SPECIFIC RESPONSIBILITIES

• Services are to provide a
  structured strength-based relationship between the FPA and the parent/family
  member/caregiver for the benefit of the child/youth.
• Services are delivered in a trauma
  informed, culturally and linguistically competent manner.
• Timely
  and accurate documentation of contacts, in addition, progress notes are
  due within 3 days of service provision so that approval from supervisor is
  completed by the 5th business day following service provision.
• Engagement,
  Bridging, and Transition Support:
• Servicing as a bridge between
  families and service providers, supporting a productive and respectful
  partnership by assisting the families to express their strengths, needs
  and goals.
• Based on the strengths and needs
  of the youth and family, connecting them with appropriate services and
  supports. Accompanying a family when visiting programs.
• Facilitating meetings between
  families and service providers.
• Assisting the family to gather,
  organize, and prepare documents needed for specific services.
• Addressing any concrete or
  subjective barriers that may prevent full participation in services.
• Supporting and assisting families
  during stages of transition, which may be unfamiliar (e.g., placements,
  in crisis, and between service systems etc.).

• Self-Advocacy, Self-Efficacy, and
  Empowerment:
  • Coach and model shared
    decision-making and skills that support collaboration, in addition to providing
    opportunities for families to self-advocate.
  • Supporting families to advocate on
    behalf of themselves to promote shared decision-making.

• Ensuring that family members inform
  all planning and decision-making.
• Modeling
  strength-based interactions by accentuating the positive.

• Supporting the families in
  discovering their strengths and concerns. Assist families to identify and
  set goals and short-term objectives.
• Preparing families for
  meetings and accompany them when needed.
• Empowering families to express
  their fears, expectations, and anxieties to promote positive effective
  communication.
• Assisting families to
  frame questions to ask providers.
• Providing opportunities
  for families to connect to and support one another.
• Supporting and encouraging
  family participation in community, regional, state, national activities
  to develop their leadership skills and expand their circles of support.
• Empowering families to make
  informed decisions regarding the nature of supports for themselves and
  their child through:
• Sharing information about
  resources, services, and supports and exploring what might be appropriate
  for their child and family.
• Exploring the needs and
  preferences of the family and locating relevant resources.
• Helping families understand
  eligibility rules.
• Helping families understand
  the assessment process and identify their
  child’s strengths, needs and diagnosis.
• Parent
  Skill Development:
• Supporting the efforts of
  families in caring for and strengthening their children’s mental and physical health,
  development, and
  well-being.
• Helping the family learn and practice strategies
  to support their child’s positive
  behavior.
• Assisting the family to
  implement strategies recommended by clinicians.
• Assisting families in talking
  with clinicians about their comfort with their plans of care.
• Providing emotional support for
  the family on their parenting journey to reduce isolation, feelings of
  stigma, blame, and hopelessness.
• Providing individual or group
  parent skill development related to the behavioral and medical health
  needs of the child (i.e., training on special needs parenting skills).
• Supporting families as children
  transition from out-of-home placement.
• Assisting families on how to
  access transportation.
• Supporting the parent in their role as
  their child’s educational advocate by providing:
  information, modeling, coaching in how to build effective partnerships,
  and exploring educational options with families and school staff.

• Community
  Connections and Natural Supports:
• Enhancing
  the quality of life by integration and supports for families in their own
  communities.
• Helping
  the family to rediscover and reconnect to natural supports already
  present in their lives.
• Utilizing
  the families’ knowledge
  of their community in developing new supportive relationships.
• Helping
  the family identify and become involved in leisure and recreational
  activities in their community.
• In
  partnership with community leaders, encouraging families who express an
  interest to become more involved in faith or cultural organizations.
• Arranging
  support and training as needed to facilitate participation in community
  activities.
• Connecting
  groups with families to strengthen social skills, decrease isolation,
  provide emotional support, and create opportunities for ongoing natural
  support.
• Working
  collaboratively with schools to promote family engagement.
• Development
  and updating of service plans, including obtaining medical consenter
  signatures.
• Obtaining
  consents and enrollment documents for newly enrolled children/youth.
• Attend
  monthly waiver service provider meetings to stay current on practices and
  protocols.
• Submit
  progress notes, service plans, expense logs, and service provider logs
  within set forth-required timeframes.
• Report
  incident(s) to supervisor upon discovery.
• Maintain
  open communication with other service providers (e.g., Care Manager) to
  report on child/youth’s progress and identify any potential barriers and
  referrals.
• Setting
  of Service Provision:
• Family
  Peer Supports Services can be provided in a variety of settings,
  including community locations, the family or caregiver’s home, or where
  the child/youth lives, works, attends school, engages in services, and/or
  socializes.

QUALIFICATIONS

• Family
  Peer Support will be delivered by a New York State Credentialed Family
  Peer Advocate (FPA). To be eligible for the FPA Credential, the individual
  must:
• Demonstrate
  ‘lived experience’ as a parent or primary caregiver who has navigated multiple child
  serving systems on behalf of their child(ren) with social, emotional,
  developmental, health and/or behavioral healthcare needs.
• At
  a minimum, have a high school diploma, high school equivalency preferred
  or a State Education Commencement Credential. This educational
  requirement can be waived by the State if the person has demonstrated
  competencies and has relevant life experience sufficient for the peer
  credential.
• Complete
  Level One and Level Two of the Parent Empowerment Program Training for
  Family Peer Advocates or approved comparable training.
• Submit
  three letters of reference attesting to proficiency in and suitability
  for the role of a Family Peer Advocate (FPA) including one from the FPAs
  supervisor.
• Document
  1000 hours of experience providing Family Peer Support Services.
• Complete
  20 hours of continuing education and renew their FPA credential every two
  years.
• A
  FPA may obtain a provisional credential that will allow services they
  provide to be billed if the applicant has:
• Demonstrated
  ‘lived experience’ as a parent or primary caregiver who has navigated multiple child
  serving systems on behalf of their child(ren) with social, emotional, developmental,
  health and/or behavioral healthcare needs.
• A
  high school diploma, high school equivalency preferred or a State
  Education Commencement Credential. This educational requirement can be
  waived by the State if the person has demonstrated competencies and has
  relevant life experience sufficient for the peer credential.
• Complete
  Level One of the Parent Empowerment Program Training for Family Peer
  Advocates or approved comparable training.
• Submit
  two letters of reference attesting to proficiency in and suitability for
  the role of a Family Peer Advocate (FPA).
• Agree to practice according to the
  Family Peer Advocate Code of Ethics.

An FPA with a Provisional Family Peer Advocate Credential

must complete all other requirements of the Professional Family Peer Advocate

credential within 18 months of commencing employment as a FPA.

OR

Family Peer Support will be delivered by a Certified

Recovery Peer Advocate (CRPA) with a Family Specialty. To be certified as

CPRA-Family, the individual must be at least 18 years of age and have the

following:

• Demonstrate
  lived experience as a primary caregiver of a youth who has participated in
  (or navigated) the addiction services system. They provide education,
  outreach, advocacy, and recovery support services for families seeking and
  sustaining recovery on behalf of a child or youth.
• Have
  a high school diploma or General Equivalency Degree (GED) preferred or a
  State Education Commencement Credential.
• Complete
  a minimum of 46 hours of content specific training, covering the topics:
  advocacy, mentoring/education, recovery/wellness support, and ethical
  responsibility.
• Document
  500 hours of related work or volunteer experience.
• Provide
  evidence of at least 25 hours of supervision in a peer role.
• Pass
  the NYCB/IC&RC Peer Advocate Exam or other exam by an OASAS designated
  certifying body.
• Demonstrate
  a minimum of 20 hours in the area of Family Support (combined online and
  classroom training).
• Complete
  10 hours of continuing education per year of certification, including 2
  hours of Ethics.