About the Family Peer Support Specialist Position:
Serve as a member of an Interdisciplinary Team for YESS’ Integrated Health Home Department and play an active role in coordinating services and designing an integrated care plan for children and their families. Care Coordinators are primarily responsible for coordinating members care through making and tracking referrals, following up on referrals, and coordinating with internal team members and other professionals on the member's team.
Primary Responsibilities:
- Communicate with providers regarding client’s progress and recommendations.
- Promote client’s health, monitor and assist families in attending preventative appointments as needed.
- Provide education and resources to clients and their families.
- Engage clients and families eligible to participate in Integrated Health Home Services.
- Identify community resources and provide ongoing support clients and their families.
- Coordinate services among multiple systems for clients and their families.
- Assist with discharge planning from higher levels of care.
- Facilitate development of crisis and other client and family-driven plans.
- Schedule and track referrals and appointments.
- Follow up on referrals and appointments.
- Participate in wraparound planning processes.
- Provide on going support and crisis management to clients and families.
- Maintain client charts and case notes that clearly document contact with families and providers.
Classification: Salaried, Exempt
Qualifications:
- Bachelor's Degree in Social Work or related field. (ex: sociology, psychology, human services, or other degrees with a focus on courses in human services or certificates demonstrating work with individuals with mental health diagnoses).
- Experience working with children and families in a community-based program preferred.
- Knowledge of community resources and outpatient mental health services available.
- Demonstrated ability to work effectively with team members.
- Excellent written and verbal communication skills.
- Computer knowledge.
- Must have an acceptable background check and no record of child abuse.
- Acceptable driving record.
About YESS:
From its inception in 1973, YESS has grown into a nationally-accredited organization and one of the community’s most trusted providers of emergency services for children and families. YESS cares for the entire age range of children - newborn through age 17 – by providing a network of services that meet their specific needs. As Iowa’s largest youth shelter, children and teens can stay in a safe and supervised environment, and receive nutritious meals, medical care, education, case management, and innovative counseling services. Families in the community can also receive support from YESS’ Hope Hall and Integrated Care Connections programs so children remain safe and cared for in their own homes. The unique combination of crisis stabilization, emergency shelter, and community-based services at YESS does not exist elsewhere in Iowa, allowing the agency to uniquely serve the community’s most vulnerable children.
MISSION: Youth Emergency Services & Shelter (YESS) meets the critical needs of the community by providing a continuum of quality programs designed to keep children safe and families together.
From its inception in 1973, YESS has grown into a nationally-accredited organization and one of the community’s most trusted providers of emergency services for children and families. YESS cares for the entire age range of children - newborn through age 17 – by providing a network of services that meet their specific needs. As Iowa’s largest youth shelter, children and teens can stay in a safe and supervised environment, and receive nutritious meals, medical care, education, case management, and innovative counseling services. Families in the community can also receive support from YESS’ Hope Hall and Integrated Care Connections programs so children remain safe and cared for in their own homes. The unique combination of crisis stabilization, emergency shelter, and community-based services at YESS does not exist elsewhere in Iowa, allowing the agency to uniquely serve the community’s most vulnerable children.
Working At YESS
As a member of Team YESS, you can:
- Provide hope and healing to children during one of the most turbulent and difficult times in their lives.
- Work every day with children who need your support and with peers committed to the same work.
- Participate in opportunities and activities that promote your own well being, so you can better care for the children and families who turn to YESS for support.
- Take advantage of flexible scheduling and various shifts to accommodate your availability.
- Receive ongoing training on best practices in the child welfare field, trauma-informed care, and strengths-based practices.
- Make a real impact in the lives of children.
Work Environment & Physical Demands:
The work environment and physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.
- Able to sit or stand for extended periods.
- Work involves walking and running, talking and hearing to exchange information, and using hands to handle, feel or operate objects, tools, or controls and reach with hands and arms.
- Vision abilities required by this job include close vision, peripheral vision, depth perception, and the ability to adjust focus.
- Capable of pushing, pulling, lifting, and/or carrying up to 25 pounds.
- Ability to perform techniques of Safe Crisis Management as needed and appropriate.
- Noise level in work environment is generally low to moderate.
Our mission celebrates diversity. We are committed to equal opportunity employment.
Key words: social work, human services, social services, sociology, psychology, criminal justice, human relations, juvenile, teens, kids, adolescent, child, children, family, families, family services