Job Summary
You will deliver culturally competent and strength-based peer support to caregivers of youth participating in the WISe (Wraparound with Intensive Services) program, aiming to reduce crises and enhance in-home stability. This will involve identifying necessary support and teaching skills to help caregivers effectively navigate community resources to fulfill their needs. Services will be provided in the homes of clients or other suitable community settings. You will work in collaboration with colleagues, supervisors, external professionals, and others involved in the youth's care to address safety plan requirements and achieve action plan objectives, serving as a vital link between caregivers, youth, and system representatives.
This position serves as the parent peer support for the WISe wraparound intensive mental health services. A peer support specialist plays an intricate role in the team-based planning process for caregivers and youth who are experiencing complex needs. Peers are designed to help caregivers develop advocacy and empowerment skills to better achieve the identified goals of their youth and family, and so that young people may live in their homes and communities successfully.
- This team member will work collaboratively with supervisors, clinicians, case managers, and all team providers to help implement an individualized plan of care, monitor the efficacy of the plan, and work towards success over time.
- This plan of care is based on strengths and needs that respect the youth's and their family's culture, values, norms, and preferences
This position is at the Social Impact Center Y, the social services branch of YMCA of Greater Seattle (YGS). The mission of the Social Impact Center Y is to accelerate young people’s ability to build safe, successful, and happy lives. Every year, we serve 5,000 children, youth, young adults, and families across King County with programs that aim to strengthen young people’s ability to develop to their fullest potential through four strategies: reducing risk factors; navigating systems towards successful life transition; ensuring stability, safety and wellness in times of crisis; and building competencies and social capital. The Social Impact Center Y’s programs include housing, behavioral health, foster care licensing, violence prevention, education, and employment. Many of the young people we serve have had involvement in the foster care, criminal justice system, and/or homelessness systems.
Position Type/Expected Hours of Work
This is a regular full-time position with expected hours of Monday-Friday, 9am to 5:30pm with occasional evenings and weekends as needed to meet program and participant needs.
What you'll get from working at The Y
- Membership to the YMCA of Greater Seattle for you and your household
- Medical, Dental, Vision, and Life insurance
- Retirement with 12% employer contributions after 2 years of services - see Y Retirement for more information. Other Savings plans available upon hire.
- Free access to mental health resources
- Rapidly accruing paid time off (PTO)
- Full-time employees qualify for a 50% discount, and part-time employees qualify for a 25% discount, on eligible Childcare Services.
- Direct care staff in the Social Impact Center receive monthly personal Wellness days in addition to existing PTO and Paid Holiday benefits
* Some benefits only available to full-time staff
Hiring Range:
Pre-Certified Peer Counselor: Hiring Range: $22.00 – 25.00/hr
Certified Peer Counselor: Hiring Range: $24.00 – 27.00/hr
**Required qualifications listed below
Responsibilities
- Provide peer counseling and support to parents/caregivers, drawing on common experience to encourage hope and inspire a sense of agency.
- Promote self-determination, empowerment, personal responsibility for recovery and wellness, and assist parents/caregivers in advocating for themselves and their children.
- Engage youth and families in the Wraparound process by sharing personal experience and/or explaining Wraparound process in relation to family’s identified needs and concerns.
- Act as a bridge between families and system representatives on the team.
- Adhere closely to the National Wraparound Model.
- Assist in creating Care Plans by identifying relevant community resources and developing strategies to utilize and build upon strengths of the caregiver and youth.
- Collaborate with the treatment team to promote a culture within which each client’s point of view, experience, and preferences are recognized, understood, and respected, and client decision-making maximized.
- Assist caregivers in gaining skills to advocate for themselves when treatment planning and in other system settings.
- Assist families in identifying existing and building new community and natural supports.
- Identify opportunities for natural supports to participate in the Wraparound team planning process.
- Support caregivers during child and family team meetings.
- Provide resource referrals and linkages to caregivers and system partners.
- Assist families in navigating systems to have their needs met.
- Partner with the care coordinator, clinician, family, and other members of the family-identified team in the development of the crisis stabilization plan to make sure the plans are individualized and based on youth and family voice and choice. As appropriate, assist caregiver by providing short-term intensive care coordination and facilitating family collaboration with crisis providers or treatment options.
- Facilitate Wraparound team meetings as needed.
- Develop working knowledge of CANS assessment tool; interpret assessment results for families and incorporate relevant action items into the care planning process.
- Attend WISe community meetings with other partner agencies.
- Partner with system of care representatives to promote family involvement on all levels of care, service delivery, and policy development.
- Attend and participate in clinical consultation, staff meetings, and supervision appointments.
- Maintain complete and timely clinical documentation, including gathering data in accordance with agency policies and procedures.
- Participate in supervision with the WISe Program Director and regular collaboration with the care coordinators, clinicians, and fellow peers in the program.
- Demonstrate a high degree of skill in communication and positive interaction with all Y employees, prospective employees, external agencies/companies, and the community at large.
- Meet with assigned caregivers in person at least once a week, or more frequently, if necessary, within the community.
*Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.
Code of Conduct for Applicants
All employees and volunteers are responsible for adhering to abuse prevention policies, maintaining appropriate boundaries, completing required training, reporting suspicious or inappropriate behavior, and complying with mandated reporting requirements.
Responsible for ensuring staff are properly screened, trained, supervised and held accountable to the organization’s abuse risk management standards.
Qualifications
- Personal experience as a parent or custodial guardian who has sought and received assistance from community mental health and/or school systems (juvenile justice, behavioral health, child welfare, special education) for their own child or youth who experienced emotional and/or behavioral problems.
- Ability to work independently and as a part of a team
- Ability to effectively communicate with others
- Ability to effectively use virtual platforms, such as Zoom and Microsoft Teams, to communicate with team and youth and families.
- Ability to set priorities and manage time effectively
- Ability to use a computer and work with Microsoft Windows Outlook and electronic health records data system.
- Trained in and familiar with recovery model and able to assist families and youth to focus on their strengths, utilize their voice and partner with their team.
- Demonstrated ability to engage youth and their families in a structured process to verbalize their needs, develop an individualized care plan, and transition to reliance on natural supports.
- Knowledge of community services and resources including: support groups, mental health, substance abuse, child welfare, juvenile justice, developmental disabilities, special education programs, etc.
- Experience with crisis de-escalation and crisis stabilization practices.
- The following physical and mental abilities are required: frequent lifting or carrying up to 15 pounds, must be able to hear, frequent standing/walking going up and down stairs due to community outreach basis, ability to communicate effectively in person and/or phone, the ability to read, analyze and interpret information, ability to write reports, correspondence and procedures, ability to maintain notes/records, ability to define and solve practical problems, collect data
- WA State Peer Counselor Certification preferred and required within one year of employment.
- Possession of a high school diploma or equivalence preferred
- Possession of valid driver’s license and have access to a private vehicle for day-to-day job performance and Ability to transport self and youth in a safe and effective manner, and to meet youth and families at their home or in the community. (Proof of adequate vehicle insurance coverage is required.)
- Knowledge of and previous experience with, diverse populations and ability to speak another language in addition to English strongly preferred.
- Current State-approved first aid certification, state-approved CPR certification, BBP (HIV/AIDS) training certification.*
- Washington State Agency Affiliated Counseling Credential.**
*Within 30 days of employment or first available training.
**Training and certification can be completed after hire. Start process of training and certification within the first month of hire and full certification as a Peer within 6 months of hire.
Pre-Certified Peer Counselor:
- WA State Peer Counselor Certification preferred and required within one year of employment.
Certified Peer Counselor:
- WA State Peer Counselor Certification preferred and required within 30 days of employment.
Authorized Driver Requirement:
This role transports clients as an “authorized driver” for the YMCA of Greater Seattle (YGS) using your own vehicle (proof of current auto insurance and vehicle registration are required). Driving duties for this role are Required.* Driving roles are safety-sensitive. To become an authorized driver, you must be 21+, have possessed a driver's license for at least 3 years, and pass a drug screen that will test for impairing substances (including marijuana) in addition to meeting the driving record standards below:
YGS Driving Record Standards
Within the last three (3) years: No more than two (2) vehicle related suspension(s) and/or reinstatement(s). No more than two (2) moving violations and/or accidents. Moving violations include, but are not limited to, the following:
- Speeding
- Improper Lane Change
- Failure to Yield in Right-of-Way
- Failure to Obey Traffic Signal
- Failure to obey Traffic Sign
Within the last five (5) years: No Major Violations which include, but are not limited to, the following:
- DUI, DWI, OUI, OWI, BUI (Boating), Administrative Per Se, or Refusing to Test
- Driving with an open container of alcohol
- Reckless Driving
- Hit andRun– property damage only (Incidents involving injury fall under Permanent Disqualification)
- Racing
- Driving with a suspended/revoked license/insurance
- Speeding over 20 mph
- Fleeing and/or eluding police
- Any other felony driving conviction(s)
Driving records that result in Permanent disqualification from driving duties:
- More than 3 DUI, DWI, OUI, OWI, BUI, Administrative Per Se, or Refusing to Test forentiretyof driving history.
- More than 3 Driving with a suspended/revoked license
- Hit andRunresulting in bodily injury or death
- Manslaughter/felony death by motor vehicle
*Due to state-specific reporting requirements in our driver management system, we are not currently able to enroll California Driver's License holders as Authorized Drivers.
You'll be a great fit for the Seattle Y if you:
- Thrive on working in a collaborative environment.
- Are very adaptable.
- Have high ownership and strong work ethic.
- Are a great problem solver who can think on your feet.
- Truly enjoy being of service to people.
- Like being part of a team that cares about one another as people and enjoy working together.
- Want to know that the work you do contributes to building a better, stronger community for all.
OUR MISSION
Building a community where all people, especially the young, are encouraged to develop their fullest potential in spirit, mind, and body.
OUR VALUES
- Respect
- Responsibility
- Honesty
- Caring
- Passion for Excellence
YGS is an equal opportunity employer and is committed to creating a diverse and equitable work environment. Qualified applicants will receive consideration without regard to their race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability, status as a protected veteran, or any other status protected by local, state, or federal law.
We are a drug & alcohol-free workplace. We participate in the Federal E-Verify system. All job offers are contingent on the results of a background check in accordance with Washington's Fair Chance Act. Please download and review the below resources for more information:
(i) The updated 2025 requirements of 49.94.010:
https://seattleymca.icims.com/icims2/servlet/icims2?module=AppInert&action=download&id=251099&hashed=1503034877
(ii) The WA attorney general's Washington fair chance act guide for employers and job applicants:
https://seattleymca.icims.com/icims2/servlet/icims2?module=AppInert&action=download&id=251100&hashed=74689660
Pay: $22.00 - $27.00 per hour
Benefits:
- Dental insurance
- Employee assistance program
- Employee discount
- Flexible schedule
- Flexible spending account
- Health insurance
- Life insurance
- Paid time off
- Referral program
- Retirement plan
- Vision insurance
Application Question(s):
- We are looking for a candidate who has personal experience as a primary caretaker seeking/receiving assistance for children/youth in their care experiencing emotional and/or behavioral problems from community mental health and/or school systems (juvenile justice, behavioral health, child welfare, special education). Please confirm that you meet this requirement.
- This role transports clients as an “authorized driver” for the YMCA of Greater Seattle (YGS) using your own vehicle (proof of current auto insurance and vehicle registration are required). Driving duties for this role are Required. Driving roles are safety-sensitive. To become an authorized driver, you must be 21+, have possessed a driver's license for at least 3 years, and pass a drug screen that will test for impairing substances (including marijuana) in addition to meeting the YGS Driving Record Standards listed in the job description. Do you meet the listed requirements for becoming an authorized driver for the YMCA? Please check the requirements in the job description and answer accurately. (*Due to state-specific requirements in our driver management system, we are not currently able to enroll California Driver's License holders as authorized drivers.)
*
Do you currently live in or plan to move to the Greater Seattle Area?
*
We value lived experience for our staff as youth, adults, and/or as parents/caregivers who share and use their experiences navigating systems related to behavioral health, disabilities, substance use, education, medical, domestic violence, housing and food insecurities, child welfare and juvenile justice. We understand these topics can be sensitive however we invite you to share any lived experience you feel is relatable to the role:
- All individuals hired by the YMCA of Greater Seattle must complete a background check (and on safety-sensitive driving positions, drug tests) as part of the post-offer onboarding process. Criminal backgrounds will be reviewed on a case-by-case basis; a positive drug test result (including marijuana) for any safety-sensitive positions requiring driving will likely result in the withdrawal of a job offer. *Please note that background check turnaround time can vary by jurisdiction: Background check results for King and Pierce counties typically return within 1-2 days. However, your start date may have to be pushed back by days or weeks as we wait for the background check to clear if you recently lived abroad or in a smaller county that may have more limited resources for digitizing and making records available online. Please select “I understand” to acknowledge these requirements.
- Please review the YMCA of Greater Seattle Area's Code of Conduct that is linked at the bottom of the responsibilities section of the job description or by visiting https://seattleymca.icims.com/icims2/servlet/icims2?module=AppInert&action=download&id=191063&hashed=999166779
- Do you speak another language besides English? If yes, please list them belo
- Are you a relative or household member of another employee at the YMCA of Greater Seattle? If yes, please list employee's name.
- If you are an internal candidate (currently work for the YMCA of Greater Seattle), have you notified your current supervisor that you are applying to this role? Our Employee Handbook states, "Employees applying for another position within the Y are expected to notify their present supervisor of their application. In response to internal reference requests, supervisors are expected to provide factual, objective, and performance-based information to the hiring manager."
- Please list a preferred email address for further communication.
Work Location: In person
