Family Support Partner

IMPORTANT NOTICE: Arlington County requires all applicants to thoroughly complete each section of the application, including prior job responsibilities, duties, and supplemental questions. While you may attach a resume, it will not replace a completed application. Incomplete applications will not be considered.

Arlington County's Behavioral Health Bureau, Child and Family Services Division within the Department of Human Services (DHS) is seeking a Family Support Partner (Bilingual) to join a dynamic and innovative team. The Bureau is responsible for providing comprehensive mental health and substance use services to help youth to function adequately in their environments and to help their families support them. Services for children and adolescents are provided in their homes, school, or community. The Family Support Partner will connect with and empower youth and their families through their own lived experience and will support individuals to achieve wellness.

A Family Support Partner (FSP) uses their own lived experience providing primary caregiving for youth involved in the children's system of care (school, social services, legal system, residential placement, community and behavioral health providers, hospitalization, etc.) through strategic self-disclosure to help other families navigate the system.  Services can be provided as a stand-alone service or as a part of a High-Fidelity Wraparound team.  The services are strength-based, individualized, person-centered, and growth-oriented supports which assists in promoting family advocacy, resiliency, and self-determination. These services are provided to the parent/caregiver of a youth or young adult under the age of 21, who has behavioral health, developmental, and/or substance use challenges which may put them at risk of being placed out of the home, has led them to be involved in multiple child-serving agencies and/or necessary to support the youth's return home from an out of home placement.  Family support services will be provided in multiple environments (primarily community-based), based on client's needs (i.e. home, school, court, community location, DHS office, etc.).

Specific duties include:

• Supporting and promoting an environment that emphasizes opportunities for all individuals to achieve wellness, while honoring family culture, voice, and choice;
• Serving as mentors, role models and "system navigators" to youth and families as they connect to resources and services necessary to support their individual growth and success;
• Assisting youth and families in understanding the key roles of professionals involved in their team, including behavioral health, child/youth welfare, legal and courts-based professionals, and how to negotiate their related systems;
• Collaborating with the youth and family's professional and natural support team to ensure the family's strengths, culture, and vision are considered to address their identified needs;
• Building trust with parents and caregivers by engaging in a confidential, respectful, non-judgmental, and supportive relationship and helping them gain knowledge and skills to promote self-efficacy;
• Documenting work with families in an electronic health record including detailed progress notes, and co-creating and implementing service plans;
• Participating in case and supervisory consultation and bringing concerns to the attention of the care coordinator and supervisor for discussion;
• Providing emergency crisis intervention to maintain safety and to provide services in the best interest of the youth; and
• Completing all training related to High Fidelity Wraparound and Family Support Partners and/or Peer Recovery Specialists, as required by the agency.

The ideal candidate will:

• Be self-directed and motivated and exhibit effective communication and advocacy skills, decisiveness, and responsibility to be able to clearly and informatively communicate decisions to stabilize safety and avert additional crises; and
• Possess general knowledge of the Child and Family Services Division and Arlington County child services system in order to provide information, resources, and behavioral health services to children and families.

Arlington County DHS is committed to delivering client services in an effective, equitable, respectful, and trauma-informed manner. Our staff is dedicated to ensuring our clients are approached, engaged and cared for in ways that demonstrate competency, sensitivity and awareness of factors which impact the client experience including but not limited to: cultural identity, gender, racial, and ethnic diversity, religious/spiritual ascription, physical capability, cognitive and literacy levels, sexual orientation, and linguistic needs.

Minimum:

• Bilingual (English/Spanish);
• Completion of the requirements for graduation from High school or GED program;
• One year of experience providing primary caregiving for a youth involved in the children's system of care; and
• Completion of Virginia DBHDS 72-hour Peer Recovery Specialist training within ninety days of hire date.

Licenses/Certifications:    Certification as a Peer Recovery Specialist (CPRS) and Registration as a Peer Recovery Specialist (RPRS) in Virginia within six months of hire (may be extended to one year for part-time positions).

High-Fidelity Wraparound - Family Support Partner training will be required when offered by the Department.

Desirables: Preference may be given to candidates with one or more of the following:

• Wellness Recovery Action Plan (WRAP) Facilitator Certification;
• Whole Health Action Management (WHAM) Facilitator Certification; and/or
• High-Fidelity Wraparound - Family Support Partner training.

Special Requirements

Language Proficiency: An assessment of verbal Spanish proficiency is required before a candidate can be appointed to a bilingual position (English/Spanish). The incumbent in a bilingual position will receive the language pay premium on all hours worked.

CPRS/RPRS: Application, requirements, and instructions for obtaining certification as a Peer Recovery Specialist and registration as a Peer Recovery specialist in Virginia can be found on the Virginia Department of Health Professions Webpage.  Click here and here.

Virginia DBHDS 72-hour Peer Recovery Specialist training must be completed within 90 days of hire date.

Driver's License: The applicant must possess, or obtain by time of appointment, a valid driver's license. The applicant must authorize Arlington County to obtain or provide a copy of their official driving record. Any offer of employment may be contingent upon a favorable review of the applicant's driving record.  

Background Check: A pre-employment criminal records check will be conducted.  It may include checks of the following: criminal record, driving record, education, professional licensure, and credit history. You may be required to sign a release authorizing the County to obtain your background information.

Employment restrictions: To ensure that dual relationships are avoided and that employees who are also clients do not relate to their service provider as co-professionals, employees will not be hired by the County to provide or support services to the team or program in which they are current clients:

• You cannot concurrently receive behavioral health services from Arlington County Community Service Board (CSB) programs while employed in an Arlington County CSB program (exception Crisis Intervention services).
• At least 24 months must have passed between receipt of CSB services from Arlington County and employment in an Arlington County CSB program.

Additional Information:

Work Hours: Monday through Friday, 9:00 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. with at least two evening hours (until 8:00 p.m.) required, 40 hours per week.  Actual work hours will be established upon hire.

Work Location:  DHS office at 2100 Washington Blvd., Arlington, VA, community locations, and/or client/family home.  Eligible for telework with approval from the supervisor.

The official title for this position is Peer Recovery Specialist.

This position is eligible for County government employee benefits that include health, dental, vacation and sick leave, commuter transportation subsidies, tuition reimbursement, as well as a generous retirement plan.

For more information on Arlington County's generous benefits and retirement plan, click here.

Arlington County is committed to advancing diversity, equity, access, and inclusion across all our services, activities, and programs. Learn more about our commitment.

This position is funded with ongoing state grant funds.

NOTE:  This position is listed as "open continuous".  Interested applicants are advised to submit their applications as soon as possible. If your application is received later in the recruitment process, it may not be considered. The application process will close when the position has been filled or when enough qualified applications have been received. 

Please complete each section of the application. Please ensure that you have included details of all relevant work experience on your application. Incomplete applications will not be considered.

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