Hand to Hold® is a national non-profit 501(c)(3) organization that provides compassionate in-person and virtual support to NICU and bereaved parents before, during and after a NICU stay. All programs are designed with the emotional, physical and social needs of NICU families to help them feel more secure during a highly stressful time. This early intervention mental health support is available at no cost to NICU families across the United States.

As a Best Place for Working Parents® business for three consecutive years (2022-2024), our dynamic, growing organization seeks a NICU Family Support Specialist to join our team in Austin, TX (hybrid). Reporting to the Hospital Partner Program Manager, under the general direction of the Program Director, this person will play a vital role in helping to bring the 3-year strategic plan to life for Hand to Hold®.

We are dedicated to hiring a diverse workforce that reflects the diverse families that we support through our mission. We are thought leaders and change makers. We are always learning, developing, and evolving to champion a world where all NICU families thrive. One in seven babies born in the US spends time in the NICU. Bring your talents to our growing team to help ensure that all NICU families have a hand to hold.

What You’ll Do

Hand to Hold® is seeking a person with an empathetic personality combined with a dynamic professional attitude to convey Hand to Hold’s mission and values on behalf of the entire organization. The Family Support Specialist will help Hand to Hold® fulfill our contractual agreement with local area hospitals to provide peer psycho-social support and education for NICU families, in partnership with hospital staff as appropriate.

The Family Support Specialist’s primary responsibilities include visiting families at the bedside one-on-one, facilitating weekly support groups, distributing resources, and hosting holiday events. There are also essential data entry and reporting requirements to supervisors and hospital staff about the interactions with families.

Essential Functions

• Provides bedside support and encouragement to families during their antepartum and/or NICU stay. Work shifts include daytime, evening and/or weekend hours.
• Identifies and provides timely and effective peer psycho-social support and interventions for families either directly or through referrals.
• Disburses Hand to Hold® resources and NICU Milestone beads to parents and families.
• Plans, prepares for and facilitates in-person support groups using Hand to Hold’s custom support group curriculum.
• Provides bereavement resources and support for families who have experienced a loss in the NICU.
• Transports materials (including parent bags and resources, event materials, etc) required in the NICU from Hand to Hold’s office, or other locations, as needed.
• Helps families identify and access medical and therapeutic services in their community.
• Serves as liaison between Hand to Hold® and hospital NICU staff.
• Tracks and reports program data within program timelines to collect demographic information and to measure the impact, satisfaction, and overall effectiveness of each program component.

Other Duties

• Contributes to Hand to Hold’s educational content, training, manuals, curricula, and other writing projects as needed.
• Rotates or performs shifts at other local area hospitals as needed.
• Participates, facilitates, and/or assists at Hand to Hold® or hospital events as required.
• Helps to recruit volunteers and peer mentors.
• Submits weekly and monthly reports – timesheets, expense reports – in a timely fashion.
• Attends all assigned meetings for Hand to Hold® either virtually or in person.
• Performs other duties as assigned.

The role requires leaning on one’s own personal experience and specific peer support training. Training to become a certified Mental Health Peer Specialist and with others on the Hand to Hold programs team will be offered to prepare for this peer support role. Additionally, to fulfill our contractual agreement with local area hospitals, the Family Support Specialist will complete the hospital’s credentialing process which requires proof of some vaccinations, before orientation and training commence in a hospital setting.

• Bachelor’s degree or equivalent professional work experience required.
• Personal experience with a child or grandchild in the NICU/PICU or a bereavement experience is required: must be a NICU/PICU parent or grandparent or have had a perinatal bereavement experience with your child or grandchild.
• Certification in peer support by the State of Texas, or willingness to complete peer support training (virtual or in person) within the first 90 days, as well as completion of state certification process.
• Proof of vaccinations and other supporting documentation for hospital credentialing processes.
• Awareness of mental health challenges NICU parents face and willingness to complete appropriate training in this area, as well as ongoing education on racial and ethnic disparities, trauma-informed care, and other relevant instruction, both online and in person.
• Ability to provide culturally competent support and education in English to diverse groups of people, including Hispanic/Latinx, subcontinent Asian, Asian and Black families.
• Bilingual in English and Spanish is preferred but not required.
• Work or internship experience in health care, early childhood intervention, or maternal health care programs.
• Experience working with children and families, including those with disabilities.
• Willingness to learn and apply best practices in health literacy and medical education.
• Willingness to learn and abide by best practices in peer support.
• Ability to work both independently and on teams.
• Ability to think proactively, address problems creatively, and take initiative appropriately.
• Ability to maintain confidentiality and professionalism as an ambassador for the organization.
• Demonstrated excellence in organizational, written, and verbal communication skills.
• Demonstrated competence with a variety of office tools, including virtual communication and meetings, time scheduling, video conferencing, organizational and project management, and CRM technology.

Additional Information:

• Open to applicants in the Austin, Texas, metropolitan area.
• Part-time, Non-exempt hourly position.
• Estimated at 15 - 20 hours per week.
• Compensation: $21/hour
• Hand to Hold® is not currently able to offer part-time employee health insurance or benefits.
• Paid time off is offered plus three Office Holidays: New Year's, Thanksgiving, and Christmas Day) after the employee introductory period.

Hand to Hold is dedicated to hiring a diverse workforce that reflects the diverse families that we support through our mission. We are thought leaders and change makers. We embrace change and are always learning, developing, and evolving to champion a world where all NICU families thrive.