Peer Mentor

Fora Health Inc•Portland, OR

3d•$24 - $26•Hybrid

About The Position

The role of the Residential and Outpatient Peer Mentor is to provide mentoring, guidance, and support for patients in both residential and outpatient treatment settings. The Peer Mentor collaborates with a multidisciplinary team, including peer mentors, counselors, community partners, residential assistants, and psychiatric nurse practitioners. This role offers supervision and integration with the Fora Peer Mentor team, with tasks requiring minimal follow-up from the Peer Mentor Supervisor. The primary function is to act as a personal guide and mentor for individuals aiming to discontinue or reduce harm from substance use. This involves providing emotional support, assisting with recovery and harm reduction goals, restructuring daily life, developing healthy support networks, and facilitating access to services and community resources. The Peer Mentor also connects individuals to self-help groups, urgent care clinics, and assists with establishing primary and dental care. They follow up with patients missing appointments, coordinate care with the interdisciplinary team, facilitate transitions between care levels, and assist with accessing sober housing and peer-led recovery support meetings. Additionally, they facilitate peer mentor-led group sessions, including housing retention groups.

Requirements

Certification through a recognized certification board (e.g., MHACBO, State of Oregon CRM, PSS, THW). Internal hires have 6 months to attain certification; external hires need to be certified upon hire. All hires must maintain certification.
Establish professional and supportive relationships.
Demonstrate genuine concern for people struggling with substance use disorders.
Ability to treat all people and agencies with dignity and respect.
Work effectively within a team environment and be willing to receive and act upon feedback.
Relate to patients, families, and staff in an open-minded and non-judgmental manner regarding individual differences and diverse backgrounds.
Stay calm, alert, and emotionally available in a high-stress, general public environment, effectively de-escalating as needed.
Maintain appropriate professional boundaries.
Demonstrate strong verbal communication and active listening skills.
Creatively problem-solve and serve as a resource (or know where to find resources) to patients and families.
Demonstrate initiative, self-confidence, and serve as a substance-abstinent role model to patients.
Model and encourage direct professional communication.
For employees with a history of substance use disorder, certification of a minimum of two years of sobriety is required.
Ability to pass a pre-employment or for-cause drug test.
Ability to pass DHS criminal background and DMV checks.
Position will require some amount of regular connection to work via cell phone to answer questions and respond to internal and external contacts.

Responsibilities

Serve as a personal guide and mentor for people seeking to discontinue substance use and reduce harms from substance use.
Provide emotional support, assist with setting recovery and harm reduction goals, and restructure life and daily schedules to accommodate goals.
Develop new friendships and healthy support networks.
Gain access to services and community resources as needed.
Connect individuals to self-help community supports and provide encouragement to develop lasting relationships in such settings.
Connect individuals to walk-in or urgent care clinics as needed.
Follow up with patients in the community who are missing treatment appointments and provide support and coordination with interdisciplinary team members to coordinate care.
Assist patients in establishing primary care or dental care and accompany patients to medical appointments.
Attend community meetings and promote program awareness and outreach.
Facilitate smooth and pleasant transitions among all levels of care at Fora Health.
Assist patients in accessing transitional sober housing and housing funds as available.
Assist patients in accessing peer-led recovery support meetings in the community.
Facilitate peer mentor led group sessions to include housing retention groups.
Work under the supervision of the Peer Mentor Supervisor.
Attend weekly Peer Mentor staffing meetings.
Accurate and timely documentation of all engagements with patients in electronic medical records.
Follow agency policies and procedures provided by Fora Health.
Attend training and meetings as scheduled and required by supervisor.
Drive a company car responsibly if deemed eligible, maintaining a clean driving record.
Complete special projects and other duties as assigned.