Family Support Specialist, Children & Youth (Nashville, TN)

About the role

Ranked one of Tennessee’s top places to work, MHC is a rare and special place where outstanding company culture is intentional. Where clients and associates are treated the same, as equals. Mental Health Cooperative, Inc. (MHC) was formed in 1993 to serve individuals with severe and persistent mental illness. Since then, we have expanded our services to children and adolescents with severe emotional disorders across Middle and East Tennessee. Our sole purpose is to support and treat those challenged with serious mental illness and poverty. Although based out of Nashville, we serve several communities across middle and East Tennessee with satellite offices in Antioch, Gallatin, Dickson, Columbia, Cleveland, Murfreesboro, Clarksville, Cookeville, Chattanooga, and Memphis. If you are interested in joining a team that is caring, collaborative, innovative and energizing this might be a great place for you! The Family Support Specialist (FSS) provides direct caregiver-to-caregiver support. The FSS is a vital resource to assist families and others who are caring for young children/children/youth/transition-age youth with emotional, behavioral and/or co-occurring disorders. To achieve the resiliency and recovery goals of the child/youth and family, the FSS promotes self-determination, personal responsibility, and the skills, knowledge, and confidence to be an effective advocate for his/her child/youth and inspires a sense of hope that resiliency and recovery are achievable goals.

Responsibilities

• Teach and model the value of every individual’s experience caring for a child or youth with a mental, emotional, behavioral (MEB) or co-occurring disorder.
• Foster a full and equal partnership with the child/youth, family, and caregiver.
• In collaboration with Care Coordinator, complete the Child and Adolescent Needs and Strengths assessment (CANS).
• In collaboration with the Care Coordinator, complete the Strengths and Culture Discovery and Caregiver Strain questionnaire.
• Encourage and assist caregivers in developing informal and formal networks of support that are responsive to the culture and unique needs of their child/youth and family.
• Teach the child/youth and