Peer Support Specialist

Job Description

Job Description

To perform this job successfully, an individual must be able to perform the essential job functions satisfactorily. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable employees with disabilities to perform the primary job functions herein described. Since every duty associated with this position may not be described herein, employees may be required to perform duties not specifically spelled out in the job description but may be reasonably considered to be incidental in the performing of their duties.

Job Title: Certified Peer Support Specialist (CPSS)

Reports To: Qualified Professional

Education Requirements:

Peer Support must be delivered by individuals who have the life experience of being diagnosed with a serious mental illness or substance use disorder and must be North Carolina Certified Peer Support Specialists who:

a) Self identify as an individual with life experience of being diagnosed with a serious mental illness or substance use disorder which meets Federal Definitions; and

b) Are well established in their own recovery 2; and

c) Are currently in recovery and are stable, and

d) Have a high school diploma or GED equivalency,

e) **MUST HAVE CURRENT Peer Support Specialist certification** and;

e) Are supervised by a Qualified Professional (QP), and

f) Are not a family member of the individual who receives peer support services.

Main Function:

The CPSS provides structured, scheduled services that promote recovery, self-determination, self-advocacy, engagement in self-care and wellness and enhancement of community living skills of beneficiaries. PSS services are directly provided by Certified Peer Support Specialists (CPSS) who have self-identified as a person(s) in recovery from a mental health or substance use disorder. PSS can be provided in combination with other approved mental health or substance use services or as an independent service. The CPSS supports local care management efforts through a combination of activities with various public and private agencies, development of processes and agreements to address critical community needs of members, and fostering relationships and promotes whole person, integrated care by planning, coordinating, tracking, and monitoring care to members to achieve the key goals of the person centered plan.

General Duties/Responsibilities:

Knowledge of peer support principles, values, and ethics.

Ability to share lived experience to support, encourage and enhance a beneficiary’s treatment and recovery.

Possess recovery-oriented skills and knowledge to provide peer support services.

Ability to collaborate with the program QP to assess their own strengths and areas of growth and develop a supervision plan.

Ability to collaborate with a beneficiary to explore and identify barriers to accessing community resources or treatment providers.

Ability to model and mentor recovery values, attitudes, beliefs, and personal actions to encourage wellness and resilience for beneficiaries served and to promote a recovery environment in the community, residence, and workplace.

Ability to explore with a beneficiary served, the importance and creation of a wellness identity through open sharing and challenging viewpoints.

Ability to promote a beneficiary’s opportunity for personal growth by identifying teachable moments for building relationship skills to empower the beneficiary and enhance personal responsibility.

Ability to model and share decisions-making tools to enhance a beneficiary’s healthy decision-making process.

Ability to provide examples of healthy social interactions and facilitate familiarity with, and connection to, the local community.

Ability to recognize and appropriately respond to conditions that constitute an emergency to include both physical and behavioral health crisis utilizing the emergency response procedure of employer.

Ability to provide support to the beneficiary in navigating systems (medical, social services, or legal).

Ability to promote self-advocacy by facilitating each beneficiary’s learning about his or her human and legal rights and supporting the beneficiary while exercising those rights to support the empowerment of the beneficiary.

Collaborate with Integrated Care Teams and Community Resources:

Attend all required meetings related to care planning and provider engagement

In conjunction with the care management team, engage in various skill-building activities such as learning how to obtain and maintain stable housing, manage finances, increase employment readiness skills, interact with others in private and public settings, maintain healthy non-violent relationships, engage in safe, non-medical ways to control modifiable risk factors that impact his or her health (e.g. smoking, drug and alcohol use, obesity, etc.), learn skills to increase motivation and actively address health conditions such as diabetes, heart disease, COPD, etc.

Notify QP of any new service needs identified during service monitoring. Participate treatment team meetings.

Develop in-depth knowledge of various community systems and provide consultation

Engage with Providers and with Integrated Care Teams and Community Resources:

Collaborate and consult with Integrated Care Teams and Community Resources to enhance and expand available resources.

Build partnerships with public and private mental health agencies, child serving agencies, DSS, DJJ, and community partners, to develop programs and resources to increase family involvement in care delivery.

Assist with self-help, advocacy, pre-crisis support, and supporting the member with speaking with employers, landlords and others regarding reasonable accommodations for his or her psychiatric and/or physical health conditions.

Link members to appropriate community-based services to ensure that they are actively engaged in the service, including supports related to housing, employment, and nutrition.

1. Caseload Maintenance:

• Maintain accurate caseloads and tracking tools to ensure correspondence is being mailed to identified members within the necessary timeframes.

1. Maintain Documentation:

• Maintain medical record compliance/quality.
• Ensure timely documentation of activities as required by department policy and procedures.

1. Compliance:

• Comply with organizational and departmental Policies, Procedures, Processes, Workflows

1. Other Duties as assigned including but not limited to:

• Establishes a caring, therapeutic relationship with member.
• Demonstrates understanding of members rights and ensures member’s rights are protected.
• Must meet applicable Liability Insurance Requirements if reimbursement is requested.
• Maintain a valid North Carolina Driver’s License, acceptable criminal record and Health Registry Check that adhere to standard of employment.
• Demonstrates knowledge of policies and procedures defined in the employee handbook.
• Demonstrate professional work ethics.
• Complete training requirements. Attends all training sessions as required by the agency.
• Participates in activities to promote personal growth and development.
• All other duties as deemed necessary.

Knowledge & Skills must be proficient in the following areas and required in daily operations:

• Knowledge of Medicaid basic, enhanced MH/SUD, and waiver benefits plans
• Knowledge of community specific financial planning resources
• Knowledge of and skilled in the use of Motivational Interviewing techniques
• Strong interpersonal and written/verbal communication skills
• Conflict management and resolution skills
• High level of diplomacy and discretion is required to effectively negotiate and resolve issues with minimal assistance.
• Strong problem solving, negotiation, arbitration and conflict resolution skills are essential to balance the needs of both internal and external customers.
• Detail oriented
• Ability to organize multiple tasks and priorities
• Ability to change the focus of activities to meet changing priorities
• Proficiency in Microsoft Office products (such as Word, Excel, Google, etc.) is required
• Must demonstrate flexibility and adaptability.