Parent Peer Support Specialist

Wisconsin Community Services (WCS)

Specialized Services Program – Wraparound

Position Summary: To engage the parents/caregivers of Wraparound Milwaukee enrolled youth in the Wraparound process. Utilize the unique lived experiences of parenting a child with significant mental health, substance use, co-occurring, and life needs to provide hope to parents/caregivers currently enrolled in Wraparound programming. The role of the Parent Peer Specialist is to enhance parenting knowledge and skills to minimize crisis and maximize the long-term benefit of involvement in the Wraparound process through a focus on parent and youth strengths as part of the solution and family participation as partners in all aspects in their care.

Essential Functions:

• Provide one to one peer support to parents/caregivers in a variety of community settings, including the family home
• Utilize unique lived experience to build professional relationships with youth and families enrolled in Wraparound to assist in navigating the mental health/behavioral health, youth justice, and/or child welfare systems to walk with the parent/caregiver and youth to ensure their needs are being met and their voice is heard, understood, and respected by the Child and Family Team.
• Work directly with the parent/caregiver within the family system to proactively and reactively reduce crisis triggers, role model parenting and crisis management skills, provide education to the family, and support families during crisis.
• Role model recovery in all interactions and utilize lived experience to engage families.
• Support the team to understand and identify the family’s needs and develop strategies to meet the identified needs.
• Work closely with the family to identify a sustainable network of supports and resources in the community to meet the family’s needs.
• Partner with the Care Coordinator to build strong working relationships with community organizations that serve Milwaukee youth and their families.
• Collaborate closely with the Wraparound team to ensure the needs of the youth and family are met.
• Support youth and family to engage in mental health services by accompanying at appointments and community activities.
• Attend and actively participate in Child and Family Team Meetings including the development and implementation of the Plan of Care and Crisis Plan.
• Complete all necessary paperwork in a strengths-based manner per Wraparound Milwaukee/Agency requirements
• Attend and actively participate in weekly supervision.

Other Duties and Responsibilities:

• Attend in-services and participate in staffing, weekly and monthly meetings and consultations.
• Assist with coverage for co-workers as needed.
• Other job-related duties as may be necessary to carry out the responsibilities of the position.