Position Summary:

Peer Support Services are a process of giving and receiving support and education from individuals with shared life experiences. Peer Services are provided by individuals in recovery from substance use, mental health and co-occurring disorders who use their lived experience as a tool to assist others by sharing their personal journeys and knowledge gained. Individuals engaged in peer services play a vital role in laying the foundation for sustained recovery.

Peer Support Services provide strength-based supports for persons in or seeking recovery from behavioral health-related issues. The service offers a type of partnership where the person in or seeking recovery self directs his/her care while the Support Specialist provides expertise in supporting successful change. The Support Specialist focuses on achieving any goals important to the individual and asks questions and offers suggestions to help the person begin to take the lead in addressing their own needs. The practice focuses on honoring values and making principle-based decisions, creating a clear plan of action, and using current strengths to reach future goals. The Specialist serves as an accountability partner to help the person sustain his or her recovery and helps to access the systems needed to support the individual, such as disability benefits, health care, housing, etc.

Essential Job Functions:

• Encourages, Inspires, and empowers to reach treatment goals.
• Coordinates & facilitates psychoeducational peer groups related to removing environmental obstacles and improving healthy life skills and social connectedness including teaching relaxation and mindfulness strategies.
• Works as part of a collaborative health team and participate in Care Team Meetings
• Assists individuals in developing strategies to communicate with and advocate for themselves to adopt a proactive role in their own behavioral and physical health.
• Instructs about services provided to help them (e.g., availability of peer services, benefits, advanced directives, living will opportunities, clients rights process
• Mentors in the recovery process (e.g., reassures to the reality of recovery, assists with increasing personal empowerment, helps set & achieve goals)
• Provides information & assists with applying for supplemental programs such as housing.
• Assists persons with completing forms; develops services & supports to identify service & support gaps for individuals with mental health or co-occurring mental health and substance use disorders; participates on treatment teams with person's consent.
• Collaborates to assist with intake/discharge planning (e.g., conducts intake & discharge surveys, facilitates exit interviews)
• Monitors satisfaction.
• Completes and submit documentation as determined by the Director of Peer Services
• Provides support and encouragement to family members.
• Meet individuals where they are in the community and transport individuals to appointments as needed.
• Embraces and embody the mission, vision, guiding principles, clinical vision, and goals of WestCare Foundation; and
• Performs all other duties as assigned.

Essential Qualifications:

Certifications/Licenses:

Possession of a valid Driver's License and able to quality for WC vehicle insurance

• Peer Certification must be obtained within 6 months of hire.
• Ability to pass first level and NABS background clearance.
• During your tenure with WestCare there may be new requirements, including, but not limited to vaccinations that are issued by local, State, Federal, and/or Funders that WestCare may have to comply with. Should this occur Human Resources or appropriate personnel will inform you?

Education:

• High School diploma or equivalent

Experience and Competencies:

• Must have behavioral health lived experience.
• Must be 18 Years of age or older.
• Strong reading comprehension, written and oral communication skills.
• Demonstrated experience with leadership advocacy or governance.
• Bilingual would be an asset.
• A minimum of one year without receiving in-patient and/or intensive treatment services
• A minimum of one year without involvement with law enforcement
• A minimum of 6 months in stable and safe housing
• A minimum of 6 months of stable employment or active enrollment in educational setting
• Continues to participate in support groups and/or behavioral health networks.
• Must provide three letters of references.

Working Conditions:

• Work is performed at outreach and treatment locations, in the field and in-home.
• Transportation of clients in company vehicle; and
• Some outdoor activities may be required.

Essential Physical and Mental Demands of the Job

The employee must be able to perform the following essential duties and activities with or

without accommodation:

Physical Demands:

• Tasks that involve no exposure to human blood, body fluids, or tissues but employment may require performing unplanned Category I tasks. The normal work routine involves no exposure to blood, body fluids, or tissues, BUT exposure or potential exposure may be required as a condition of employment. Appropriate personal protective equipment will be readily available to every employee engaged in Category II tasks.
• Occasional lifting of more than twenty-five pounds.
• Occasional risk of intensive physical activity with clients; and
• Sitting, standing, walking, reaching are performed in the normal course of the position.