Parent Mentor - (Culturally Specific - BIPOC Fathers)
Description
- Nonviolence - being safe and doing the right thing
- Emotional Intelligence - managing our feelings so we don’t hurt ourselves or others
- Social Learning - respecting and sharing ideas of our teams
- Democracy - shared decision making whenever possible
- Open Communication - saying what we mean and not being mean when we say it
- Social Responsibility - everyone makes a contribution to the organizational culture
- Growth and Change - creating hope for our clients and ourselves
- Equity - Assuring all can survive and thrive
Job Summary:
The Parent Mentor program matches Parent Mentors who have lived experience of involvement with ODHS child welfare and are currently living a recovery lifestyle with parents currently entering the Child Welfare system. Parent Mentors are role models demonstrating the possibility of change and a healthy life as a parent in recovery.
This position requires knowledge of and lived experience parenting or working with African American / Black communities. This would be demonstrated by the ability to share experiences working directly with individuals who identify with the African American / Black community or a shared understanding of parenting norms and the ability to give specific examples of understanding community traditions, customs, beliefs, history, and culture.
- Empower and coach parents through their case with ODHS, support them at family meetings and court hearings, drive parents to appointments in Multnomah County, connect parents to culturally specific resources and provide support for other mentors on the team are all important aspects of this work
- Develop a trusting relationship with child welfare-involved parents by providing regular contact and support, building trust and rapport, including attending court and/or meetings with ODHS
- Build relationships with ODHS Child Welfare, treatment services and dependency court systems and represent the Parent Mentor Program positively with all County partners
- Communicate positively and professionally with ODHS staff and work collaboratively with caseworkers to support parents in achieving their goals
Experience/Education Requirements
- Personal experience and knowledge of addiction issues
- Minimum 2 years in active recovery from using alcohol and other drugs
- Personal experience of a ODHS Child Welfare case, closed for a minimum 1 year required
- High School Diploma or GED or high school level writing and reading skills.
- Demonstrate a commitment to developing a thorough knowledge and application of the Sanctuary model and other organizational policies & practices.
- Participate in staff development, in-services, and training related to equity and inclusion in the workplace; model appropriate behaviors; develop, recommend, and implement improvements to business practices with awareness and understanding of the impact in a trauma-informed and culturally diverse organization.
- Bilingual in Spanish
- Position requires personal transportation allowing for regular travel within Deschutes, Crook, and Jefferson counties for meetings and trainings in a timely manner. Must have and maintain a valid driver’s license and personal auto liability insurance
- Must pass a criminal history check