Youth Peer Support

Job Description

Job Description

Youth Peer Support Specialists instill hope and recovery in youth and young adults ages 14 to 22 with serious emotional disturbance or serious mental illness. Working within Saginaw County Community Mental Health Authority, this role guides individuals through transition to adulthood and independence by utilizing lived experience in behavioral health, foster care, or juvenile justice systems. The specialist delivers peer-delivered services including non-judgmental support, self-advocacy, and community inclusion using person-centered planning, trauma-informed care, and culturally competent practices.

Responsibilities

• Support youth and young adults ages 14 to 22 with serious emotional disturbance and serious mental illness through non-judgmental support, connection through lived experience, and self-advocacy.
• Utilize strategic self-disclosure of personal recovery story to reduce stigma, increase youth voice, and promote hope and decision-making abilities.
• Assist persons served in navigating transition domains including personal effectiveness, community life, employment, career, educational opportunities, and living situations.
• Collaborate with case managers, transition teams, and inter-agency partners to develop and implement individualized person-centered plans and family-driven goals.
• Provide one-on-one peer support services in home and community settings, including assistance with attending appointments, refilling prescriptions, and transportation.
• Educate youth on coping skills, emotional regulation, stress management, and handling social pressure.
• Facilitate access and links to internal and external community resources, supports, and programs.
• Participate in person-centered planning, pre-planning, and decision-making processes representing the peer perspective.
• Document all interactions, case notes, and job tasks accurately in an electronic medical record system in compliance with agency policy.
• Attend required supervisory sessions, staff development activities, TAY team meetings, and case conferences.
• Complete Youth Peer Support Specialist Certification training and participate in evidence-based practice implementations.
• Represent the agency on committees and perform incidental administrative duties, travel vouchers, and computer tasks as required.

Qualifications

• High school diploma or equivalent required, with an associate degree preferred.
• Personal lived experience receiving behavioral health services or participating in serious emotional disturbance treatment programs, including involvement with community mental health, child protective services, foster care, or juvenile justice systems.
• Valid Michigan driver license with a safe driving record.
• Certification through Michigan Department of Health and Human Services as a Certified Youth Peer Support Specialist, or ability to attain certification within six months of hire.
• Strong understanding of person-centered planning, trauma-informed care, and culturally competent recovery practices.
• Knowledge of local community resources and transition services for transition-age youth.
• Ability to document contacts clearly and concisely using electronic medical record software and office computers.
• Excellent oral and written communication skills with functional competency in reading, writing, and math.
• Strong interpersonal skills to build supportive relationships with youth, family members, leadership, and community agency partners.
• Ability to drive an automobile in various weather conditions and lift or carry files and supplies up to 20 pounds.
• Willingness to work flexible hours in home, office, and community environments while managing time effectively.

Saginaw County Community Mental Health (SCCMHA) is a local, independent, governmental unit serving the greater Saginaw County area, a Community Mental Health Services Program and has been a mental health authority under contract with the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services since October 1, 1997.

In 2021, it was named a Certified Community Behavioral Health Clinic (CCBHC) by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration. As a CCBHC, SCCMHA is a “one stop wellness center” and offers a full range of services that create access to care, stabilizes individuals in crisis and provides the necessary treatment for those with mental illnesses, intellectual/developmental disorders, children/youth with emotional disorders and substance use disorders regardless of their insurance coverage.

SCCMHA is a behavioral health provider but also a specialty network. The network is comprised of organizations that provide professional services, but also housing and other support services and interventions in both office and sitebased locations as well as in the homes of consumers and their families.

Company Description

Saginaw County Community Mental Health (SCCMHA) is a local, independent, governmental unit serving the greater Saginaw County area, a Community Mental Health Services Program and has been a mental health authority under contract with the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services since October 1, 1997.\r\n\r\nIn 2021, it was named a Certified Community Behavioral Health Clinic (CCBHC) by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration. As a CCBHC, SCCMHA is a “one stop wellness center” and offers a full range of services that create access to care, stabilizes individuals in crisis and provides the necessary treatment for those with mental illnesses, intellectual/developmental disorders, children/youth with emotional disorders and substance use disorders regardless of their insurance coverage. \r\n\r\nSCCMHA is a behavioral health provider but also a specialty network. The network is comprised of organizations that provide professional services, but also housing and other support services and interventions in both office and sitebased locations as well as in the homes of consumers and their families.