WISe Youth Partner-WRAP - Sound Health formally Sound Mental Health

• WISe Youth Partner-WRAP

Full Time position with Full Time benefits (Tukwila or Bellevue). The role of the Youth Partner is to provide a bridge between the client and systems involved such as school, and/or mental health therapists. The Youth Partner will work in a team setting as the client’s advocate.  The Youth Partner is expected to serve as a role model and able to provide reliable information and emotional support to clients involved in the Wraparound process.  The Youth Partner should feel comfortable with sharing their story. The WISe Wraparound Youth Partner is an essential part of the multi-system team.  This position, much like the Parent Partner, brings his or her personal experiences to connect, validate, inspire, advocate, and provide support to the youth.  This position provides a bridge between the systems that are involved with the youth.  A Youth Partner is required to share their story in a professional manner.  This includes respecting their differences and maintaining confidentiality at all times.

Essential Functions:

·        Provide direct advocacy and day to day support.

·        Promote development of self-determination, and self-empowerment with the youth. 

·        Work with clients around the Wraparound Process and how to include their voice.

·        Attend meetings as requested by the client.

·        Must show willingness to learn.

·        Educate and support clients in navigating systems such as restrictive mental health facilities.

·        Follow supervisory instruction and maintain professional boundaries with both consumers and staff.

·        Use personal experiences to build empathy and rapport.

·        Work with their clients around self-advocacy, including learning how to verbalize their needs in positive ways.  Discuss with their clients what their needs are during meets, building comfort rules and skills needed in order to be heard and respected during every phase of the WISe Wraparound process. 

·        Help the client develop agendas prior to every meeting.

·        Share their life experience, as appropriate.  This is in hopes the youth can identify with the Youth Partner.  Because the Youth Partner is to be no older then 24, this allows for the client to understand that the Youth Partner “gets it” and can truly understand.

·        Engage youth in the WISe Wraparound process.

·        Act as a bridge between the youth and the family and system representatives on the team.

·        Support and advocate for the client around ensuring that the WISe WDT and care plan remains a process that includes the client, and the team speaks directly to the client as opposed to speaking about the client.

·        Ensure the youth voice is heard.

·        Assist in the development of the individualized WISe Wraparound care plan.

·        Attend the Community Resource Team as needed.

·        Fluent in both the language of the youth culture as well as the language of the provider culture.

·        Assist the client around action plans as related to their goals and needs and discuss barriers.

·        Work closely with the client in order to ensure that the client’s needs and goals are represented in the care plan.

·        Able to provide emotional support and encouragement.

·        Be validating, provide information, and provide emotional support and encouragement.

·        Understand dual relationships and role conflicts.

·        Maintain confidentiality.

·        Know when to seek consultation and supervision within the scope of their training.

·        Articulate own recovery and resilience stories in ways that are relevant to the obstacles faced by consumers of mental health services.

·        Relate to others in a professional manner, respectful of individual and cultural differences.

·        Maintain ethical and competent client and peer relationships in the delivery of service.

·        Relate to others in a professional manner, respectful of individual and cultural differences.

·        Comply with all applicable federal, state and county laws and regulations, SMH policies and procedures and all safety regulations.

·        Understand recovery concepts in behavioral health.

·        Apply recovery concepts, as appropriate to my work at SMH.

·        Synthesize and demonstrate recovery concepts in my work at SMH.

·        Perform other duties as needed and/or assigned.

Skills:

·        Knowledge of strength-based family-centered wraparound process.

·        In-depth understanding of facilitation techniques and conflict management techniques.

·        Leadership, consensus building, negotiating and problem solving skills.

·        Must be able to work effectively as a team player.

·        Maintain standards of ethics, integrity, honesty and confidentiality.

·        Creative, critical and proactive thinking.

·        Detailed recordkeeping, planning and time management.

·        Focused on understanding and meeting the needs of family and youth.

·        Ability to maintain relationships in a respectful and collaborative manner.

·        Must demonstrate a commitment to service and professionalism through appropriate conduct and demeanor.

Qualifications:

·        This is a peer position for eligible candidates that are youth, 18 years or older, who are either a current consumer of mental health services or has been a consumer.

·        Must have been a consumer, or is currently a consumer, of the systems of care and have firsthand knowledge of the expectations and experiences. 

·        This position will receive training and supervision by a fidelity wrap around coach and provide support to peers all according to the King County Standards for the Peer Support Services.Must have experience with severely emotionally disturbed children/youth.

·        The Coach must complete a CANS certification within one month of hire. Must complete the six modules of the WISe Wraparound process within one month of hire.

·        Must be able to obtain a WA State Agency Affiliated Counselor credential within the first 30 days of hire.

Salary = DOQ.

Send letter of interest, resume and salary history to: Sound Mental Health, Attn: Alexis Owens, Job #17-215, 6400 Southcenter Blvd, Tukwila, WA 98188, or fax to (206) 302-2210, or e-mail to AlexisO@smh.org