With Stakeholders:

Effective collaboration and regular communication with agency and external stakeholders to update them on the SFC center and services, progress, and remove any barriers to Key Performance Indicators.

• Prompt and rapid communication when training materials are due and/or need additional support.
• Adopt a strength focused approach with advocates, stakeholders, and within the program/treatment team.
• Supports with event and program management. This includes Convening planning committees, managing follow-up and Coordinating event logistics and debriefs.
• Maintains additional communication with multiple layers within the organization and with external partners/provider within FYPS Alliance teams
• Coordinate efforts to solve local problems and assist in implementing solutions
• Attend all required agency trainings. Participates in all FYPS model program trainings, supervision and consultation activities
  
  

Other Duties:

• Available for meetings and events held by the SFC Center
• Integration into the larger CBES, CWBH, and NY Foundling programs.
• Integration into the larger peer advocacy network within NY state and city
• Attending all mandatory staff meetings.
• Willing and able to work flexible hours. Some evenings and weekends may be required.
• Willingness to provide coverage support as needed to peers/team members.
• Respond to email correspondence in a timely manner and maintain client confidentiality.
• Flexible and able to work both independently and with a team
• Ability to maintain a flexible schedule that can allow work from field, office, stakeholder offices, or other location, and as needed for programming and meeting deliverables.
  
  

Organizational Expectations Include:

• Regular and punctual time and attendance, and adherence to The Foundling’s and your department’s specific time and attendance policies and protocol.
• Consistent demonstrated commitment to The Foundling’s BHAG, mission, vision and values (Compassion, Dignity, Family and Community, Diversity, Excellence).
• Adherence to The Foundling’s employee policies, Code of Conduct and applicable rules, laws, regulations or bargaining agreements.
• Appropriate engagement with support departments to ensure appropriate and timely hiring, performance management, investigation, discipline, suspension, and restructuring decisions concerning direct reports.
• Any other duties and/or tasks that may be assigned.
  
  

Access to adequate in-home space and internet access for hybrid work as needed

Salary Range: $60,690 to $67,990/ year

The New York Foundling is committed to attracting and retaining a diverse employee population, the Foundling will honor your experiences, perspectives and unique identity. Together, our community strives to create and maintain working and learning environments that are inclusive, equitable and welcoming.

Qualifications

Lived Experience with above requirements

Qualifications:

• At least three (3) years of experience working as a Family or Youth Peer Advocate or similar role who specialize in navigating one or more of the following children and adolescent serving systems: Education, Foster Care, Substance Use, Juvenile Justice, or navigating the mental health system.
• or At least four (4) years of experience working as or having had have lived experience navigating the mental health system and experience working as a Family or Youth Peer Advocate.
• License in MHC or other preferred
  
  

Other Requirements (e.g., Required Licenses, Language Ability) :

• Be proficient in Microsoft Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Internet, Email, Virtual Communication platforms (Teams/zoom/other) and Data entry systems.
• Must be organized, creative, responsive, dependable, and accountable
• Must be an energetic, confident, and positive individual who can easily build rapport
• Excellent critical thinking, written and verbal communication, and problem-solving skills required.
• Ability to work with a wide variety of stakeholders and manage multiple deadlines and projects as necessary.
• Awareness of state and city regulations and protocols
• Experience with and willingness to work with culturally diverse populations, computer literacy, able to research current information on medical, social and legal issues.
• Some experience and comfort with speaking to large audiences
• Knowledge of the Community at large
• Must have knowledge and understanding of Family and Youth Peer support
• Experience engaging stakeholders with diverse backgrounds and perspectives around a common concern
• Demonstrate ability to speak effectively and professionally in public to a variety of audiences
• Must possess professional demeanor, and communications,
• Must possess strong group facilitation skills, must be a team player, must have excellent organizational skills, local and occasional overnight travel may be required.
• Ability to form relationships with strategic partners; ie., government agencies, non-profit agencies, schools and faith-based communities, model developers and subject experts
• EXPERT in Microsoft Office {which also include, excel, word, and Publisher}
• Ability to follow guidance and plan accordingly
• Comfortable and adaptable to changes
• Take initiative and a team-player
• Experience with cross-agency collaboration
• Skills to manage own and team “self-care” to prevent burnout
• License in MHC or other preferred
  
  

Education Required

High School / G.E.D.