Peer Specialist

Position Summary:

The Peer Specialist is an active member of the Treatment Program/Team and provides peer support services to clients with serious mental illness, substance abuse, co-occurrent disorder in a residential setting.

Peer Specialist will function as a role model to peers; exhibiting competency in personal recovery and use of coping skills; serving as a consumer advocate, providing consumer information and peer support for clients. 

The Peer Specialist performs a wider range of task to assist peers of all ages, in regaining independence within the community and mastery over their own recovery process. 

This individual will share his or her practical experience, knowledge, and first-hand insight to benefit the team and clients. The Peer Specialist functions as a fully integrated team member to provide expertise about the recovery process and symptom management.

Essential Duties and Responsibilities:

1. Engages in peer-to-peer counseling and education to clients, including advocacy, and direct service, using own recovery experience as a positive model.

2. Encourages individuals through their own recovery process by assisting individuals with learning about and accessing community resources independently.

1. Collaborate with treatment      team by attending weekly meetings.
2. Serves as a role model and      mentor to consumers to help provide empowerment.
3. Collaboration with the treatment      team to ensure protection of client rights and improve their knowledge of      those rights as well as appropriate grievance and complaint filing      procedures.
4. Performs related and      special projects that provide client’s needs, including community-based      and/or agency events as assigned
5. Facilitate group meetings      to assist clients with daily living skills.
6. Organize and lead      individual and group leisure activities to provide increased social      experiences.
7. Link clients to a church      in the area where client will be relocating after finishing the program.

Qualifications

1. The ability to articulate wellness/recovery focused value and principles.

2. Adaptability, cultural sensitivity, and understanding of the mental health and co-occurring population

3. Must have a demonstrated ability to work effectively in a team environment.

4. Good written and verbal communication skills required; basic computer skills necessary.

5. Continue personal education through staff development and training each year, (i.e. WRAP, Peer Specialist, and Leadership).

Education and Experience

High School Diploma/GED and at least six months relevant experience. Certified Recovery Peer Specialist (preferred) or Peer Specialist certification within the first year of employment.