Peer Support Specialist

Job Description

Job Description

Description:

LINES OF AUTHORITY: This position is supervised by SMI Clinical Supervisor and/or Clinical Director. This position does not supervise any other personnel.

POSITION SUMMARY: The purpose of this position is to provide health coaching, role modeling, and mentoring to individuals enrolled in the clinic system. Individuals in this position must be persons or family members who are or have been consumers of the behavioral health system. They will function as part of a clinical team and assist clients in achieving optimal independence in the community through supportive service provision. This position will be expected to maintain an acceptable level of service provision as measured by billable hours/service value. 

PRINCIPAL DUTIES/RESPONSIBILITIES:

1. Provides assistance to identified enrolled members to help them effectively utilize the service delivery system by assisting clinical team members in developing plans of care, identifying needs, accessing supports, partnering with professional staff, and overcoming system barriers. Competency demonstrated by direct observation, record review, role play.
2. Assists enrolled members in coping with the stressors of disabling conditions by modeling and practicing recovery principles, including hope, empowerment, responsibility, mutuality and self-determination, in all activities. Competency demonstrated by direct observation, record review, and role play.
3. Demonstrates ability to teach/train curriculum and recovery tools (i.e., WRAP, Recovery Planner, etc.) as evidenced by direct observation and record review. 
4. Assists clients in developing natural supports and community living as evidenced by direct observation and record review.
5. Models personal responsibility, self-advocacy, and hopefulness through appropriate self-disclosure/telling of their recovery story, how needs are respectfully met, and how a belief in themselves is maintained, as evidenced by direct observation and record review.
6. Coordinates with supervisor in establishing scheduled activities with clients, required supervision time and completion of required training as evidenced by direct observation and review of supervision and training logs.
7. Coordinates and communicates regularly with immediate supervisor and clinical team members regarding client progress. Competency demonstrated by direct observation, review of supervision Logs, and review of clinical record.
8. Completes required clinical documentation as per agency, The Joint Commission, and Regional Behavioral Health Authority (RBHA)/ health plan standards.
9. When indicated by the client, peers providing support assist in developing the plan for services. The plan for service reflects the inclusion of health coaching and peer support as determined by the client.
10. The employee must work well under pressure meeting multiple and sometimes conflicting deadlines. The employee shall, at all times, demonstrate cooperative behavior with colleagues and supervisors. Competency demonstrated by direct observation of employee’s behavior toward others and the ability to work under pressure during times of conflicting deadlines.
11. Provides customer service to internal and external customers and stakeholders. Competency demonstrated by direct observation, client satisfaction surveys, both written and/or verbal.
12. Performs other duties as assigned.

PRIMARY CONTACTS:

• Daily interaction with clients
• Daily interaction with co-workers and supervisor
• Occasional contact with families and community agencies

Requirements:

POSITION REQUISITES:

Qualifications and Experience

Required:

• High School Diploma or General Education Diploma (GED).
• 21 years of age or over.
• Have no convictions for felonies or misdemeanor involving substance abuse, sexual misbehavior or assault.
• Must be able to work flexible hours if needed and have ability to arrange own transportation to varied shifts.
• Must obtain and maintain fingerprint clearance in Arizona. 
• Must obtain cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) and first aid certification.
• Must complete Crisis to Care Intervention training within thirty days of hire.
• Must have successfully completed Peer Support Training Course with a passing score on Recovery Competency Test; must provide documentation of successful completion.

Skills/Abilities

Required:

• Strong verbal and written communication skills.
• Able to utilize personal computer to document service provision and Excel spreadsheets for tracking purposes. 
• Good interpersonal skills including the ability to instruct or coach others individually and in a group setting in the development of recovery skills.
• Ability to maintain a calm, non-defensive, supportive attitude during crisis or potential crisis situations.
• Ability to work independently and as part of a team.
• Demonstrate ability to dress and behave professionally.
• Ability to seek and utilize supervisory feedback and direction.

Preferred:

• Organizational skills.
• Demonstrates appropriate decision-making skills.
• Good health and stress management skills

REQUIREMENTS FOR SPECIAL POPULATIONS

Persons conducting assessments and/or providing treatment to special populations are able, through training and experience as well as through agency-specific observation or testing of performance to:

SUBSTANCE USE

Staff responsible for providing services to substance using members has appropriate training, education, experience, performance and demonstrate competency.

Staff must be able to gather and assess information about:

• The relationship of each member’s physical status to the substance use. . 
• The nature of the emotional compulsion to use alcohol and/or other drugs.
• The intensity of the member’s preoccupation with using alcohol/and/or other drugs.

Staff must also demonstrate competency in their ability to:

• Interpret information about a member’s use of alcohol and/or other drugs.
• Develop a written summary and/or treatment plan based on member’s problems and needs;
• Provide appropriate services.

CHILDREN AND ADOLESCENTS

Staff responsible for providing services to child and adolescent members have appropriate training, education, experience, performance and demonstrate competency.

• Staff demonstrates knowledge of growth and development of children and adolescents.
• Staff demonstrates their ability to develop treatment plans and services based on member’s problem and needs.
• Staff demonstrates knowledge and skill in working with family systems.

SERIOUSLY MENTALLY ILL

Staff responsible for providing services to seriously mentally ill members has appropriate training, education, experience, performance and demonstrate competency.

• Staff has knowledge and ability to gather and interpret information about seriously mentally ill members.
• Staff understands the member’s needs and the range, intensity, and duration of care, habilitation and rehabilitation required.

INTELLECTUALLY DISABLED

Staff responsible for providing services to members with intellectual disabilities has appropriate training, education, experience, performance and demonstrate competency.

• Staff has knowledge and ability to gather and interpret information about a member with an intellectual disability.
• Staff understands the member’s needs and the range, intensity, and duration of care, habilitation or rehabilitation required. 

WORKING CONDITIONS:

Physical Requirements

• Able to sit, stand and work for extended periods of time.
• Able to visually and audibly monitor clients.
• Occasional lifting of 40 lbs. maximum and reaching.

Equipment Operation

• Regular operation of computer, office equipment, telephone, fax machine, copier.
• Computer Microsoft office software.

Environmental Conditions

• Air conditioned and/or heated office setting.
• Indoor and outdoor settings subject to climate change.
• Recreational or community setting

ACCOMMODATION(S):

Mohave Mental Health Clinic, Inc., will provide reasonable accommodation for individuals with disabilities, unless it would cause undue hardship. We define reasonable accommodation as any change in the work environment or in the way a job is performed that enables a person with a disability to enjoy equal employment opportunities. We will make a good faith effort to list any special requirements in our job descriptions.