Parent Partner- Jackson County

Job Summary

The Parent Partner works with families that may include birth parents, non-custodial fathers, absent parents, resource parents, and children placed in out-of-home care with a goal of reunification. Primary duties include participating in training, assisting in reunification efforts, supporting family visits, and collaborating with various stakeholders.

Primary Duties and Responsibilities

• Participates in the initial Building a Better Future training;
• Provides training/education to DHS staff about the Parent Partner Program;
• Affords support and education for family visits;
• Makes contact with the referred biological parent(s) within seventy-two hours of the referral to begin establishing a relationship and rapport with the client;
• Works with the parent and the assigned foster care provider to develop the Parent Agency Agreement/Treatment Plan (PAATP);
• Supports parents by providing information about the foster care system, courts, services, etc.;
• Reports on dates and times of each contact and the nature of the contact, a summary of the family contacts with regard to family progress toward reunification goals, any issues of concerns related to the family, child placing agencies, courts, services, etc.;
• Accompanies parents to court proceedings, Family Team Meetings, treatment recovery, other agency required meetings, other gatherings with parents, etc. for the purposes of support and advocacy of the parents' rights;
• Collaborates with Parent Partner team including the Parent Partner Supervisor and/or Program Manager, child welfare case worker, planning committees, and others;
• Meets with DHS caseworker periodically during the duration of services, as needed or requested by the family;
• Affords mediation of conflicts between the assigned foster care worker and the client as needed;
• Affords in-service trainings for staff and regular contact with child placing agency staff to provide a more thorough understanding of birth parents' experiences in the child welfare system;
• Requests re-assignment if there is a conflict or concern (including if he/she knows the birth family or lives in close proximity).

Job Qualifications

• Personal experience with the child welfare system resulting in successful reunification with children and dismissal of wardship, with at least one year of reunification;
• Sensitive to the concerns of parents, and able to establish rapport effectively;
• Healthy and stable family situation with no current CPS substantiation or safety issues;
• Experience dealing with the court system and an ability to assist others in navigating the child welfare system;
• Computer literate, proficient in Microsoft Office, Word, and Excel;
• Cultural competence;
• Flexible work schedule including non-standard hours such as evenings and weekends and availability to families 24/7;
• Ability to work with child welfare staff;
• Substance abuse free for at least one year and able to provide evidence;
• Willingness to share experiences as a learning tool with other parents, community partners, and child welfare staff;
• Valid Michigan Driver’s License, appropriate insurance, and use of own vehicle;
• High School Diploma or GED;
• Sign a waiver stating that they have not been convicted of a felony if they haven't resided in Michigan for the previous 10 years.

Core Competencies

• Customer Service – regularly respond to customers in a courteous and timely manner with focus on providing quality services;
• Job Knowledge – demonstrate mastery of basic principles, techniques, and skills related to job, consistently applying technical and procedural competence;
• Professionalism – consistently present a positive image of self and the agency, operating with integrity and credibility;
• Planning & Organization of Work – reliably demonstrate time management skills through advance planning in order to deliver high quality work product within deadlines;
• Relationship / Leadership – exhibit ability to develop cooperative relationships based on mutual respect and trust, treating others fairly, consistently listening, openly and actively encouraging others to express candid and differing views;
• Judgement & Problem Solving – show ability to review facts and information using sound judgment to arrive at the most effective solution and when appropriate seek supervisory assistance;
• Quality & Accuracy – consistently present work product that is thorough, accurate, and effective in accomplishing intended purpose of assignments;
• Initiative & Independence – demonstrate ability to effectively complete work tasks with minimal direction from supervisor and take initiative to increase effectiveness of work and that of the department;
• Reliability / Dependability – exhibit consistency in performance and reliably follows through on tasks and assigned responsibilities;
• Temperament – maintain emotional control, a positive perspective, and effectively respond to stress on the job.

Education, Certificates, Licenses, Registrations

• Valid Michigan Driver’s License, appropriate insurance and use of own vehicle;
• High School Diploma or GED.

Working Conditions

• Works in an office environment and in the community as needed;
• Possible stressful environment working with families and court system;
• Non-traditional hours occur often due to the need for evening and weekend visitation, events, and trainings, etc.

Physical Requirements

• Sitting and standing for extended periods of time;
• May require some lifting.