What You'll Do:

Under the supervision of the Social Services Manager, the Family Support Specialist plays a vital role in supporting youth and their families within our outpatient mental health youth urgent care setting. This position relies on the specialist’s personal or lived experience to build meaningful connections and foster trust with families navigating challenging circumstances. By sharing relatable experiences and insights, the specialist empowers families through psychoeducation, advocacy coaching, and crisis planning.

Working in close collaboration with clinical care teams, the specialist assesses family needs, provides personalized resource referrals, and ensures seamless continuity of care. As a knowledgeable liaison to community services and external agencies, the specialist uses lived experience to break down barriers, promote family engagement, support effective communication, and help youth and caregivers confidently navigate the mental health system.

• Collaborate with care teams to ensure continuity of care by assessing ongoing family needs and facilitating appropriate next steps.
• Act as a content expert in community-based resources and services to support children, youth, and families facing behavioral or mental health challenges.
• Provide individualized referrals and concrete resources (e.g., housing, food access, transportation, mental health providers) tailored to the needs of each family.
• Ensure timely and effective communication with patients and caregivers regarding available services and supports.
• Develop, update, and implement crisis and safety plans in collaboration with the care team, youth, and their families.
• Coordinate with guardians, foster families, caseworkers, and external agencies such as Child Protective Services (CPS) to align care plans and ensure comprehensive support.
• Facilitate transfers to higher levels of care when appropriate, including inpatient psychiatric facilities or emergency departments.
• Provide educational handouts and psychoeducational materials specific to the child’s diagnosis, developmental stage, or family needs.
• Draw on personal or lived experience supporting a child, youth, or family member with emotional, behavioral, or mental health needs, and the ability to draw on that experience to provide empathetic, peer-informed support to families.
• Empower caregivers by teaching advocacy and communication skills to help them navigate systems and speak effectively on behalf of their child.
• Support families of children or youth actively receiving mental health services, helping them engage in treatment and understand their role in the care process.
• Conduct follow-up with youth and families post-discharge to confirm successful connection to recommended resources, address any questions or concerns, and provide ongoing support and check-ins.
• Performs all other duties as assigned.

What You'll Bring:

• Education: A Bachelor's degree in counseling, social work, psychology, or related field.
• Agency Affiliated Counselor (AAC): Must possess a current AAC credential or obtain one within 30 days of hire.

• Experience: Minimum 1-2 years working with psychiatric or medical populations in outpatient, inpatient, or residential settings.

• Lived Experience: Personal or lived experience supporting a child, youth, or family member with emotional, behavioral, or mental health needs, and the ability to draw on that experience to provide empathetic, peer-informed support to families.

• Skills: Strong written and oral communication, detail orientation, comfortable working with computers and documentation systems.

• Must be able to perform Safe Clinch patient restraint techniques upon hire.
• The Company has a mandatory vaccination policy. All successful applicants must be fully vaccinated, including showing proper documentation, or otherwise be exempt pursuant to the Company’s exemption process prior to their start date as a condition of employment.
• Complete all credentialing requirements within the required time period, including but not limited to obtaining a National Provider Identifier (NPI), Medallion enrollment, Medicare enrollment, and any other necessary credentials as required for the role.

It would be great if you had:

• Healthcare Familiarity: Knowledge of entitlement programs (Medicaid, Medicare, state benefits). Knowledge of community resources.
• Community Based Mental Health Resources Familiarity: Knowledge of community-based mental health services, including the ability to assess family needs, provide accurate referrals, and guide families in accessing appropriate support.
• 3 or more years of experience working with psychiatric or medical populations in outpatient, inpatient, or residential settings.
• Trauma-Informed Care Training: Knowledge of trauma-informed care principles and ability to engage with families experiencing acute stress, trauma, or behavioral crises. 

What We Offer:

Full-time only:

• Employees (and their families) are offered comprehensive health insurance, including Medical, Dental, Vision, Accident, Critical Illness, and Hospital Indemnity
• CHS pays for Basic Life, AD&D, Short and Long-Term Disability
• Voluntary Life insurance option for employees and their families
• Health Savings Accounts (with $1,000 to $2,000 employer contribution depending on plan)
• Flexible Spending Accounts (health care and dependent care)
• 401k company match after 6 months (50% of deferrals up to 6% of compensation)
• Generous PTO starting at 160 hours accrued annually and 12 recognized company holidays

All employees (Pool, Part-time and Full-time):

• Employee Assistance Program to help with confidential emotional support, work life solutions, financial solutions, legal assistance, or online support
• After 90 days, you are auto enrolled in the 401k Plan 

The standard hiring range for this position in Kirkland, WA is $24.51 to $30.56 per hour. The exact compensation will be based on factors such as years of experience, competency, and skill level. 

Connections Health Solutions is proud to be a Second Chance employer.

#INDWA

Connections Health Solutions is an equal opportunity employer. We do not discriminate based on race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, age, disability, veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by law. We are committed to creating an inclusive and welcoming environment for all employees and applicants.