Front Porch Family Partner

About Children's Service of Roxbury:
Founded in 1972, Children's Services of Roxbury's (CSR) is the largest Black owned and operated non-profit in the region. Our mission is to provide high quality services to economically disadvantaged children, youth, families, and individuals thereby promoting and strengthening family life and individual growth. CSR serves approximately 6,000 families across Massachusetts, serving families through four key services areas; Early Education and Care, Behavioral Health Services, Youth and Family Services and Housing and Stabilization. There are 22 programs operating under those four services areas.  As a statewide organization, CSR serves residents across the Commonwealth, serving Greater Springfield, Holyoke, Worcester, Lowell, Lawrence, and surrounding communities, in addition to our Roxbury-based program serving Greater Boston residents.

Overview:
The Front Porch initiative provides access to vital services, resources, and warm connections to community partners without barriers. Barriers are numerous and varied for services and could include 1) access to mental health services without the barrier of a required diagnosis that prevents children from care or 2) access to housing stabilization services for families before they enter shelter, a service supported for families after they leave shelter and find housing. Children's Services of Roxbury pairs parents with a Front Porch Family Partner to navigate the resources for achieving their personal goals. Family Partners have lived experience and complete intensive training through CSR's behavioral health department. These experiences and skills combine to develop trusting bonds with parents experiencing complex challenges and using the parents' strengths to grow individually and support their families.

Position Summary:

The Front Porch Family Partner provides one-on-one, strength-based support to parents and caregivers enrolled in the CSR Housing Program and the Early Education Childcare Center. This role focuses on building supportive, empowering relationships that help caregivers strengthen their parenting skills and confidence while navigating their own emotional and behavioral health needs.

Services are delivered in a variety of settings where the caregiver resides or receives care- including the home, temporary housing, childcare centers, and other community-based environments. The Family Partner collaborates directly with parents/caregivers and the referral source to ensure a team is developed to meet the needs and the goals of the caregiver.

The primary purpose of the Family Partner role is to increase the caregiver's capacity to support their own emotional and behavioral needs, which may include building capacity to utilize community resources to address basic needs (housing, food, childcare, etc). This is a community-based position rooted in cultural humility, shared experience, and advocacy.

Essential Duties and Responsibilities:

• Support caregivers in developing skills to identify, access, and navigate community resources and services for their own well-being and stability, including learning how to advocate for themselves and link to support networks that foster personal growth and resilience.
• Partner with caregivers to explore and implement personal goals that enhance their capacity to thrive emotionally, socially, and practically — as aligned with broader care plans or service supports.
• Participate in shelter meetings not only to advocate for the family but to empower the caregiver's voice in decision-making processes and goal-setting for themselves.
• Collaborate with systems partners (such as DMH, DCF, DYS, DPH, etc.) to ensure caregivers are supported and informed participants in the planning and coordination of their own services, while helping them navigate complex systems confidently.
• Facilitate Action Plan Meetings as a supportive ally to the caregiver, ensuring their perspectives, needs, and strengths are acknowledged and integrated.
• Attend weekly team staff meetings to maintain alignment with the team and receive ongoing training and support.
• Participate in Parent Café programming-ensuring caregivers are invited and involved in this parent led community.
• Make referrals to needed services (behavioral health, etc)
• Maintain regular communication with the Front Porch Director and provide updates on caregiver progress, challenges, and needs.
• Complete documentation and data entry accurately and on time to ensure high-quality service delivery and accountability.

Education/Required Skills and Experience:
Experience as a caregiver of a youth with special needs and preferably a youth with mental health needs. (Family caregiver refers to any biological, kinship, foster and/or adoptive family/caregiver responsible for the care of a youth).

• Bachelor's degree in human services field from an accredited university and one (1) year of experience working with the target population, or
• Associate's degree in a Human Service field from an accredited school and one (1) year of experience working with children/adolescents/transition age youth, and/or high school diploma or GED and a minimum of two (2) years' experience working with children/adolescents/transition age youth.
• Experience navigating any of the child and family–serving systems and teaching family members who are involved with the child and family serving systems.
• Ability to appropriately use personal experience in navigating medical/mental health system
• Must possess a current valid driver's license and reliable transportation, must have proof of automobile insurance.
• Must have exceptional writing and communication skills
• Provide culturally competent services to ensure that the there is a recognition of economic status, gender, sexual orientation, ethnicity, race, language and the unique values and goals for each youth and family.
• Willingness and ability to seek consultation and additional services when necessary to overcome barriers impacting the delivery of care

Benefits:

• Paid sick leave
• Health, vision and dental insurance
• 401K plan
• Access to free, on-line CEU approved educational courses
• Employee discounts program providing discounts on thousands of products and services
• Work with a professional, dedicated and compassionate team of people
• Help us continue the important work of changing and saving lives