What are the responsibilities and job description for the Youth ACT Family Peer Advocate position at ICAN Inc?
The Family Peer Advocate (FPA) is a unique position that provides support to parents or caregivers who are raising their children with serious mental health concerns as they are personally familiar with associated challenges and available community resources. The FPA brings life experiences and skills to the position to enhance the team effort to deliver assistance to the youth as they explore the goals they would like to achieve, by performing the following duties.
Duties & Responsibilities:
- As a member of the Youth ACT team, the FPA will educate caregivers about maintaining self-awareness, self-help techniques, symptom management, clarify rehabilitation and teach effective coping strategies based on their own lived experience.
- Deliver interventions and activities that meet needs, build on strengths, and achieve outcomes.
- The peer advocate must maintain consistent, ongoing communication with the entire team. The FPA must successfully complete the required ACT Institute trainings as well as obtain and maintain CANS certification.
- Work with youth on skill building, coaching, engagement, self-advocacy, self-efficacy, empowerment, and community connections and natural supports.
Education/Experience:
- High school diploma or general education degree (GED); or two to four years related experience and/or training; or equivalent combination of education and experience.
- An individual 18-28 years of age who self-identifies with first-hand experience with social, emotional, medical, developmental, substance use, and/or behavioral challenges as a young person or have received services in any one of the child serving systems juvenile justice, foster care, special education, addiction recovery).
- Credentialed Youth Peer Advocate, preferred. Required to complete the Youth Peer Advocate credentialing process within 12 months of hire.