Amara is committed to positive long-term outcomes for children and families. We drive systemic change, promote healing, and advance racial and LGBTQIA+ equity by offering programs and services to families engaged with foster care and to adoptees and families, post-adoption. 

At Amara, we believe that a supportive, equitable and inclusive workplace, where everyone feels valued, trusted, and nurtured, is key to shaping organizational culture and investing in underrepresented communities. Amara believes that a diverse workforce and inclusive workplace culture enhances our ability to fulfill our mission. We strongly invite candidates from diverse backgrounds, including Native American, communities of color, the LGBTQIA+ community, veterans, and people with disabilities to apply. 

We are seeking to hire a Family Connections Program-Lead Mentor to work closely with our Family Connections Program (FCP). This position will be primarily based out of our Seattle office. Become an integral and valued part of a team working to support families experiencing foster care.

The Family Connections Program helps foster caregivers and children’s parents build a working relationship to maintain essential connections for the child placed in out-of-home care. The goal of the program is to reduce the trauma experienced by children entering out-of-home care by supporting and facilitating a positive relationship between the child’s parents and caregivers. This support is provided by FCP peer mentors (parents impacted by the child welfare system and relative and foster caregivers), who have received specialized training to help other parents and caregivers build child centered relationships within the child welfare system.

The FCP Lead Mentor will be responsible for recruiting and training new mentors, facilitating support groups for program participants, assisting the program manager in developing and providing trainings, and facilitating Connections Conversations (meetings between caregivers and parents), when needed. The FCP Lead Mentor will be highly skilled in helping others to successfully navigate complex relationships. The successful candidate will be highly organized, have strong interpersonal skills, and the ability to hold firm boundaries while also acting with a high level of compassion for all parties.

The FCP Lead Mentor will be responsible for recruiting and training new mentors, facilitating support groups for program participants, assisting the program manager in developing and providing trainings, and facilitating Connections Conversations (meetings between caregivers and parents), when needed. The FCP Lead Mentor will be highly skilled in helping others to successfully navigate complex relationships. The successful candidate will be highly organized, have strong interpersonal skills, and the ability to hold firm boundaries while also acting with a high level of compassion for all parties.

Reporting to the Family Connections Program Manager, the FCP Certified Lead Mentor is a member of Amara’s Family Connections Program team and works closely with all staff across the organization. 

 Responsibilities

·       Recruit and onboard FCP Certified Mentor contractors.

·       Provide mentorship, support, and ongoing trainings to the Family Connections Program Certified Mentor contractors.

·       Assist the FCP Program Coordinator with regular data entry and tracking for the Family Connections Program.

·       Collaborate with the FCP Program Manager to create a library of trainings and resources on building and supporting parent and caregiver partnerships.

·       Facilitate support groups focused on building relationships.

·       Occasionally represent FCP at community, outreach, and stakeholder education events.

·       Assist with reports, documentation, and administrative tasks.

·       Assist FCP Certified Mentors with complex FCP situations.

·       Facilitate Connections Conversations, as needed

·       Assist FCP Program Manager, as needed.

Qualifications

 Required:

• Education/Experience Requirement
  •  Must have personal lived experience with the child welfare system.
• Highly organized with good communication and problem-solving skills
• Display initiative, independence, flexibility, and maturity
• Experience working with diverse families (variety of religions, races, cultures, ages, and socio-economic levels).
•  Ability to pass a background check
• Must provide proof of current flu, Tdap, and COVID-19 vaccinations
• Must have current CPR/First Aid Certification and BBP within the past 5 years.
• Must be at least 21 years of age.

Preferred:

•  Experience navigating complex relationships between parents whose children are placed in out of home care and the caregivers of the children.
• Experience coordinating and managing programs, services, or organizations.
• Strong writing skills.
• Experience with MS Word, Outlook, PowerPoint, and Excel.
• Willingness and ability to work in both Seattle, Tacoma, and surrounding areas

Salary and Benefits 

This is a full-time exempt position with an annual rate of $53,843.00-55,458.29 depending on experience. Generous personal leave and benefits package, including paid time off, paid sabbatical, health, vision and dental insurance, 401k with a company match, life, and disability insurance.

Criminal Background Check

Because this position has access to confidential client, employee, or financial information OR direct interaction with children, any final candidate hired into this position must successfully pass a criminal background check performed by the State of Washington. Any job offer is contingent on successfully passing this background check. A list of disqualifying convictions for this position is available at: https://www.dshs.wa.gov/sites/default/files/bccu/documents/Secretary%E2%80%99sCrimesListforALLPrograms.pdf

Vaccination Requirement:

Amara requires that all employees be fully vaccinated against COVID-19. This requirement is designed to prioritize the safety of the children and families we serve. Exemptions may be sought only for documented medical or religious accommodations.

To Apply

To express your interest in this position, please submit your resume and a one-page cover letter indicating why this position is the right opportunity for you. Resumes submitted without a cover letter will not be considered.

Amara is an Equal Opportunity Employer