Veteran Peer Support Specialist II

Peer Support Specialist II/Battle Buddy

As a staff member of the treatment team, the Peer Support Specialist II/Battle Buddy is an experienced and certified advocate who performs a wide range of tasks to assist peers in regaining independence within the community and mastery over their own recovery/reintegration process. Based on similar experiences, this position offers the Veteran empathy, support, and advice as challenges are faced along the way. Peer Support/Battle Buddies will provide outreach, support, mentoring/coaching that empowers Veteran and Military Families (MilFam), and shall work closely with Veteran and MilFam to establish relevant resource linkages. The Battle Buddy adds experience-based competencies and real-world examples that complement the training and expertise of the clinical staff members.

Duties and responsibilities include:

• Share personal experiences, skills, strengths, ongoing support and resource referral in recovery from mental health and/or substance abuse issues.
• Accompany participants to appointments and meetings, housing searches, voucher application/issuance sessions, and any other veteran-centered activity.
• In coordination with the VPAN Squad Leader, assist participants in developing recovery plans with the skills, strengths, supports and resources to aid them in achieving goals and plans; work with case manager or treatment team in needed steps for self-directed recovery (most often within the home of the Veteran)
• Assist participants with setting up and sustaining self-help (mutual support) groups and with locating and joining existing groups
• Acts as reference source for client to legal, community, social service, and administrative bodies as needed; facilitates support groups and client participation
• Assist VPAN Squad Leader with helping the participants identify and eliminate barriers and maintain employment/housing/sobriety
• Performs integration with the County's Coordinated Entry System for housing (CES), U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA), and other Service Planning Area (SPA) based systems

Essential ability acknowledgement:

Ability to work and deal with difficult, uncooperative, and potentially aggressive clients as VOALA serves the neediest of the needy in our programs, which may include clients with homelessness, mental illness, substance abuse, recently released from incarceration, and other challenges.

Essential duties:

• Services for this position must be provided on-site. As a result, the position requires incumbents to report to work on-site each day of active employment.
• Provide peer counseling
• Accompany participants in efforts to obtain benefits from various veteran and community support programs.
• Refer clients to legal, community, social service, and administrative bodies as needed
• Monitor assigned participants in the execution of recovery/service plan(s), to include home visits.
• Work with clients to remove barriers to full participation in aid programs.
• Monitoring support groups
• Learning functions of VPAN Squad Leader
• Perform integration with the County's Coordinated Entry System for housing (CES), U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA), and other Service Planning Area (SPA) based systems
• Other duties as required and may be subject to change

Mandated reporter:

As service providers to the underprivileged and vulnerable in our community, all employees are considered Mandated Reporters, and must report any instance of physical or sexual abuse to proper authorities.

Qualifications:

Requirements:

• Must be able to pass a fingerprint clearance, background check, including criminal history, personal references, employment and education verifications
• Must meet Funder Approval
• Current TB screening and Immunization Records (within 5 days of hire)
• Copy of Current Professional License (if applicable)
• Current BLS Certification (within 15 days of hire)
• Completion of all required trainings (within 30 days of hire)
• Ability to perform under circumstances of possible emotional stress and conflicts dealing with difficult, uncooperative, and potentially aggressive clients as VOALA serves the neediest of the needy in our programs which may include clients with homelessness, mental-illness, substance abuse, recently released from incarceration and other challenges.

Education:

• High school diploma (or GED/High School Equivalence Certificate)
• All VPAN staff must complete 75 hours of evidence-based training(s) The training will include but not limited to:
• Veteran Administration Approved Peer Certification
• Risk Mitigation
• The Veteran Family Peer Navigator model training provided by UCLA
• Within 90 days of hire attend and complete 2-week VA Peer Certification training

Experience:

• At least one year of experience providing social services or similar leadership / volunteer / service experience
• Personal Military experience, or experience in recovery from mental health and/or substance abuse issues, or experience in homelessness and reintegration

Preferred qualifications:

• Military background and/or have had immediate family member(s) who served in the U.S. military strongly preferred
• Current California driver's license and clean driving record

Volunteers of America is an Equal Opportunity employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, disability, protected Veteran Status, or any other characteristic protected by applicable federal, state, or local law.

This employer participates in E-Verify as required by the federal government and will provide the federal government with your Form I-9 information to confirm that you are authorized to work in the U.S.

If E-Verify cannot confirm that you are authorized to work, this employer is required to give you written instructions and an opportunity to contact Department of Homeland Security (DHS) or Social Security Administration (SSA) so you can begin to resolve the issue before the employer can take any action against you, including terminating your employment