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Maryland Coalition of Families is recruiting caregivers with personal, lived experience with family services through the Local Department of Social Services (LDSS).
Do you or someone you know have personal, lived experience with family services through a Local Department of Social Services (LDSS)? This may include:
- Entering into a Voluntary Placement Agreement
- Utilizing Family Preservation Services
- Engagement with Alternative Response
- Involvement with Child Protective Services, including separation and reunification
Maryland Coalition of Families (MCF) has partnered with the Department of Human Services (DHS), the agency that oversees social services programs administered throughout the state, to learn from the experiences and perspectives of caregivers of children and youth who have received some form of family services through an LDSS.
By participating, your voice will be heard, respected, and used to make positive change!
We value your commitment to help us strengthen our communities and we will compensate you for your time and leadership. We are recruiting caregivers who will partner with us and share their perspectives and recommendations on ways to improve policies and practices and provide frontline staff and agency leaders with a greater understanding of what families need and ways to fill service gaps.
Essential Duties:
- Participate in a minimum of 20 hours of paid virtual training to prepare to perform the required tasks.
- Attend DHS two-hour meetings an average of once per month. Meetings occur virtually and participation via teleconference is required. It is expected that caregivers will be active participants in the meetings.
- Review documents and materials and provide feedback. This can be done at home and may require up to eight hours per month.
- Participate in one regional two-hour focus group per year.
Qualifications:
- Personal, lived experience as a primary caregiver (biological or adoptive parent or relative) of a child or youth who has received some form of family services through a local department of social services (LDSS) in Maryland and a commitment to bringing the voice of caregivers to DHS.
- Ability to work as partners with MCF and DHS personnel.
- Willingness to help DHS staff learn from your personal story in a way that is instructive and useful.
- Ability to actively participate and speak up in meetings with training and support.
- Ability to teleconference using free software is required.
Compensation:
Three Ways to Get Involved:
- Send an email describing your interest and relevant experiences as the primary caregiver (of a child or youth) who has personal, lived experience with family services through a Local Department of Social Services (LDSS) to DeVaki Leonard at [email protected]. For questions, call DeVaki Leonard at 240-818-3536.
- Be nominated by a LDSS/DHS representative or a community-based service provider.
- Be suggested by another parent to a LDSS/DHS representative or to a community-based service provider for consideration.
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