Peer Specialist

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Position Overview

SCOPE OF ROLE:

• Outreach/Engagement: Helping to facilitate engagement with tenants, undertake outreach activities designed to promote community awareness of S:US services, encouraging help-seeking, and at times advocate for population served to maximum their full potential.
• Embracing Creative Narratives: Peer Specialists need to be able to understand, share and discuss multiple frameworks for understanding life experiences such as psychosis with participants and the rest of the S:US team. Peer Specialists intentionally use language in the service of listening to understand and making space for complex personal stories of recovery and resilience. 
• Advocacy: Peer Specialists advocate with and for program participants both in the larger community and on the team.
• Co-Creating Support and Wellness Tools: Collaborate with participants to clarify their personal visions and develop their wellness toolkit. Along with other team members, Peer Specialists support participants in strengthening their self-awareness, building life skills, and connecting to resources and community outside of the S:US team.
• Influencing Team Culture: Whenever possible, positively influencing the team culture by advocating for clients, promoting a friendly approach and encouraging the use of recovery-oriented language. S:US Peer Specialists also work actively within the team itself to help build an environment that operates from a belief in the human potential to grow and an understanding of human diversity.
• Team Communication: Peer Specialists maintain open and frequent communication with the team. This includes reporting safety and other concerns to the team. Peer Specialists will also keep notes on visits with program participants as required by the provider agency. In the spirit of peer support, co-collaborating on reporting with the program participant is encouraged.

Qualifications

TITLE:

Peer Specialist

DIVISION/ DEPTARTMENT:

 Behavioral Health

REPORTS TO:

 Program Director

SUPERVISES:  

 N/A

FLSA:

Non-Exempt

JOB CODE/FAMILY:

Program Support

SCOPE OF ROLE:

• •          Outreach/Engagement: Helping to facilitate engagement with tenants, undertake outreach activities designed to promote community awareness of S:US services, encouraging help-seeking, and at times advocate for population served to maximum their full potential.
• •          Embracing Creative Narratives: Peer Specialists need to be able to understand, share and discuss multiple frameworks for understanding life experiences such as psychosis with participants and the rest of the S:US team. Peer Specialists intentionally use language in the service of listening to understand and making space for complex personal stories of recovery and resilience.
• •          Advocacy: Peer Specialists advocate with and for program participants both in the larger community and on the team.
• •          Co-Creating Support and Wellness Tools: Collaborate with participants to clarify their personal visions and develop their wellness toolkit. Along with other team members, Peer Specialists support participants in strengthening their self-awareness, building life skills, and connecting to resources and community outside of the S:US team.
• •          Influencing Team Culture: Whenever possible, positively influencing the team culture by advocating for clients, promoting a friendly approach and encouraging the use of recovery-oriented language. S:US Peer Specialists also work actively within the team itself to help build an environment that operates from a belief in the human potential to grow and an understanding of human diversity.
• •          Team Communication: Peer Specialists maintain open and frequent communication with the team. This includes reporting safety and other concerns to the team. Peer Specialists will also keep notes on visits with program participants as required by the provider agency. In the spirit of peer support, co-collaborating on reporting with the program participant is encouraged.

ESSENTIAL DUTIES & RESPONSIBILITIES:

Engagement:

• Create a sense of community through the mutual sharing of lived experiences.
• Create professional boundaries when working with participants.
• Facilitate engagement with teams by forging strong connections with participants and families.
• Undertake outreach activities designed to promote community awareness of S:US services.
• Encourage help-seeking, and at times serving as a bridge between team members and participants when they experience ambivalence about treatment or other services.
• Develop authentic, meaningful relationships with individuals and families through empathy, listening and collaborating with genuine curiosity and interest.
• Understand, share and discuss multiple frameworks for understanding life experiences with participants and the rest of the S:US team. Peer Specialists intentionally use language in the service of listening to understand and making space for complex personal stories of recovery and resilience.

Advocacy and Support:

• Advocates for and facilitate access to needed health care services, proactively addressing potential barriers such as missed appointments, transportation, fear and stigma, and communication with professional staff.
• Advocate with and for program participants both in the larger community and on the team.
• Facilitate individual and group-based educational, recovery, wellness and skill building opportunities including: wellness self-management; WRAP; peer support; harm reduction; and other social or leisure activities.
• Collaborate with participants to clarify their personal visions and develop their wellness toolkit.
• Support participants in strengthening their self-awareness, building life skills, and connecting to resources and community outside of the S:US team.
• Work actively within the team itself to help build an environment that operates from a belief in the human potential to grow and an understanding of human diversity.
• Accompany individuals to appointments and community/leisure activities.
• Carry a small caseload, as needed.

Communication:

• Peer Specialists maintain open and frequent communication with the team. This includes reporting safety and other concerns to team members.
• Responsible for timely and accurate documentation including documentation of interactions with guests, services provided, critical information and events, contacts with collaterals and referrals, as required by S:US and program policies.
• Actively participate in agency and staff team meetings, individualized/team supervision, coaching and professional development activities.
• Attend all required trainings.
• Maintain the highest levels of confidentiality.
• Participate in required training and professional development activities.
• Perform other duties as required.

REQUIREMENTS:

• High school diploma
• It is preferable that the individual’s lived experience of mental health challenges includes experience with psychosis.
• Peer Certification preferred. If required by funder, Certified Recovery Peer Advocate
• It is preferable that the individual’s lived experience of mental health challenges includes experience with psychosis during youth
• Ideally the Peer Specialist candidate relates well to all ages, culture, and all background
• The Peer Specialist should understand the community in which the team is based with an awareness of available community resources
• The Peer Specialist should also be someone who has made positive and productive progress toward his or her own recovery
• Demonstrate good interpersonal communications skills and the ability to empathize with, relate to and effectively work with participants of mental health services
• One-Two years of active participation in mental health self-help activities, peer support or peer advocacy programs, or participant run organizations or similar experiences or programs required
• Must possess the ability/ willingness to disclose their recovery story (where appropriate) for the purposes of empowerment
• Excellent judgment/ ability to understand boundaries when working with participants of mental health services is required
• Adhere to on call cell phone system to facilitate crisis intervention, emergencies and other situations that require immediate action.
• Willing and able to complete any additional assigned duties given by Program Director, Assistant Program Director, Regional Director and or Vice Presidents.

PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS & SKILLS

·         Peer Certification preferred.

·         Basic computer skills (e.g. MS Office suite and Windows)

Company Overview

S:US IS AN EQUAL OPPORTUNITY EMPLOYER

Join a team of employees who cares about the wellbeing of others.  We believe in fostering a culture built on our core values:  respect, integrity, support, maximizing individual potential and continuous quality improvement. 

S:US is an affirmative action and equal opportunity employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, disability, age, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, veteran status, or genetic information. S:US is committed to providing access, equal opportunity and reasonable accommodation for individuals with disabilities in employment, its services, programs, and activities, including allowance of the use of services animals. To request reasonable accommodation or if you believe such a request was improperly handled or denied, contact the Director of Benefits & Compensation at MyMedicalLeave@sus.org.

By my signature, I understand and accept the responsibilities of the position for which I have accepted employment.

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