Employment Opportunities

Who We Are

Founded in 1999, Maryland Coalition of Families (MCF) is a statewide nonprofit with a central office in Columbia, Md., and staff located in communities throughout the state.  Using personal experience as parents, caregivers, youth and other loved ones, we connect, support and empower Maryland’s families. Our staff provide one-to-one support to parents and caregivers of young people with mental health issues and to any loved one who cares for someone with a substance use or gambling issue. We also advocate to improve systems that impact individuals with behavioral health challenges. 

Overview

Maryland Coalition of Families (MCF) has a full-time (40 hours per week) employment opportunity for a Family Peer Support Specialist (FPSS) Parent Partner to serve families in Washington County. The candidate must have personal (not work related) experience as the recipient of child welfare services in Maryland with successful case closure.  After training and orientation, the Family Peer Support Specialist will provide family-to-family support, education, advocacy, coaching, information, referrals and follow-up to families seeking assistance.

Essential Duties and Responsibilities
* Due to COVID-19, MCF is following all safety precautions and currently working remotely with no personal contact or travel.

• Provide partnership, education and support to families that are involved with child welfare to negotiate their way through the Department of Human Services’ (DHS) child welfare system, as well as legal, educational and behavioral health care systems.
• Facilitate a process for families to develop a plan to: clarify the problem(s); provide emotional support; identify needs and strengths; and identify resources including appropriate levels of services, entitlements, community resources and other natural supports.
• Willing to share personal experiences
• Provide emotional support to reduce isolation of a parent and create a trusting relationship to help empower, encourage and inspire the family.
• Assist families and youth to build their own community based support network, and ensure that their goals are integrated into one unified plan as necessary.
• Facilitate families accessing supports and services by: sharing information about resources and supports; making phone calls to connect families with resources; providing guidance in completing forms and applications; supporting families to fully understand their rights; reviewing documents such as IEPs or reports with families to ensure they fully understand documents; empowering families to effectively articulate their concerns and needs; accompanying families to meetings; and educating families on laws, policies and procedures.
• Build and maintain strong partnerships with child welfare staff and other child-serving systems Ensure that families are equal partners in planning, implementing, monitoring and evaluating their own plans
• Facilitate training workshops in assigned region for families as assigned in contract deliverables.
• Administrative duties to include maintaining client files, submitting required documentation, active participation in supervision and in MCF internal and external training opportunities.

Qualifications

• Personal experience as the parent or legal guardian of a child involved with the child welfare system is required.
• High school diploma or equivalent preferred.
• Must live in Washington County Maryland
• Prior experience assisting other families to obtain appropriate services and supports for their child and family members is desirable.
• Familiarity with state and local resources and knowledge of how to access them.
• Strong ability to build and maintain partnerships with agencies and providers.
• Active listening skills for providing non-judgmental peer support and engagement to families.
• Strong written and oral communication skills.
• Strong computer skills and the ability to efficiently utilize internet search to identify resources.
• Current Maryland driver’s license and access to own vehicle; some travel required, mostly within the county served.
• Successful completion of a background check (required for all MCF employees). 

Hours/Compensation

• 40 hours/week
• Flexible work schedule with some telecommuting expected
• Comprehensive benefits including health, dental, vision, 401k, paid time off and more

To apply:

To be considered for this position, you must submit (along with your resume) a cover letter describing your personal experience and relevant experience with child welfare systems.

Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis.  Please note that mailed or faxed resumes will not be considered. No phone calls please. 

Diversity

Maryland Coalition of Families is committed to hiring a diverse and talented workforce.  We are an Equal Opportunity Employer – all qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, age, marital status, national origin, disability, veteran status or any other classification protected by applicable discrimination laws.

Key words: social services, human services, peer support, family services, caregiver, substance use, mental health, opioid use, alcohol use, addiction, care provider