PACT Peer Support Specialist

Vinfen•Quincy, MA

About The Position

This member of the Program for Assertive Community Team (PACT) multidisciplinary team has experience as a recipient of mental health services and is willing to use and share his or her personal, practical experience, knowledge, and first-hand insight to benefit the team and its person served. The PACT Peer Support Specialist functions as a fully integrated team member to provide expertise about the recovery process, symptom management, and the personal effort and commitment required by persons served to have a satisfying life. Collaborates to promote a team culture that recognizes, understands, and respects each persons served point of view, experiences, and preferences. Responsible to maximize persons served choice, self-determination and decision-making in the planning, delivery, and evaluation of persons served, families, and team staff; acts as a liaison with community resources; carries out rehabilitation and support functions; and assists in treatment, substance use services, education, support and consultation to families, and crisis intervention.

Requirements

Willing to use and share personal, practical experience of recovery process, wellness management, and the personal effort and commitment required for persons served to have a full and satisfying life in the community.
Knowledge of Peer Support practices and ethical standards
Knowledge and use of advocacy techniques
Knowledge and use of different communication styles
Skills and competence to establish supportive trusting relationships with persons served.
Respect for person served rights and personal preferences in treatment.
Sensitivity to cultural, religious, ethnic, disability, LGBTQ+, and gender issues
Knowledge of human, legal, civil rights, community, and other resources
Knowledge of the use of formal and informal assessment tools and practices
Ability to work independently as well as part of a multi-disciplinary team.
Skills and competence to use crisisintervention techniques.
Strong commitment to the right and ability of program persons served to live, work, and seek supports as the general population.
Knowledge of person-centered, strengths-based, recovery-oriented values, principles and modalities
Two to three years’ work experience with adults with psychiatric disability and/or co-occurring disorders or with individuals with similar human-service needs.
Personal, first-hand experience (not just having a friend or family member) being a recipient of the mental health system, which encompasses experiences such as psychiatric inpatient hospitalization, outpatient services/therapy, experience with psychiatric medications, and/or participating in mental health groups in the community. While a formal mental health diagnosis is not required, involvement with mental health services must be related to experience with mental health, emotional health and/or trauma resulting in significant life disruption.
Driving is a requirement for this position using either a Vinfen van or personal vehicle. - If using a personal vehicle, you must possess and maintain adequate insurance as well as maintain a safe driving record which is subject to annual checks. A valid driver's license must be presented at the time of employment. Incumbents must be at least 21 years of age, have maintained a valid US driver's license for at least six months, and must be able to pass a driver's screening background check.
Ability to stand, walk, bend, kneel, stoop, crouch, crawl, climb as this is a very physically active position. Must be able to lift at least 25 pounds using proper lifting techniques or the use of a two-person lift. Ability to operate a computer and other office equipment such as a calculator, copier, and printer. Ability to sit, reach, climb stairs, and maneuver through narrow spaces or hallways. Ability to assist PS with tasks of daily living. Ability to remain in a stationary position 50% of the time as needed. Ability to bend, reach, file, sit, stand, and move around the facility. Ability to speak, hear, and communicate with PS, staff, and external representatives. Specific vision abilities required by this job include close vision, distance vision, color vision, peripheral vision, depth perception, and ability to adjust focus.
CPR required within two weeks of hire.
First Aid required within two weeks of hire.
NET required.
PACT Module Training required within 3 months of hire.

Nice To Haves

A Certified Peer Specialist (CPS) Certification is preferred prior to hire but required post hire.
CPSS required.
Certified Peer Specialist credential required within 12 months of hire.

Responsibilities

Acts as a member of the Individual Treatment Team (ITT) for an assigned number of persons served.
Provides peer counseling and support, sharing lived experience and drawing on common experiences, to validate persons served experiences and to provide guidance and encouragement to persons served to take participate in their own self-directed recovery process.
Serves as a mentor to persons served to promote hope and empowerment.
Acts as an interpreter to help team members better understand and empathize with each persons served unique and subjective experience and perceptions.
Provides expertise and consultation to the entire team concerning the experiences of persons served living with mental health challenges, the effects and side-effects of medications, persons served responses to, and opinions of treatment and persons served experiences of recovery.
Collaborates with the team to promote a team culture in which each persons served point of view, experiences, and preferences are recognized, understood, and respected, and in which persons served self-determination and decision-making in Individual Action Planning (IAP) are maximized and supported.
Helps persons served identify, understand, and combat stigma and discrimination associated with mental illness and develop strategies to reduce self-stigma.
Helps other team members identify and understand culture-wide stigma and discrimination against people with mental illness and develop strategies to eliminate stigma within the team.
Collaborates with the team to ensure the protection of persons served rights in order to help persons served to improve their knowledge of persons served rights and grievance or complaint procedures.
Collaborates with the team to help persons served learn about pertinent grievance procedures and support persons served with filing, mediating, and resolving complaints.
Increase awareness of and support persons served participation in consumer self-help programs and consumer advocacy organizations that promote recovery.
Serves as the liaison between the team and peer-run programs, such as self-help groups and drop-in centers.
Shares duties in the provision of treatment and substance use services.
Performs other related duties, as required.
Helps maximize choices available to persons served as well as their self-determination and participation and decision-making in the planning, delivery and evaluation of their treatment, care coordination, and support services.
Shares personal experiences; provide support, education and advocacy to PS, especially at times of service and life transitions; for example being discharged from a hospital, detoxification unit or respite setting, moving to their own apartment, or when facing life stage challenges Assists in the provision of individual and group services in the office and incommunity settings in stage-based model that is non-confrontational, non-directive, and has person served-determined goals.
Participates in the provision of rehabilitation services.
Performs mentoring, problem solving, encouragement, and support on and off job site.
Provides work-related supportive services, such as assistance securing necessary clothing and grooming supplies, wake-up calls, and transportation.
Provides ongoing problem solving, side-by-side services, skill training, and environmental adaptations to assist persons served with activities of daily living.
Assists persons served 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).
Assists and supports persons served to perform household activities, including house cleaning and laundry.
Assists and supports persons served to carry out personal hygiene and grooming tasks.
Provides nutrition education and assistance with meal planning, grocery shopping, and food preparation.
Ensures that persons served have adequate financial support (help to gain employment and apply for entitlements).
Teaches money-management skills and assists persons served in accessing financial services.
Helps persons served to access reliable transportation.
Assists and supports persons served to have and effectively use a personal primary care physician, dentist, and other medical specialists, as required.
Provides individual peer support, social skill development, and assertiveness training to increase persons served social and interpersonal activities in community settings.
Plans, structures, and prompts social and leisure-time activities on evenings, weekends, and holidays.
Provides side-by-side support and coaching to help persons served socialize.
Provides practical help and supports, advocacy, coordination, side-by-side individualized support, problem solving, direct assistance, and training, to help persons served obtain the necessities of daily living including medical and dental health care; legal and advocacy services; financialsupport such as entitlements or housing subsidies; money management services; and transportation.