• Family Partner Coordinator - I worked in this role for an NC Medicaid managed care organization (MCO), Alliance Health, for about two years. As an MCO, Alliance manages Medicaid for the population who have a mental health condition, substance use disorder, traumatic brain injury,  and/or intellectual/developmental disability. As a Family Partner, I worked with families of children to support, educate, advocate for, and empower caregivers to achieve the respect, answers, and attention they deserve as they manage the systems, providers, and services available to their children. I also facilitated training for local professionals who routinely work with families to ensure they were familiar with and using System of Care strategies such as interagency collaboration, accountability to results, child and family partnership, strengths-based practices, cultural competence, and community-based services and supports. 
  
  

What sets a Family Partner apart from a social worker, case manager, and other similar roles is that in addition to specialized training, Family Partners must also have relevant caregiving experience. My youngest child has autism, an intellectual disability, and ADHD. My oldest has challenges related to ADHD and anxiety disorder. My personal experiences navigating systems and services for my children have helped me relate with genuine empathy to the struggles and strong emotions that families encounter. While I am no longer employed as a Family Partner, I maintain national certification (Certified Family Peer Specialist) and frequently offer my knowledge, resource connections, and emotional support to families I meet who need that unique type of assistance.