Family Partner Support Specialist I/II - Behavioral Health (Spanish Required) (Open & Promotional)

San Mateo County Health's Behavioral Health and Recovery Services Division is seeking a qualified Family Partner Support Specialist I/II – Spanish Speaking Required to join the Youth Services Center (YSC) Mental Health Team in San Mateo.

This position requires the ability to read, write, and speak Spanish.

The Family Partner Support Specialist is a valued member of a multidisciplinary team serving youth ages 6–18 involved in the juvenile justice system and their families throughout San Mateo County. Drawing upon lived experience as a parent or caregiver of a child with behavioral health challenges, the Family Partner provides peer support, education, advocacy, and resource navigation to help families build resilience, access services, and support their youth's recovery and wellness.

Working closely with clinicians and other behavioral health professionals, the Family Partner helps families navigate behavioral health, juvenile justice, education, child welfare, and community support systems. Responsibilities include orienting families to available services, facilitating support and psychoeducational groups, connecting families with community resources, and promoting family engagement in treatment and recovery planning.

This is a full-time position and may require occasional evening hours between 5:00 p.m. and 8:00 p.m.

Current members of the Youth Services Center Mental Health Team include Mental Health Clinicians, a Co-Occurring Case Manager, Program Specialist, Psychologist, and Psychiatrist.

Key Responsibilities 

The Family Partner Support Specialist will:

• Support families in navigating juvenile justice, behavioral health, education, and community-based systems and services.
• Provide education, coaching, and advocacy support to help families participate effectively in treatment, school, and court-related processes.
• Build trusting relationships with families through empathy, shared lived experience, and recovery-oriented support.
• Facilitate family peer support, education, and skill-building groups that promote wellness, resilience, and connection.
• Connect families with community resources and supports that address social, emotional, educational, and basic needs.
• Collaborate with multidisciplinary teams to promote family engagement, self-advocacy, and positive outcomes for youth and families.

Why Join Us?

Rewarding Aspects of the Role

• Make a meaningful difference in the lives of youth and families navigating behavioral health and juvenile justice systems. 
• Use your lived experience to inspire hope, reduce isolation, and empower families. 
• Help families access resources, strengthen advocacy skills, and achieve recovery and wellness goals. 

Challenges of the Role

• Supporting families experiencing complex behavioral health, juvenile justice, and family-system challenges. 
• Navigating and coordinating services across multiple systems and community partners. 
• Managing emotionally demanding situations while maintaining professionalism, empathy, and boundaries.

The ideal candidate will have:

• Lived experience as a parent or primary caregiver of a child or youth who has experienced behavioral health challenges.
• Experience supporting families of youth involved in behavioral health, juvenile justice, child welfare, and/or substance use systems.
• Experience building effective relationships with caregivers and family members facing mental health or substance use challenges.
• Experience working with justice-involved youth, youth on probation, or within juvenile detention settings.
• Experience serving Latinx and BIPOC communities.
• Knowledge of the Individualized Education Program (IEP) process and school-based supports.
• Experience connecting families to community resources such as housing, healthcare, food assistance, legal services, and family resource centers.
• Proficiency with Microsoft Office 365 applications, including Outlook, Word, Excel, Teams, and PowerPoint.
• Fluency in English and Spanish, including experience providing services in Spanish.

NOTE: The eligible list generated from this recruitment may be used to fill future extra-help, term, unclassified, and regular classified vacancies.