Certified Peer Support Specialist-OCS/CYWS

Description

Position Summary: 

The Certified Peer Support Specialist provides recovery-oriented behavioral health services to children, youth, adults, and families receiving Specialty Mental Health Services through our Outpatient Care Services (OCS) and Child & Youth Wellbeing Services (CYWS) programs. 

The Certified Peer Support Specialist utilizes their lived experience of mental health recovery, substance use recovery, caregiving, family support, systems involvement, or other qualifying lived experience in a professional and purposeful manner to inspire hope, reduce stigma, and support clients in working toward their individualized recovery, rehabilitation, wellness, and treatment goals. 

The Peer Support Specialist provides individual and group peer support services, rehabilitation services, engagement and outreach activities, wellness and recovery education, substance use recovery support, community linkage, and skill-building supports in both clinic and community settings. This position serves individuals experiencing behavioral health conditions, including those with co-occurring mental health and substance use disorders, and works as part of a multidisciplinary team to support clients in developing strengths, increasing independence, and enhancing overall well-being. 

The Peer Support Specialist must obtain and maintain California Certified Peer Support Specialist (CPSS) certification within the timeframe established by the agency, in accordance with applicable state standards. 

This is a community-based position requiring regular fieldwork throughout Los Angeles County. Services are provided in the clinic, client homes, schools, community locations, and other appropriate service settings. This is not a remote position.  

Essential Duties and Responsibilities

Direct Client Services

• Maintain a non-clinical role focused on peer support, wellness, and recovery; defer diagnostic, formal assessment, and clinical treatment decisions to licensed/waivered clinicians on the multidisciplinary team.
• Provide peer support services using recovery-oriented, trauma-informed, strengths-based, culturally responsive, and person-centered approaches.
• Utilize personal lived experience appropriately, professionally, and within established professional boundaries to promote hope, recovery, resiliency, self-determination, and engagement in services.
• Develop supportive relationships that foster engagement in behavioral health, rehabilitation, and substance use recovery services.
• Assist clients in identifying personal strengths, recovery goals, rehabilitation goals, treatment goals, and meaningful pathways toward independence and wellness.
• Support the treatment team in identifying client strengths, barriers, needs, service preferences, recovery priorities, and functional impairments to assist with care planning, service delivery, and development and updating of the problem list.
• Contribute relevant information to needs assessments, problem identification, treatment planning activities, treatment goal development, and ongoing evaluation of client progress within scope of practice.
• Provide individual rehabilitation and skill-building services focused on improving daily functioning, independent living skills, wellness management, coping skills, social skills, communication, emotional regulation, self-advocacy, recovery management, and community integration.
• Provide education and support related to mental health recovery, substance use recovery, relapse prevention, wellness planning, and healthy lifestyle practices.
• Support clients in developing self-management skills related to behavioral health conditions, co-occurring disorders, recovery, and overall wellness.
• Assist clients with identifying and accessing natural supports, community resources, educational opportunities, employment resources, recreational activities, recovery support, and wellness services.
• Promote community integration and participation in meaningful activities that support recovery, resiliency, and quality of life.
• • Accompany clients to appointments, community activities, support programs, or other approved recovery-supportive activities as appropriate and consistent with the client’s treatment plan and direction of the treatment team.

Crisis Protocol

• Assist in identifying early warning signs of crisis and support de-escalation; immediately notify clinical staff or supervisor in accordance with agency risk-management and crisis protocol.

Group Facilitation

• Facilitate peer-led and co-facilitated groups focused on recovery, wellness, resiliency, substance use recovery, relapse prevention, life skills, self-advocacy, emotional regulation, coping strategies, community integration, and development of natural supports.
• Develop and implement engaging group activities that encourage participation, skill development, recovery, wellness, and connection among participants.
• Participate in psychoeducational programming, recovery-oriented services, rehabilitation activities, and program wellness events as assigned.

Outreach and Engagement

• Conduct program-authorized and targeted outreach and engagement activities to encourage participation in behavioral health services.
• Provide support to individuals experiencing barriers to treatment engagement, service participation, or community integration.
• Assist clients with navigating behavioral health, healthcare, educational, child welfare, social service, recovery support, and community-based systems.
• Support ongoing engagement efforts for clients who may be ambivalent about services or have difficulty maintaining participation in treatment.
• Assist the treatment team in conducting targeted outreach to clients at risk of discharge or clients that are not responsive, facilitating reengagement efforts before case closure.

Intake and Service Coordination Support

• Assist with gathering and organizing intake, admission, consent, and other required program documentation, and support clients and families with its completion as appropriate.
• Support clients and families in understanding agency processes, service expectations, and required paperwork.
• Participate in referrals, transitions of care, linkage activities, and coordination with internal and external providers.

CYWS-Specific Support

• Assist transition-age youth (TAY) in developing independent living skills, self-advocacy, and navigating adult service systems as appropriate.
• Support youth and families in developing coping skills, social support, resilience, self-advocacy skills, and community connections.
• Collaborate with caregivers and family members, when appropriate, to increase engagement and participation in services.
• Support youth in school engagement, positive social development, healthy relationships, and community involvement.

Team Collaboration

• Participate in multidisciplinary treatment team meetings, care coordination activities, rehabilitation planning, case consultations, and treatment planning processes.
• Communicate relevant observations regarding client progress, strengths, barriers, functional impairments, service needs, and recovery goals to the treatment team.
• Collaborate effectively with clinicians, psychiatrists, nurses, case managers, substance use counselors, rehabilitation staff, and other service providers to support coordinated care.
• Maintain professional working relationships and appropriate professional boundaries with clients, families, community partners, and staff.

Documentation, Compliance, and Quality Improvement

• Complete timely, accurate, and appropriate documentation within the scope of the Peer Support Specialist role in the electronic health record and other agency-approved systems, including SRTS.
• Participate in service documentation processes in accordance with agency procedures, Medi-Cal requirements, and applicable regulations. Maintain compliance with Medi-Cal specialty mental health documentation timeliness (e.g., 24-hour note completion window).
• Document services, contacts, interventions, progress, outcomes, and other required information in the agency EHR and other approved documentation platforms in accordance with agency workflow requirements.
• Ensure documentation supports medical necessity, rehabilitation goals, recovery objectives, and services provided.
• Follow agency and program guidelines regarding levels of care, service expectations, frequency and type of services, service intensity, and care coordination activities consistent with treatment plans and direction provided by the treating clinician and multidisciplinary treatment team.
• Meet established agency productivity, documentation, quality assurance, compliance, and performance standards.
• Protect client confidentiality and comply with HIPAA, agency policies, and applicable state and federal regulations.
• Participate in required supervision, staff meetings, training, compliance activities, quality improvement initiatives, and certification-related activities.
• Maintain all required certifications, training courses, and credentials necessary to perform the duties of the position, including California Certified Peer Support Specialist certification once obtained.

Requirements

Minimum Qualifications

• Current California Certified Peer Support Specialist (CPSS) Certification preferred.
• Candidates who are not currently certified but are willing and able to obtain certification within the timeframe established by the agency will also be considered.
• Once obtained, employees must maintain active California Certified Peer Support Specialist certification throughout employment in accordance with agency requirements and applicable regulations.
• High school diploma, GED, or equivalent required. Some college preferred.
• Demonstrated lived experience with mental health recovery, substance use recovery, caregiving, family support, systems involvement, or other qualifying peer experience recognized under California Peer Support Specialist standards.
• Knowledge of recovery-oriented, trauma-informed, strengths-based, and culturally responsive practices.
• Understanding behavioral health conditions, substance use disorders, and co-occurring disorders.
• Ability to effectively engage diverse populations in clinic, field, home, school, and community-based settings.
• Strong communication, interpersonal, advocacy, organizational, and relationship-building skills.
• Ability to maintain professional boundaries while utilizing lived experience in a purposeful, professional, and recovery-oriented manner.
• Basic computer proficiency and ability to utilize electronic health records and documentation systems.
• Ability to work independently and collaboratively as part of a multidisciplinary team.
• Valid California driver's license, reliable transportation, and current automobile insurance.

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience working in behavioral health, community mental health, substance use treatment, social services, youth services, family services, or peer support programs.
• Experience facilitating support groups, recovery-oriented programming, and rehabilitation services.
• Bilingual ability preferred, Spanish language proficiency highly desirable.

Physical and Environmental Requirements (Transportation & Field Safety)

• Regular driving and travel throughout the community are required to provide services in client homes, schools, community locations, and other approved service settings.
• Ability to perform home visits, school visits, and community outreach in diverse community settings.
• Ability to sit, stand, walk, bend, reach, lift, and carry materials weighing up to 25 pounds.
• Ability to utilize computers, electronic health records, mobile devices, and communication equipment necessary to perform job duties.

Schedule

Typically, Monday through Friday during business hours. Some evening and occasional weekend hours may be required to accommodate client, family, and program needs.