A Family Partner is an experienced, trained primary caregiver to an individual with mental illness or serious emotional disturbance who provides peer mentoring, education, and support to the caregivers of the individual who is receiving mental health community services. The Family Partner works with caregivers and families of youth with serious emotional disturbance in order to build family empowerment and advocacy to promote long-term recovery and resiliency.
The Family Partner is an essential part of the treatment team and works alongside the Case Manager, Counselors, and Psychiatrist to ensure services are provided in a trauma informed, person/family centered model, and in a linguistically and culturally appropriate way. This position uses their own lived experience to inspire hope and model relationships built on respect, trust and validation. By sharing their own lived experiences, the Family Partner helps caregivers by providing education and emotional support. Walking alongside the family on their journey, the family partner is an ally and advocate for caregivers of children with mental health concerns. This mutuality, often called “peerness” promotes connection, builds rapport, and inspires hope.
The Family Partner provides services that include, but are not limited to: introducing the family to the treatment process; modeling self-advocacy skills; providing information; making referrals; provides treatment intervention based on evidenced based practices, certifications, and scope; and assisting the identification of natural/non-traditional and community supports. Family partner services are strongly recommended to help address treatment barriers and engage families in services in every level of care.
This position will be community based and require travel within Collin County for service delivery. This position may be expected to travel out of town for a week to attain Certified Family Partner credential, if needed. Some travel will require use of personal vehicle.
