Family Support Specialist - CBHC Malden Urgent Care

Location: CHA Malden Care Center

Work Days: day, day/eve, weekend shifts

Category: Human and Social Services

Department: CBHC Malden Urgent Care

Job Type: Full Time

Work Shift: Various Shifts

Hours/Week: 40.00

Union: No

Union Name: Non Union

Summary:

Exciting opportunity to provide new models of care for walk-in/urgent care access including days, evenings and weekends. The new CHA CBHC Malden program provides behavioral health evaluation and initial treatment services for individuals of all ages.

The Family Support Specialist (FSS) brings a key family perspective to clinical teams providing outpatient mental health care. In that context, they can help “translate” between the professional culture and the family’s culture, building trust and facilitating critical information sharing. That two-way process, clarifying communication about symptoms, diagnosis and treatment planning, enhances engagement between parents and clinicians, so that children and youth are more likely to receive needed mental health services. 

Responsibilities include:

• Assist with navigating the child-serving systems (e.g., the Department of Children and Families (DCF), education, mental health, juvenile justice)
• Foster empowerment, including linkages to peer/parent support and self-help groups
• Assist with identifying formal and community resources (e.g., after-school programs, food assistance, summer camps)
• Support, coaching, and training for the parent/caregiver.
• Identify support services for children and families based on the Urgent Care team’s evaluation of the child’s needs
• Coordinate resource information and service recommendations with the team, the Pediatrician and/or PCP, and other involved professionals (e.g. school, agencies)
• Provide emotional support (under clinical supervision), to families in crisis and assist with urgent access to clinical care
• Attend regular meetings with physicians and other staff at the clinic, to hear their concerns on behalf of families who may have missed an appointment, not connected with a referral or who are otherwise at-risk
• Assist with parent communication during Initial Child Mental Health Consultation evaluations, as well as any follow-up episodes; including identification of areas of disagreement or confusion on the part of the family
• Follow-up with identified families at the request of the clinical team, regarding the child’s mental health status or treatment needs
• Bring new information back to the team (and document in the EMR) so that the plan can be clarified or changed to better fit the family’s needs, or other steps taken to improve family engagement.

Work Experience:

Experience as a parent or caregiver of a child with special health care needs — important for other parents to know the FSS person has “been there,” and “can understand what families go through”. Prior experience advocating for families beside their own, learning when and how to share their own stories as examples, and how to collaborate with clinicians and/or other professionals. Ability to represent “family voice” on the clinical team when interventions are being discussed, but, also, at a leadership level, if asked. For example, having the capacity to represent the family perspective regarding such things as development of useful resource materials for clinic families, or strategies for health promotion in the community. Positive interpersonal presence as a team member. Preferably bi-cultural and bi-lingual, when needed for the population being served.

In keeping with federal, state and local laws, Cambridge Health Alliance (CHA) policy forbids employees and associates to discriminate against anyone based on race, religion, color, gender, age, marital status, national origin, sexual orientation, gender identity, veteran status, disability or any other characteristic protected by law. We are committed to establishing and maintaining a workplace free of discrimination. We are fully committed to equal employment opportunity. We will not tolerate unlawful discrimination in the recruitment, hiring, termination, promotion, salary treatment or any other condition of employment or career development. Furthermore, we will not tolerate the use of discriminatory slurs, or other remarks, jokes or conduct, that in the judgment of CHA, encourage or permit an offensive or hostile work environment.