Peer Support Specialist

Job Description

Job Description

WE OFFER EXCELLENT BENEFITS:

• FREE Employee Medical Insurance
• FREE Employee Dental Insurance
• FREE Employee Vision Insurance
• Sick leave (8 hours per month)
• Vacation (Minimum of 2 weeks paid vacation)
• Retirement (Employer contribution - 3% contribution and an additional 3% employer match)
• FREE Long-Term Disability Insurance
• FREE Life Insurance
• 13 Paid Holidays

CCEW Mission
Feed the hungry, heal the hurting, welcome the stranger.

CCEW is an equal opportunity employer. All employees and potential employees will be recruited, selected, trained, promoted, compensated and, if necessary, disciplined or terminated without regard to sex, gender, race, ethnicity, national origin, citizenship, immigration status, religious affiliation, marital status, military veteran status, age, pregnancy, sexual orientation, gender expression or identity, disability, genetic information, or any other basis protected by law.

Job Summary

This position is responsible for providing peer support services for households living at Catalyst emergency supportive housing project. The clients residing at Catalyst are formerly homeless persons who may have behavioral health challenges, substance addiction history as well as barriers to employment and recovery. As a member of the Catalyst team, the peer support specialist provides clients with support, education, and community resource navigation to promote client recovery and self-sufficiency.

Job Duties/Responsibilities

To perform this job successfully, an individual must be able to satisfactorily perform each of the essential duties/responsibilities listed below. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential duties/responsibilities of this job.

1. Provide Peer Support services—per SAMSHSA best practice guidelines--to assist persons living in Catalyst.
2. Teach clients how to navigate a variety of community-based services and organizations.
3. Manage a caseload of clients with whom you work to empower clients to problem solve and find their own solutions.
4. Provide consistency and support to promote client progress and accountability.
5. Collaborate with the Integrated Case Management team to ensure behavioral health and physical health needs of clients are being addressed.
6. Model personal responsibility, self-advocacy, and hopefulness.
7. Maintain professional boundaries and participate in training as requested.
8. Accurately account for time worked according to agency standards.
9. Work with the Catalyst team to ensure outcomes of grant agreements, contracts, MOU’s and other commitments of the program are met.
10. Uses appropriate administrative, fiscal, physical, and technical safeguards to ensure the confidentiality, integrity, and security of CCEW client protected health information (PHI), per regulations outlined in the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996 (HIPAA).
11. Regularly utilizes all forms of communication (email, text, phone, etc.) and database practices necessary for this position and as directed by supervisor.
12. As a mandated reporter, follow all procedures outlined in agency policies and procedures to report to the proper agency when there is suspicion and/or confirmation that a child or adult has been a victim of abuse or neglect.
13. Obtain Peer Certification from DBHR within 6 months of employment.
14. Adheres to the tenants of Catholic Social Teaching.
15. Performs related functions as assigned to support program success as well as the mission and core values of Catholic Charities.

Job Qualifications

To perform this job successfully, an individual must meet the minimum qualifications listed below. These qualifications are representative of the knowledge, skill and/or ability required to perform this job.

Minimum Required Education/Experience:

• High school diploma or GED
• One year of successful work experience
• Lived experience that allows the successful candidate to understand and relate to program clients.

Certificates/Licenses: To perform this job successfully an individual must have a valid Driver’s License must successfully pass background check applicable to position and must obtain DBHR Peer Training certification within 6 months of start date.

Physical Abilities: To perform this job successfully, an individual must be able to:

• Regularly sit, stand, climb, walk, talk, hear.
• Frequently lift up to 10 pounds, pull/push, carry, grasp, reach
• Occasionally crawl, stoop, kneel
• Clearly see 20+ feet, with or without corrective lenses, ability to focus

Mental & Other Skills/Abilities: To perform this job successfully, an individual must have the:

• Adaptability : ability to adapt to changes, delays or unexpected events in the work environment; ability to manage competing demands and prioritize tasks; ability to change approach or method to best fit the situation.
• Analytical Ability : ability to maintain focus for extended periods of time; ability to complete research projects with resourcefulness and persistence; ability to synthesize complex or diverse information; ability to use intuition and experience to complement existing data.
• Attendance : ability to consistently arrive and be able to work as scheduled.
• Computer/Technical Ability : proficient in the use of: Word Processing software, Spreadsheet software, Internet software, database software.
• Dependability : ability to follow instructions, both in written and verbal format; ability to respond to management direction; ability to complete tasks on time or notify the appropriate person with an alternate plan when necessary.
• Interpersonal Skills: ability to maintain satisfactory relationships with others, excellent customer service skills and a strong overall understanding of appropriate human relations. Practices cultural humility in interacting with clients, program partners, and colleagues.
• Judgment: ability to make prudent and timely decisions; ability to exhibit sound and accurate judgment; ability to explain reasoning for decisions.
• Language Ability: ability to read and interpret documents such as safety rules, operating and maintenance instructions, and procedure manuals; ability to write routine reports and correspondence; ability to speak effectively before groups of customers or employees of organization.
• Mathematical Ability: ability to add, subtract, multiply, and divide in all units of measure, using whole numbers, common fractions, and decimals; ability to compute rate, ratio, and percent and to draw and interpret bar graphs.
• Motor Coordination : the ability to coordinate eyes, hands, fingers, and feet accurately and handle precise movements.
• Problem Solving Ability : ability to identify and/or prevent problems before they occur; ability to formulate alternative solutions to problems when necessary; ability to transfer learning from past experiences to new experiences of similar nature.
• Quality Management : ability to complete duties, on time and with absolute precision, at least 95% of the time; ability to edit the accuracy and thoroughness of one’s work as well as the work of others; ability to constructively apply feedback to improve performance, ability to generate ideas to improve and promote quality in work.
• Reasoning Ability : ability to solve practical problems and deal with a variety of concrete variables in situations where only limited standardization exists; ability to interpret a variety of instructions furnished in written, oral, diagram, or schedule form.
• Supervisory Skills: this job has no direct supervisory responsibilities.

Workplace Environmental Conditions

While performing the essential duties/responsibilities of this job, the employee will be:

• Noise Conditions: exposed during a shift to constant or intermittent sounds at moderate to loud levels of sound dependent upon daily activities.
• Secondary Trauma: Employees of Catholic Charities Eastern Washington provide direct services to vulnerable community members including those who have behavioral health challenges and those who have experienced trauma.
• Client Population may include persons involved in gangs, with substance abuse concerns, homelessness and/or tendencies towards violent behavior.
• Potential for exposure to illicit drugs and air-borne contaminants (proper PPE provided).