Family Advocate

Family Education and Resource Center

7677 Oakport St., Suite 100, Oakland, CA 94621

Family Advocate

Full-Time Positions Available

Turn your experience into a mental health career!

Are you a family member or caregiver of someone who lives with a mental health challenge? You can take your own experience supporting your loved one and apply it to helping other families who are going through similar challenges.

NO PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE NECESSARY. We have a rigorous training program that will prepare you as a Family Advocate with the Family Education and Resource Center (FERC), a program of the Mental Health Association of Alameda County (MHAAC).

We offer:

• Competitive salary – no college degree required and open to unlicensed professionals
• Eligible for first pay increase after successful completion of 6-month introductory period
• Bilingual Pay Differential for fluency in an Alameda County threshold language
• 100% paid medical and dental coverage for the employee
• Generous time off benefits: 14 paid Holidays, including the week between Christmas and New Years
• Vacation leave 2 weeks per year, increases to 4 weeks by year four of employment
• Paid lunch break
• Reimbursement for work travel
• Paid volunteer time-off
• Tuition reimbursement
• On the job training
• Opportunities to attend local and state-wide workshops and conferences
• Paid training to become a certified:
• Family to Family facilitator through NAMI CA
• Wellness Recovery Action Plan facilitator
• Mental Health First Aid instructor
• ….and more!

The Mental Health Association of Alameda County (MHAAC) is a well-established non-profit organization with long term staff that assists and advocates for people with mental illness and their family members through programs including the Family Education and Resource Center, the Family Partnership Program and Patients’ Rights Advocacy. Together, these programs assist thousands of people with serious mental illness and their family members every year. We envision a world without stigma where people with mental health challenges and their family members are free to live their best lives. MHAAC’s current budget is around $4 million.

FERC is a program of the Mental Health Association of Alameda County funded through Mental Health Services Act and operated under contract with Alameda County Behavioral Health Care Services

WE are:

The Family Education and Resource Center (FERC) is a family-centered program that provides free education, advocacy, and support to family caregivers of a loved one living with mental health conditions and resides in all regions of Alameda County.

What makes FERC unique is that all of our staff have family or loved ones with mental health issues.

FERC’s programmatic components include: a warm-line; education, training and support for family/caregivers; a resource center; assistance with AB1424 Historical Information Forms; support for the development of family leadership; support for the African American Family Outreach Program (AAFOP); and collaboration with other MHSA funded programs.

“We’ve been there, and we can help.”

YOU are:

• A compassionate family member of a loved one who has a mental health challenge
• Experienced in navigating the behavioral health system for your loved one to access and receive services
• Empathetic; you can understand the challenges other families are going through trying to advocate for their family member(s)
• You’ve always told by your friends that, “You’re such a good listener.”
• Ready to learn about family advocacy and what it takes to represent the voices of family caregivers in Alameda County

ESSENTIAL JOB DUTIES:

Under the supervision and guidance of the Program Supervisor, Family Advocates’ duties may include, but are not limited to the following:

• Assist clients in navigating the complex behavioral health care system in Alameda County
• Support clients via phone, virtual meetings, or by in-person consultation
• Provide a full range of information, support, advocacy, encouragement, and referrals to appropriate community resources, and related services in order to assist the clients in coping effectively with immediate and/or long-term situations
• Attend, facilitate and/or support family caregivers self-help groups, existing family support groups and family peer support efforts
• Document key components of calls and activities (database, logbooks, MAA billing, etc.)
• Actively participate in liaison role with key partners such as NAMI affiliates (attend meetings, coordinate trainings, etc.)
• Active involvement in community outreach (e.g. table at health fairs, schools, and other public venues, etc.)

REQUIRED QUALIFICATIONS:

• Direct lived experience as a family caregiver of a loved one who has a mental health challenge or serious mental illness; professional experience does NOT replace the personal lived experience that is required
• Must have a motor vehicle available for daily use, possess a valid California driver's license, carry vehicle liability insurance, and have an acceptable motor vehicle report, as determined by MHAAC's insurance broker

• Have proficiency in Microsoft Office – Outlook (email) and Word (documents)
• Must be able to provide proof of full Covid-19 vaccination and be willing to obtain CDC/Alameda County recommended booster shots
• Must successfully pass a fingerprint background check by CADOJ and the FBI

ADDITIONAL DESIRED QUALIFICATIONS:

• Bachelor’s degree
• Experience navigating Alameda County Behavioral Health (ACBH) care system
• Experience working in a non-profit environment
• Experience using video-based platforms such as Zoom
• Experience working with diverse populations in underserved communities

HOURS OF WORK: Mon – Fri: 9AM-5PM. May require some evening and weekend work on occasion.

WORK LOCATION: Alameda County. Exact office location - to be determined; FERC Main office is in Oakland and satellite offices are located in Livermore and Fremont.

SALARY: $22.60 per hour (approx. $47,000 annually). Plus 4.5% Bilingual Pay Differential for fluency in: Cantonese, Farsi, Mandarin, Spanish, Tagalog, or Vietnamese

The Mental Health Association of Alameda County is an equal opportunity employer to all, regardless of age, ancestry, color, (mental and physical), exercising the right to family care and medical leave, gender, gender expression, gender identity, genetic information, marital status, medical condition, military or veteran status, national origin, political affiliation, race, religious creed, sex (includes pregnancy, childbirth, breastfeeding and related medical conditions), and sexual orientation.

We are also committed to offering an inclusive and accessible experience for all job seekers, including individuals with disabilities. Our goal is to foster an inclusive and accessible workplace where everyone has the opportunity to be successful. If you need a reasonable accommodation to search for a job opening, apply for a position, or participate in the interview process, connect with us and describe the specific accommodation requested for a disability-related limitation.

Job Type: Full-time

Pay: $22.60 per hour

Benefits:

• 401(k)
• Dental insurance
• Employee assistance program
• Employee discount
• Flexible schedule
• Flexible spending account
• Health insurance
• Life insurance
• Paid time off
• Vision insurance

Schedule:

• 8 hour shift
• Monday to Friday

COVID-19 considerations:
All staff are required to show proof of COVID-19 vaccination and booster shots. All staff wear masks in the office.

Application Question(s):

• Do you have direct lived experience as a family caregiver of a loved one who lives with a mental health condition or serious mental illness?

Note: professional experience does NOT replace the requirement for personal lived experience.

Education:

• High school or equivalent (Required)

Language:

• Spanish (Preferred)
• Chinese (Cantonese or Mandarin) (Preferred)
• Tagalog (Preferred)

Work Location: One location