Position Summary:

Provide leadership and oversight for the Peer Family Navigator team and the Family Services Program (in-home prevention services), serving as the agency’s central hub for coordinating services and resources for children and families. This role ensures children and parents are connected to the most appropriate and effective services as quickly as possible to address conditions for return, strengthen family stability, and advance reunification or other permanency outcomes. Working closely with case management staff, internal programs, admissions, and community partners, the position helps remove barriers to services, integrates prevention and support resources, and ensures families receive timely, coordinated support that promotes child safety and well-being.

Essential Job Functions:

• Supervise the Peer Family Navigator team and the Family Services Program (in-home prevention services), providing guidance and oversight to ensure families receive timely services that address conditions for return and support child safety.
• Serve as the agency’s primary services and resource consultant to case management staff, helping identify needs and connect children and parents to the most appropriate behavioral health, prevention, and support services.
• Coordinate with Citrus Behavioral Health and other system partners to ensure services align with CBHA recommendations, court orders, and identified needs.
• Leverage community partnerships and funding sources to maximize available resources and ensure services are delivered efficiently and sustainably.
• Support coordination of care for children with complex behavioral health needs, including assistance with SIPP or other higher levels of care and follow-up after events such as Baker Acts.
• Ensure compliance with statutory and system requirements, including psychotropic medication monitoring and Child Placement Agreements
• Develop and maintain strong partnerships with community providers and agencies to ensure children and families have timely access to needed services and supports.

Essential Qualifications:

Certifications/Licensures/ Education:

• Master’s degree in Social Work, Mental Health Counseling, Psychology, or a related field required.

Experience and Competencies:

• Strong leadership, coaching, and team-building abilities.

• Minimum of 5 years’ experience working with children in the child welfare or behavioral health system.
• Strong knowledge of Florida’s Baker Act process, SIPP placement procedures, CBHAs, and community-based mental health resources.
• Experience supervising staff and providing guidance on integration of services and linkages
• Ability to navigate complex systems and work collaboratively with a wide range of stakeholders.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills.
• Bilingual in English and Spanish or Haitian Creole preferred but not required.
• Must pass a Level II background screening and have a valid Florida driver’s license
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills.
• Ability to build and maintain effective relationships with a wide range of stakeholders.
• Strong organizational skills and ability to manage competing priorities.
• Analytical thinker with sound judgment and problem-solving capabilities.
• Commitment to child and family well-being, equity, and timely permanency.
• Experience working within a community-based care (CBC) model.
• Familiarity with case management systems and court tracking databases.
• Possess a current Background Clearance Screening Letter as required by DCF.
• Valid Florida driver’s license and ability to obtain and maintain WestCare’s vehicle insurance is required;
• The ability to identify and evaluate an individual’s strengths, barriers, problems, and needs for the development of a Wellness and Recovery Plan
• The ability to write assessments, progress notes, discharge summaries, and other consumer related data
• Knowledge of the inter-relationship among substance use, mental health, and primary care disorders
• Knowledge and application of developmental theories
• The ability to evaluate the impact of substance use and mental health problems on the consumer’s functioning in major life area
• The ability to coordinate and integrate multiple services, as well as interface and communicate with internal and external providers
• The ability to provide information to individuals and families concerning alcohol or other drug abuse, mental health problems, and the available services and resources
• The ability to identify the needs of a consumer that cannot be met by the counselor or agency and to assist the consumer/family to utilize the support systems and community resources available
• The ability to identify crises when they surface; mitigate or resolve the immediate problem; and de-escalate the situation, including the ability to develop Safety Plans, as needed
• The ability to assess the individual’s growth and development relative to normative development for his/her chronological age, including physical, emotional, cognitive, educational, and social development
• Understanding of the relationship among mental health, substance use, physical health, and medication use on daily functioning
• Understanding and application of federal, state, local and agency confidentiality rules and professional standards of conduct
• Understanding of family dynamics, family roles, and family structure
• Understanding of professional ethics, consumer rights, and professional responsibilities
• Ability to communicate appropriately and effectively with members of a multidisciplinary team
• Ability to organize, interpret, and communicate data in a comprehensive and effective manner
• Ability to handle multiple tasks and effectively prioritize
• Ability to network with internal and external departments and agencies

• Understanding of issues related to cultural identity, ethnic background, age, developmental level, gender and sexual orientation in prevention, intervention and treatment.
• Understands that different cultural and ethnic groups have different perceptions of health
• Understands that different cultures define and perceive family and its importance differently.
• Ability to use trauma informed care principles including ensuring consumer safety, preventing/avoiding re-traumatization, maximizing trustworthiness, enhancing consumer choice, maximizing collaboration, and emphasizing empowerment
• Ability to identify and describe key signs, symptoms, impact and manifestations of trauma
• Aware of the differences between trauma informed and trauma-specific services
• Understands the bidirectional relationships among substance use and mental disorders and trauma
• Understands the differences among various kinds of abuse and trauma, including: physical, emotional, and sexual abuse; domestic violence; experiences of war for both combat veterans and survivors of war; natural disasters; and community violence
• Knowledge of WestCare Mission, goals and values
• Knowledge of Incident Reporting
• Knowledge of HIPAA, Professional Ethics, Consumer Rights and Confidentiality
• Familiarity with WestCare services and programs
• Demonstrates a high degree of dependability.
  • Maintains a good attendance record.
  • Observes working hours
  • Shows flexibility and is responsive to requests from supervisor
  • Works independently with minimal supervision
  • Exhibits characteristics of good workmanship, and integrity on the job
  • Work time is always productive
• Demonstrates ability to establish and maintain effective working relationships with consumers, co-workers, external partners, and regulatory agencies
  • Is courteous to consumers, staff, and all others.
  • Demonstrates tact at the appropriate time.
  • Cooperates with others both within and outside WestCare.
  • Works well with supervisor; accepts direction and supervision
  • Maintains a positive attitude toward work
• Ensures and maintains a safe working environment.
  • Work area is clean and orderly.
  • Verbalizes, understands and adheres to agency safety procedures.
  • Demonstrates appropriate use of Unusual Incident Reports, in accordance with

• the Center’s reporting procedures

• Presents a positive personal image
• Dresses and maintains a professional demeanor
• CPR Certification, First Aid Certification and an annual Tuberculosis test.
• Ability utilize Microsoft Office Software Suite
• Ability to provide an Affidavit of Good Moral Character
• Clearance in Pre-Employment Drug Testing and Criminal Records Checks, as required.
• Strong leadership and team management abilities.
• Extensive knowledge of child welfare systems, case management, and regulatory compliance.
• Experience in program development, quality assurance, and staff supervision.
• Excellent communication, problem-solving, and decision-making skills.
• Ability to develop and maintain collaborative relationships with internal and external stakeholders.
• Strong organizational and project management skills
• Working Conditions:
• Work is primarily performed in an office or outpatient treatment setting.
• Some outdoor activities may be required.

• Essential Physical and Mental Demands of the Job

  The employee must be able to perform the following essential duties and activities with or without accommodation:

  Physical Demands:

• Requires mobility and physical activity: Having an adequate range of body motion and mobility to work in an office, residential, or outdoor environment including standing and walking (even and uneven surfaces), sitting for extended periods of time, bending, twisting, reaching, balancing, occasional lifting and carrying of up to 50 pounds. Use of computer and telephone systems is required which includes coordination of eye and hand, and fine manipulation by the hands (typing, writing, and working with files). Requires the ability to defend oneself and clients in physically abusive situations through the use of approved physical de-escalation techniques.
• Requires talking: Expressing or exchanging ideas by means of the spoken word. Talking is required to impart oral information to employees, clients, patients, and the public.
• and in those activities in which the employee is required to convey detailed or important spoken instructions to others accurately, loudly, or quickly.
• Requires hearing: Hearing is required to receive and communicate detailed information through oral communication.
• Requires seeing: Clarity of vision at 20 inches or less and at distance. This factor is required to complete paperwork for many of the employee’s essential job functions and to observe client behavior and activities in and out of the facility.
• The normal work routine involves no exposure to human blood, body fluids or tissues. However, exposure or potential exposure may be required as a condition of employment. Appropriate personal protective equipment will be readily available to every employee.

Mental Demands:

• Requires the ability to collect and analyze complex numerical and written data and verbal information to reach logical conclusions.
• Requires the ability to work and cooperate with clients, co-workers, managers, the public and employees at all levels in order to exchange ideas, information, instructions and opinions.
• Requires the ability to work under stress and in emotionally charged settings.
• The ability to defend oneself and clients in mentally/verbally abusive situations through the use of approved mental/verbal de-escalation techniques.