Family Partner

The HARRIS CENTER for Mental Health and IDD is seeking a Certified Family Partner to join our team! This individual will be responsible for implementing support services for children and adolescents who are emotionally disturbed. Their role involves providing assistance, information, referrals, and follow-up to families, as well as offering general consultation to staff on matters relating to children and youth. They will also develop and maintain a data collection system to track referrals, available resources/services, unmet needs of families, and barriers to accessing services. As a team member, the Family Partner will adhere to The Harris Center for Mental Health and IDD procedures. To qualify for this position, the Family Partner must be a custodial parent of a child who has experienced severe emotional disturbance and possess firsthand experience in navigating the public mental health systems. They should also be skilled in advocating for their child's needs.ms of care advocating for their child's needs.

Your role in Action:

• Assist families in locating and utilizing available services.
• Develop and maintain up-to-date usable directory of appropriate services.
• Support and encourage families to educate themselves by attending parent education classes and provides them with material pertaining to mental health issues, educational issues and other pertinent issues.
• Participate in staffing and team meetings.
• Maintain professional work behaviors.
• Maintain appropriate documentation.
• Comply with agency policies and procedures, accrediting/regulatory bodies and performance contract documentation requirements.

What qualifications you will need:

Education:

• Must possess a high school diploma or equivalent; degree preferred.

Other Key Qualifications:

• The Family Partner must be the custodial parent of a child who has or has had problems with severe emotional disturbance and has experience in negotiating the public mental health systems of care advocating for their child's needs.

Knowledge, Skills & Abilities:

• Basic understanding of child and adolescent mental illnesses and community resources
• Strong communication skills, listening and interpersonal skills above average, written documentation is clear, concise, well-constructed and grammatically correct.
• Able to work collaboratively with others in a teamwork environment.
• Effective time management and organizational skills.
• Intermediate computer skills including e-mail, word processing, spreadsheets, graphics, presentations, basic information systems.

What we have to offer:

The Harris Center not only offers a competitive salary but also a suite of excellent benefits designed to enrich your life both professionally and personally. Imagine a future with a robust retirement plan complemented by our generous company matching - a testament to our investment in your long-term financial well-being. Experience the unique advantage of our prior service credit, accelerating your journey towards a more substantial Paid Time Off accrual, empowering you to enjoy well-deserved breaks.

Enjoy Cell Phone Discounts, exclusive entertainment deals through Tickets at Work, and a free Headspace subscription for mental wellness. Additionally, our Employee Assistance Program supports your overall well-being.

Take advantage of significant financial relief through student loan forgiveness as a valued member of The Harris Center team. As a qualifying entity, our employees are eligible for various student loan forgiveness programs, designed to alleviate the financial burdens associated with higher education.

What else you should know:

• Your work week: Enjoy a flexible schedule with our outpatient clinic.
• Your workplace: Based at 7200 N. Loop East
• Your flexibility, our commitment: The Family Partner must be the custodial parent of a child who has or has had problems with severe emotional disturbance and has experience in negotiating the public mental health system.
• The environment: Be prepared to navigate challenging situations - you may occasionally encounter unfavorable conditions. Must be able to manage staff effectively in a collaborative team environment.
• Your interactions: Engage with a diverse range of individuals, some of whom may be emotional, physically hostile, agitated or uncooperative. This is an opportunity to employ your strong interpersonal skills and patience to make a real impact in their lives.
• This posting is associated with position #48012

About us:

The HARRIS CENTER is the state-designated Local Mental Health Authority and Local Intellectual and Developmental Disability (IDD) Authority serving Harris County, Texas. As the largest behavioral and developmental disability care center in Texas, The Harris Center provided care to over 96,000 people in fiscal year 2023!

As part of its mission to transform the lives of people with behavioral health and IDD needs in the third largest county in the United States, The HARRIS CENTER provides a full continuum of services at 86 different sites across Harris County. In addition, services are provided in more than 40 different languages as well as sign language to better serve what is one of the most diverse and multi-cultural communities in the nation.

By utilizing the unique expertise of its more than 2,500 employees, The Harris Center is committed to meeting the behavioral health and IDD needs of Harris County residents and giving them hope to live to their fullest potential.