Support Partner, CHULA VISTA, California

Department: Behavioral Health & Wellness

Program: HERE Now Suicide Prevention

Status: Regular Full Time

Pay: $22 per hour

Schedule: General work schedule is 7:30 a.m. – 4 p.m. and is based on the general operating hours of the schools served. Candidate must also be available to work up to 8 p.m. at least two evenings per month, as well as weekends, as needed, to meet the needs of the program.

# of Openings: 1

SBCS seeks to hire, support, and retain employees who reflect our diverse community. We encourage applicants with diverse backgrounds and lived experiences to apply.

Who we are

SBCS (formerly South Bay Community Services) transforms communities to support the well-being and prosperity of children, youth, and families. For more than 50 years, we've worked throughout San Diego to provide safe shelter, transitional housing, intervention prevention programs, mental health support, and many other services that meet the ever-changing needs of our communities.

Our organization is dedicated to offering high-quality services and ensuring all services align with the community's needs. To best serve our communities, SBCS partners with various grassroots organizations throughout California to develop innovative strategies that enhance services, empower clients, and ensure that culturally appropriate and trauma-informed care is offered. SBCS provides a wide range of services tailored to meet each client's unique needs. At SBCS, our client-centered approach highlights the importance of respect, empathy, and compassion when interacting with all community members.

About YOU

You are an advocate and champion of nurturing communities where families can pursue their dreams and fulfill their potential.

You are dedicated to and energized by engaging directly with individuals and communities.

You care deeply about the well-being and prosperity of ALL children and youth throughout San Diego.

You want to become a part of an energetic and effective team, and contribute your expertise, creativity, and insights to a unique role encompassing program management, development, and direct counseling services for at-risk children, adolescents, and families.

About our organization

SBCS is home to a committed team of 470 dedicated employees and volunteers who diligently serve all of San Diego County. Having offered services for 52 years, SBCS is committed to providing hope and support for numerous young children, individuals, and families facing adversity. With an annual budget of $68 million, SBCS continues to be a beacon of assistance in the community.

Competitive and Sustainable Employee Pay Package:

SBCS offers competitive pay and additional benefits for full-time employees, including generous vacation time, holidays, health, vision, dental, flexible spending accounts, an employee assistance program, discount programs, public service forgiveness loan, and an excellent retirement plan with matching contributions.

Program:

SBCS' Helping, Engaging, Reconnecting and Educating (HERE) Now Program focuses on preventing suicide by educating 7th -12th grade youth and their families on the risk factors of suicide and reduces the stigma around seeking help for themselves or others. Additionally, HERE Now seeks to shift social norms regarding the stigma attached to individuals who seek mental health services by proactively reaching out to the community and community leaders; promoting education about mental health and suicide by using an evidenced-based curriculum; teaching school staff about the warning signs; reaching out to parents; implementing bullying prevention, and having in place a seamless system of services that identifies youth who need mental health.

RESPONSIBILITIES:

Reports to the Program Coordinator and Program Director to provide comprehensive trauma-informed school-based suicide Prevention and Early Intervention (PEI) services as part of the HERE Now program. The Support Partner is responsible for engaging families and caregivers in suicide prevention activities, initial risk assessments, and linkages with area mental health support and services as well as other needed services for youth with depression, other mental health problems, substance abuse or whose history of trauma would indicate a high risk for suicide or self-harm. Ensure that standards relating to safety and inclusivity are maintained.

DUTIES:

• Establish rapport with families and caregivers of youth, ages 12-24, with a wide range of needs. Partner with parents and caregivers of families in high risk, low socio-economic communities with a high concentration of ethnic minorities.
• Present an evidence-based curriculum, Signs of Suicide, and bullying prevention to 7th- 12th grade students with the purpose of reducing risk and enhancing protective factors as well as facilitate mental health and safety trainings for parents, district staff, and community members.
• Plan, coordinate and conduct training to school staff and gatekeepers with Mental Health Specialist.
• Provide one-on-one safety assessments and crisis management to at-risk students and their families, while utilizing a trauma-informed care philosophy and recovery principles; Stay current on best-practices for clients.
• Sustain the team commitment to County of San Diego CSOC Principles.
• Work collaboratively and cooperatively with staff and volunteers
• Participate in carrying out agency plans and vision; Participate in appropriate agency-wide committees as applicable; Participate in all required trainings, meetings, and consultation/supervisions.
• Maintain accurate and timely uniform record documentation on all youth/families.
• Responsible for outreach in a culturally appropriate manner to community members and families in their community and school.
• Work with families to reduce disparities and stigma in accessing mental health services.
• Identify individual/family strengths that can be applied to overcome identified family challenges that prevent/hinder the family from maintaining a safe home environment for their youth.
• Provide support in the form of reflective listening, emotional support, strengths identification, challenge identification, and solution seeking as needed.
• Coordinate linkages with mental health support and services and other needed services for youth/families with depression, mental health problems, substance abuse or history of trauma indicating a high risk for suicide/self-harm.
• Coordinate advocacy efforts for youth/families serviced within and across the system of care and assist youth/families in locating, coordinating and developing informal and formal resources and networks in the communities where they reside and/or attend school.
• Assist in orienting new youth and families entering the mental health system.
• Work with service partners to ensure that standards relating to safety and inclusivity are maintained.
• Promote greater youth/families' participation in policy, program, and service delivery in the mental health system.
• Maintain confidentiality and privacy standards of client protected health information and other applicable information in accordance to agency and center policies, and applicable regulations and laws, including HIPAA.
• As other duties assigned.

• Must possess demonstrated lived experience as a consumer or caregiver within children's mental health services, the juvenile justice system, or Special Education.
• Must have a High School diploma.
• Must be willing to develop or possess working knowledge of trauma-informed care and dual diagnosis treatment; experience working with at-risk youth preferred.
• Must be computer literate in Microsoft Outlook and Word.
• Must maintain CPR/First-Aid Certificate.
• Bilingual – English/Spanish required. Ability to converse and present to students and parents.
• Ability to work with and represent a culturally and ethnically diverse population, possess cultural sensitivity, and maintain appropriate boundaries with clients.

Conditions of Employment

• Employment may be conditioned upon satisfactory completion of certain background clearances which may include a Department of Justice criminal background check requiring my fingerprints (Live Scan), screening through the National Sex Offender Public Website, drug test, tuberculosis (TB) test, and such additional clearances as may be required under the program.
• Candidate is required to have reliable transportation; therefore, the candidate must successfully complete a motor history check. Candidate must also possess and maintain a current valid California driver's license and valid auto insurance policy. Mileage is reimbursed.

PHYSICAL DEMANDS:

• Mentally and emotionally: Ability to work under deadlines, various projects and dealing with clients in crisis and difficult situations.
• Must be able to remain in a stationary position during shift.
• Moves throughout the building.
• Moves, raises, or lowers (includes upward pulling) an object or equipment up to 50 lbs.
• Transports an object, from 20 to 50 lbs. across the facility, for various needs.
• Ability to exert force upon an object so that the object moves away from the force.
• Ability to exert force upon an object so that the object moves toward the force (includes jerking)
• Ascending or descending stairs and ladders when applicable. Body agility is emphasized.
• Balancing: Maintaining body equilibrium to prevent falling when ascending, descending, traversing.
• Stooping: Bending body downward and forward by bending spine at the waist, requiring full use of the lower extremities and back muscles.
• Handling: Seizing, holding, grasping, turning, or otherwise working with objects or office machinery.
• Communicating: Expressing or exchanging ideas. Communicating is important for those activities in which workers must impart information to clients or to the public, and in those activities in which they must convey detailed or important instructions to other workers accurately, or quickly.

The statements contained herein describe the scope of the responsibility and essential functions of this position but should not be considered to be an all-inclusive listing of work requirements. Individuals may perform other duties as assigned. Nothing in this job description restricts management's right to assign or reassign duties and responsibilities to this job at any time unless restricted by a negotiated contract.

Accessibility Accommodation

SBCS is committed to providing access, equal opportunity and reasonable accommodation for individuals with disabilities in employment, its services, programs, and activities.

Equal Employment Opportunity

We are an equal opportunity employer, and all qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, age, sexual orientation, gender identity, genetic information, parental status, national origin, disability status, protected veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by law. Equal Opportunity Employer/Program – Auxiliary aids and services are available upon request to individuals with disabilities.

At-Will Employment Status

Please note that all employment with SBCS is at-will, which means your employment may be terminated at any time by you or SBCS, without cause or advance notice. The terms and conditions of any employment may also be modified.

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