Certified Peer Counselor

METROPOLITAN DEVELOPMENT COUNCIL•Tacoma, WA

2d•$20 - $22•Onsite

About The Position

The Certified Peer Counselor provides guidance, mentoring, and support with an emphasis on enhancing access to and retention in permanent supported housing. Draw on common experiences as a peer, to validate participants’ experiences and to provide empowerment, guidance and encouragement to take responsibility and actively participate in their own recovery. Serve as a mentor to participants to promote hope and empowerment. Provide education and advocacy around understanding culture-wide stigma and discrimination against people with mental illness and develop strategies to eliminate stigma and support client participation in consumer self-help programs and consumer advocacy organizations that promote recovery. Teach symptom-management techniques and promote personal growth and development by assisting clients to cope with internal and external stresses. Coordinate services with other Mental Health and allied providers.

Requirements

Certified Peer Counselor or complete certification within six months of employment.
Good oral and written communication skills.
Must have a strong commitment to the rights and abilities of each person with a severe mental illness to live in normal community residences; work in competitive market-wage jobs; and have access to helpful, adequate, competent, and continuous supports and services in their community.
It is essential the peer specialist have skills and competence to establish supportive trusting relationships with persons living with severe and persistent mental illnesses and respect for clients’ rights and personal preferences in treatment is essential.

Responsibilities

Assist clients to learn to find and maintain a safe and affordable place to live, apartment hunting, finding a roommate, landlord negotiations, cleaning, furnishing and decorating, and procuring necessities (telephone, furniture, utility hook-up).
Identify the type and location of housing with an exploration of access to natural supports and the avoidance of triggers (such as a neighborhood where drug dealing is prolific if the peer has a history of substance abuse).
Provide practical help and supports such as: mentoring, advocacy, coordination of services, side-by-side individualized support, problem solving, direct assistance and supervision to help clients obtain the necessities of daily living including: medical and dental health care; legal and advocacy services; financial support such as entitlements (SSI, SSDI, veterans’ benefits); housing subsidies (HUD Section 8); money- management services (e.g., payee services, budgeting, managing credit score); and Use of public transportation.
Assist with referrals to job training and DVR.
Perform mentoring, problem solving, encouragement and support on and off the job site.
Provide work-related supportive services, such as assistance securing necessary clothing and grooming supplies, wake-up calls, and assistance with navigating public transportation.
Provide ongoing assessment, goal setting, problem solving, side-by-side services, skill teaching, support (prompts, assignments, encouragement), and environmental adaptations to assist clients with activities of daily living.
Assist and teach/support clients to organize and perform household activities, including house cleaning and laundry.
Assist and teach/support clients with personal hygiene and grooming tasks.
Provide nutrition education and assistance with meal planning, grocery shopping, and food preparation.
Ensure that clients have adequate financial support (help to gain employment and apply for entitlements).
Teach money-management skills (budgeting and paying bills) and assist clients in accessing financial services (e.g., professional financial counseling, emergency loan services, and managing their credit score).
Help clients to access reliable transportation (obtain a driver’s license and car and car insurance, arrange for cabs, use public transportation, and find rides).
Assist and teach/support clients to have and effectively use a personal primary care physician, dentist, and other medical specialists as required.
Provide side-by-side support, coaching and encouragement to help clients socialize (going with a client to community activities, including activities offered by consumer-run peer support organizations).
Assist clients to plan and carry out leisure time activities on evenings, weekends, and holidays.
Organize and lead individual and group social and recreational activities to help clients structure their time, increase social experiences, and provide opportunities to practice social skills.