Parent Support Partner at Wayne Center in Livonia, MI

Non profit located in Livonia and mid town Detroit, servicing individuals with intectual and and developmental disabilities.  

The Parent Support Partner is the parent or primary caregiver of a child with emotional, behavioral and/or mental health challenges.  The ideal candidate is sensitive, respectful and responsive to the values, cultural background and life experiences of each family. The Parent Support Partners’ focus will be to empower families to move toward independence through skill-building interventions.  Parent Support Partners help empower families to access and obtain resources in the community, partner with service providers, and increase their confidence in parenting so that all family members can remain in the community. 

The Parent Support Partner serves as an example and mentor to other parents. The Parent Support Partner engages family members and provides peer-to-peer support, education and training to families who are receiving services. The Parent Support Partner is included in the service planning, implementing, and transition process, as delineated in the Individual Plan of Service. The Parent Support Partner utilizes personal experience and knowledge and expands opportunities for family choice and voice in matters affecting families and their children. The Parent Support Partner builds partnerships with parents and professionals, and promotes an open, respectful attitude.   

• 18 years of age or over.
• A parent or day-to-day caregiver who has or has had a child with emotional, behavioral and/or mental health challenges.
• General knowledge of the public mental health system, special education system, juvenile justice system, child welfare and other community resources.
• Experience navigating at least one agency serving children, preferably a public mental health agency.
• Able to relate to, socially interact, communicate with and engage others.
• Able to partner with families, youth, professionals, other community members, to plan and implement services. 
• Ability to integrate own experience when it is helpful to the family.
• Supports family strengths in problem-solving and solution seeking.
• Demonstrates comfort working with people having different life experiences, as well as people from diverse socio-economic backgrounds and cultures.
• Maintains a respectful, non-judgmental attitude toward the family and others.
• Able to protect the confidentiality of families and the information that they share.
• Possesses good communication skills, such as listening skills, written & verbal communication skills.
• Ability to complete the reporting requirements of the CMHSP.
• Possesses knowledge of community resources. 
• Possesses basic computer knowledge, such as familiarity with email, internet and Microsoft Office Suite.