Certified Peer Crisis Outreach Specialist - Swing Shift, MRRCT

Downtown Emergency Service Center•Seattle, WA

6d•Onsite

About The Position

As a member of DESC's Mobile Rapid Response Crisis Team (MRRCT), you will be on the front lines responding to adults in the community experiencing mental health or substance use crises, as dispatched by Crisis Connections (988). You will work in a team alongside other skilled colleagues, including Mental Health Professionals and Crisis Outreach Specialists. Teams of two will assist individuals responding to wherever they are in the community in identifying appropriate therapeutic options and next steps to resolve their crisis, while avoiding unnecessary usage of emergency rooms or other non-therapeutic settings like jail. The goal is to stop the trend of criminalizing mental health disabilities and homelessness and ensure individuals in crisis get the help they need. Following initial interaction, teams will follow up to ensure recommended service connections have been made to prevent future crisis events. The team works throughout the central region of King County, primarily Seattle, in a wide variety of community settings every day throughout the year, and in all types of weather.

Requirements

Current Certified Peer Support Specialist (CPSS) or Certified Peer Support Specialist Trainee (CPSS-T) credential through the Washington State Department of Health.
Completion of “Crisis Awareness and Communication in Peer Support (CACPS)” training or ability to complete within 90 days of hire.
Lived experience as a consumer of behavioral health services (mental health and/or substance use treatment) or be the parent or legal guardian of a child who has received behavioral health services.
Ability to drive an agency or personal vehicle to conduct agency related business.
A current Washington State driver's license and insurable driving record are required.
Interest in working with clients who are difficult to engage and maintain in traditional mental health/substance use disorder programs.
Have a strong personal understanding from own experience in recovery and resilience, the value of client partnerships and client choice, and the balance between protection from harm and personal dignity.
Be willing to seek to understand each client's unique circumstances and personal preferences and goals and incorporate them into the crisis response to help the client regain a sense of control.
Possess the cultural humility to learn to work effectively with individuals who are Black, Latinx, Native American, Alaska Native, Pacific Islander, LGBTQIA, and other groups who routinely face discrimination and have difficulty accessing the health care they deserve.
Interest or experience in working with clients who are difficult to engage and maintain in traditional mental health / substance use disorder programs.
Strong knowledge of relevant community resources and methods for accessing them.
Experience working with adults who are experiencing or who have experienced homelessness, have a mental health and/or co-occurring substance use disorders.

Nice To Haves

One or more years' experience in community based behavioral health services or like industry serving a diverse client/participant population.
Two or more years’ experience leveraging personal peer story as a peer specialist.
Knowledge of de-escalation skills, crisis intervention & stabilization, and harm reduction strategies.
Experience in outreach or crisis work.
Bi-lingual in Spanish/English.
Strong applicants are able to demonstrate the ability to be positive in their empathetic responses to all persons; understand the value of meaningful and deep client engagement; have the potential to acquire the necessary knowledge, attitudes and skills of an effective crisis worker; and value a nonjudgmental response to sensitive issues.
Candidates should be able to accept feedback and work in a highly collaborative and potentially stressful environment.

Responsibilities

In response to and cooperation with Crisis Connections and other referents (such as police, fire, medics), perform timely outreach services to individuals needing crisis intervention services, assessment, referral, and linkage to needed services.
As a member of a multi-disciplinary team, conduct meaningful engagement to provide observation for multi-axial assessments, and substance use disorder assessments.
Engage in crisis intervention, stabilization, and related activities.
Establish and implement a plan to successfully engage clients in relevant services and other resources.
As needed, provide follow-up services aimed at establishing linkage to services for program participants.
Complete all data collection and documentation required.
Develop and maintain cooperative relationships with traditional & non-traditional programs/services providing services for the population served.
Provide peer recovery support.
Assist consumers with voicing their interests and goals through a variety of channels including: Goal Plans, Crisis Plans, WRAP, and other methods of expressing individual preferences for their recovery goals.
Help participants identify, understand, and combat stigma and discrimination associated with mental health concerns and substance use disorders and develop strategies to reduce self-stigma.
Integrate personal experience with mental health concerns and substance use disorders into work with program participants.
Work collaboratively with Peer Specialists across all DESC programs to grow, learn, develop with and from one another through sharing personal experiences and professional development.
Comply with all-agency policies and procedures, and relevant titles of the Washington Administrative Code and Revised Code of Washington.
Advocate for clients' access to both traditional and non-traditional community resources and services, ensuring that clients' needs are met, and rights maintained; consult and collaborate with community providers & resources to ensure continuity of care.
Participate in psychiatric consultation, supervision, program meetings and in-service trainings; participate in clinical reviews and case conferences for clients on caseload.
Provide support to other DESC staff and programs around client crisis situations, including consultation and in-person responses to help assess and prevent emerging crisis events.
Participate in verbal de-escalation to maintain a safe, secure environment.
Promote integration through DESC and the community at large.
Provide individualized, recovery focused patterns/ services that would help with management of recovery better.
Other duties as assigned.