AAP PARENT PARTNER

PROGRAM SUMMARY:

South Coast Community Services takes pride in providing our staff with competitive compensation, opportunities for professional growth, access to diverse client populations, clinical autonomy, and a strong support system of seasoned employees. The Parent Partner is assigned to serve as a mentor to parents and caregivers offering guidance, empathy, and hope grounded in their own lived experiences. As a Wraparound team member, the Parent Partner builds trusting, peer-to-peer relationships with parents and caregivers, helping them navigate complex systems, prepare for team meetings, strengthen family bonds, and find sustainable support.

Through weekly meetings and by participating in Wraparound team meetings and Child and Family Team meetings, the Parent Partner helps parents/caregivers build confidence, reframe challenges, and actively engage in each Wraparound phase. Their role is vital in ensuring that the parent/caregiver’s voice, values, and priorities are elevated across the four phases of Wraparound.

PROGRAM DESCRIPTION:

The Adoption Assistance Program serves adopted children/youth and their families. This program provides a collaborative and highly individualized process for developing specific resources and services for the referred child and their families. The goal of the program is to utilize an adoption-competent, strength-based approach to maximize the capacity of each family to meet the child’s needs, and maintain permanency outcomes and well-being. AAP uses the CA High-Fidelity Wraparound (HFW) model, which is a team-based evidence-based practice that includes an “anything necessary” approach to care for youth and families with the most intensive mental or behavioral health challenges.

GENERAL REQUIREMENTS:

• Education/Experience

1. High school diploma or GED. Writing skills adequate to complete documentation as required.
2. Lived experience as the parent/caregiver capacity of an adopted youth, preferred.
3. Personal experience navigating the child welfare system, juvenile justice system, educational system or mental health system for oneself or in a caregiver/parent capacity.
4. Personal or professional experience accessing community resources.

• Licensure, Registration, Certification

1. Valid CA driver’s license and proof of automobile insurance.
2. Completion of CPR/First Aid/ProACT certification within the first thirty (30) days of employment.

JOB DUTIES & RESPONSIBILITIES:

Actively participate in the engagement process by providing reassurance that the family’s circumstances and challenges will be handled confidentially. Listen with empathy and without judgment to identify their needs, strengths, and key supports.

• Help orient parents and family members to the Wraparound process, using lived experience to guide them through system structures, identify barriers, and assist in removing obstacles to success.
• Address parents’ needs through empathetic communication, ensuring they feel supported, empowered, and equipped to advocate for themselves while being connected to meaningful resources.
• Support parents in understanding the importance of involving and connecting with extended family and other supportive individuals to build permanent, lasting relationships and prepare for life beyond formal services.
• Provide opportunities for parents to prepare before meetings and decision-making sessions so they can confidently advocate for themselves and their families.
• Ensure that parents have the opportunity to share their perspectives during meetings and that their voices, cultures, and preferences are respected and reflected in the plans and strategies developed to support positive change.
• Share observations and feedback when practices do not reflect fidelity to the core Wraparound principles and values (team-based, strengths-based, outcome-focused, persistent, and needs-driven).
• Provide direct services to support the implementation of Child and Family Team (CFT) plan strategies and offer assistance during crisis situations as needed.
• Support the development of effective parenting and self-care skills through one-on-one meetings and group sessions, sharing insights from lived experience.
• Advocate within organizations and systems to ensure that policies and practices respect and honor the voice, vision, and lived experience of families as experts in their own lives and equal partners in their care.
• Participate in evaluations, quality improvement activities, and ongoing training in alignment with Wraparound standards and best practices.

JOB SPECIFIC COMPETENCIES 

• Service Delivery 
• Meeting expectations in Service Delivery Skills encompass the ability of paraprofessional staff to identify and recommend appropriate service types that align with the needs of clients, while staying within the bounds of their training, expertise, and professional role. This competency requires an understanding of the range of services available within the organization and the ability to match those services to the specific needs and preferences of clients.
• Crisis Intervention and Safety Planning
• Meeting expectations in Crisis and Safety Planning encompasses handling crisis situations effectively, including suicidal ideation, self-harm, and acute psychiatric symptoms, by adhering to established safety protocols and accessing appropriate resources. Participate as needed in the implementation of safety plans in collaboration with clients, their support systems, and the treatment team. 
• Productivity & Service Billing 
• Meeting expectations in Productivity and Service Billing skills focus on the ability to hit program productivity expectations on a monthly basis.

PHYSICAL REQUIREMENTS:

• Ability to drive a motor vehicle without restrictions, often in heavy traffic and frequently long distances (one hour or more) to ensure safe transport to client settings and to safely transport clients to appointments as needed.
• Senses of vision, hearing and smell sufficient to regularly operate a motor vehicle, to visualize threats in the environment or risks to clients, and to operate safely in the field.
• Required to occasionally lift and carry 10-20 pounds.
• Regularly required to sit, stand, climb stairs (1 or more flights) and walk while in route to and during family visits.
• Regularly required to sit and use computer in office settings

EOE, INCLUDING DISABILITY/VETS

We are an equal opportunity employer and consider all qualified applicants for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, ancestry, age, disability, medical condition, genetic information, marital status, veteran status, or any other protected characteristic under California law.