Community Action of Allegan County

(CAAC)

Position Description

Position Title: Family Peer Specialist

Reports To: Director of Mental Health and Support Services

Classification: Part Time / Full Year / Non-Exempt - could be Full Time

Status: Hourly

Range: $16.36 - $19.43 per hour.

Date: May 16, 2022

Summary/Objective: Responsible for implementing tasks below while understanding there may be other duties as assigned. Provides Early Intervention services and support to children, families, and staff to ensure compliance of Head Start Performance Standards including but not limited to providing mental health consultation in classrooms and home visits, training and coaching team members, screening, assessment, and referral services, as well as data collection and maintenance.

Essential Functions: Classroom/Child Contact

• Connect with each Home Visitor and HS/EHS assigned classroom at a frequency determined by supervisor to provide direct support, assess, and mitigate individual children's needs.
• Provide guidance and model developmentally appropriate activities for children and effective ways to work with and support young children.
• Provide written and oral observations and strength-based feedback to classrooms on an annual basis.

Home Visitation Observation:

• Accompany Home Visitors on visits as requested and provide hands on support as deemed necessary.

Consultation:

• Provide consultation/feedback with families following each observation, classroom contact and/or home visit.
• Provide child development information related to social-emotional development and mental health.
• Ability to interpret and apply information from assessment and observations to directly support practices in the classroom.

Behavior Plans:

• Assist families and staff in developing support plans that foster the inclusion of children in classroom activities. Offer hands on-support in classrooms to allow staff to implement specific individualized strategies for children.

Collaborate:

• Collaborate with assigned staff and families, including at multi-disciplinary team meetings to discuss mental health issues and strategies.

Programmatic Consultation:

• Participate in staff team meetings.
• Participate in the development and implementation of mental health program and policy as well as specialized services (IEP/IFSP) as deemed appropriate by supervisor.

Referrals:

• Refer children to supervisor for additional external supports as needed.

Trainings:

• Co-facilitate at least one parent training per year. Support, coordinate, and provide staff trainings related to social‐emotional and mental health issues as deemed appropriate by supervisor.

Assessment:

• Interpret and apply information, track, and score ASQ SE-3.
• Facilitate, track and score DECA social emotional assessments.
• Analyze and report on DECA outcomes as communicated by supervisor.

Competencies:

• Highly proficient communication skills; oral and written.
• Demonstrates leadership and ability to work independently.
• Demonstrates excellent organizational skill and attention to detail.
• Excellent time management.
• Knowledge and understanding of issues related to individuals and families in poverty.
• Ability to maintain client and organizational confidentiality.

Work Environment: This job operates primarily in an office and classroom environment with some home visiting.

Physical Demands: The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. The employee is regularly required to travel in their own vehicle, expect regular kneeling, stooping, bending, and sitting on the floor. There will also be occasional lifting up-to 50 pounds.

Position Type and Expected Hours of Work: Part-time, full-year position, depending on Agency funding. Limited evening and weekend work may be required as job duties demand.

Travel: Travel is primarily local during the business day, although some out-of-the-area and overnight travel may be expected.

Required Education and Experience: The candidate will have a high school diploma or GED, a minimum of two years direct experience with children (age 0-5) experiencing mental health/behavioral difficulties, and experience with participating in training on children's mental health while providing support and advocacy. Willingness and ability to become certified as position requires. No record of abuse/neglect of children or adults; no prior criminal record relative to the position. Must pass pre-employment physical, TB test. Be certified in Child and Adult CPR and Basic First Aid.

Additional Eligibility Qualifications: Commitment to CAAC goals and mission.

EEO Statement: Community Action of Allegan County (CAAC) extends employment opportunities to qualified applicants and employees without regard to age, race, color, sex, weight, height, religion, national original, pregnancy, marital status, veteran status, physical or mental disability unrelated to the employee's ability to perform his/her job and/or any other characteristic protected by federal, state, or local law. This policy applies to all terms and conditions of employment, including, but not limited to, hiring, placement, promotion, termination, lay-off, recall, transfers, leave of absence, compensation, and training, including internship. In accordance with applicable federal and state laws protecting qualified individuals with known disabilities, CAAC will attempt to reasonably accommodate those individuals unless doing so would create an undue hardship. Any qualified applicant or employee with a disability who requires an accommodation to perform the essential functions of the job should contact CAAC management.

Other Duties: Please note this job description is not designed to cover or contain a comprehensive listing of activities, duties or responsibilities that are required of the employee for this job. Duties, responsibilities, and activities may change at any time with or without notice. This position description does not constitute a written or implied contract for employment.

Signatures:

This job description has been approved by all levels of Management:

Executive Director:

Employee signature below constitutes employee's understanding of the requirements, essential functions, and duties of the position.

Employee: Date: