Parent Partner

The Parent Partner provides strengths-based, family-centered support, advocacy, and system navigation to parents and caregivers of youth involved with or at risk of involvement in the juvenile justice system. Using relevant lived and/or professional experience, the Parent Partner builds trusting relationships with families and serves as a bridge between caregivers and formal service systems. The Parent Partner helps families understand system processes and expectations, strengthen their voice in decision-making, overcome barriers to participation, access needed resources, and develop natural and community supports. The position is embedded in Albany County Probation offices and works collaboratively with Albany County Probation, the Department for Children, Youth and Families (DCYF), Family Court, schools, community providers, and other partners. Services are provided in office, home, court, and community settings throughout Albany County and require flexibility to meet families at times and locations that support meaningful engagement. Essential Job Functions

• Rapidly engage referred families and establish relationships grounded in empathy, trust, respect, and nonjudgmental support.
• Help parents and caregivers understand and navigate juvenile justice, Probation, DCYF, Family Court, schools, behavioral health, and other child- and family-serving systems.
• Provide information, encouragement, advocacy, and practical support while helping caregivers strengthen their ability to advocate for themselves and their children.
• Help families identify strengths, priorities, barriers, and goals and ensure family voice remains central to service planning and decision-making.
• Prepare and support caregivers for Family Team Meetings, Family Court proceedings, school meetings, appointments, and other service-planning activities.
• Provide regular home- and community-based support based on individual family needs.
• Connect families with community services and resources and assist with barriers such as transportation, scheduling, basic needs, and access to services.
• Help families identify and strengthen natural, kinship, and community supports that can continue after formal services have ended.
• Support practical family skill building, including organization, appointment management, communication, resource navigation, budgeting, and other skills necessary to promote family stability and independence.
• Promote self-sufficiency by moving from doing for families, to doing with families, to supporting families in navigating systems and resources independently.
• Collaborate regularly with Albany County Probation, DCYF, ICAN staff, and other involved providers to coordinate services, address barriers, and support family progress.
• Participate in strength-based service planning and discharge planning to ensure families have appropriate resources and supports in place.
• Maintain timely and accurate documentation of outreach, family contacts, services, referrals and linkages, progress, and program outcomes.
• Provide services using trauma-informed, culturally responsive, family-centered, and strengths-based practices while maintaining appropriate professional boundaries and confidentiality.
• Maintain knowledge of Albany County services, community resources, and supports available to youth and families.
• Maintain confidentiality, appropriate professional boundaries, and accurate documentation.
• Participate in individual supervision, case consultation, required training, quality assurance, and continuous quality improvement activities.
• Follow all applicable ICAN, Albany County, state, and federal requirements, including mandated reporting and confidentiality requirements.
• Travel throughout Albany County and maintain a flexible schedule based on family needs, including occasional evening and/or weekend hours.
• Perform other duties as assigned.

Qualifications

• High school diploma or equivalent required; additional education in human services or a related field preferred.
• Relevant lived experience navigating child-serving systems as a parent or caregiver REQUIRED particularly juvenile justice, child welfare, behavioral health, education, Family Court, or related systems.
• Valid NYS driver's license and reliable transportation required.
• Must meet all ICAN and program-required background checks, clearances, and training requirements.

All qualified applicants will be afforded equal employment opportunities without discrimination because of race, creed, color, national origin, sex, age, disability or marital status. Please make sure to apply for this role - even if you don’t meet 100% of the above qualifications. We welcome your application and would, in particular, like to know what about the role and our organization interested you.