Peer Specialist, Baldwin

AltaPointe Health•Fairhope, AL

About The Position

The Peer Specialist will promote self-determination, recovery, self-advocacy, and self-direction. This role involves assisting individuals in identifying strengths, wellness goals, setting objectives, and identifying barriers. The Peer Specialist will attend treatment team meetings, assist individuals in goal planning, and help them learn to ask for appropriate community services. They will also assist individuals in obtaining information about their benefits (SSI, SSDI, Medicaid, etc.), engage them in outpatient programs to encourage recovery, and model self-advocacy skills. Additionally, the role includes teaching wellness management strategies, helping individuals develop self-management plans, and connecting them to community support groups. The Peer Specialist will also provide education to other staff to enhance their understanding of self-advocacy and peer support roles, and promote a culture that respects individual perspectives. Other duties include providing resources, teaching transportation skills, sharing personal stories to model stability, supporting informed decisions about treatment, housing, and community connections, developing crisis and safety plans, building social skills, assisting in overcoming recovery barriers, obtaining necessary documentation, completing paperwork, exploring aspirations, and leading recovery support groups or NA/AA meetings if appropriate. The role also involves seeking supervision, accepting feedback, maintaining confidential files and timely documentation, and being courteous and respectful to consumers, visitors, and co-workers. Administrative duties include participating in performance improvement activities, committees, completing assigned tasks, following policies, and attending in-service training.

Requirements

High school diploma or its equivalent
Must be a current or former recipient of mental health services for no less than one (1) year
Ability to identify as a consumer of mental health services and speak openly regarding personal diagnosis and treatment
A valid, verifiable driver’s license
A good driving record
Reliable transportation
Verifiable vehicle liability insurance
Ability to attend out-of-town Peer Specialist training for certification
Demonstrated experience with and knowledge of the Alabama public mental health system
Knowledge of adult specific competencies, outlined below, to be attained within six (6) months of employment:
Knowledge of psychiatric disorders in the adult population
Knowledge of cultural diversity
Knowledge of behavior management, crisis intervention and interventions common to acute psychotic consumers, as well as, to non-violent crisis intervention practices.
Knowledge of Psychiatric Rehabilitation principles
Knowledge of educational methods appropriate to adults with severe and persistent psychiatric disorders

Responsibilities

Promoting self-determination, recovery, self-advocacy, and self-direction; assisting individuals in identifying strengths; wellness goals; setting objectives, and identifying barriers.
Attending treatment team meetings with the individual to promote the individual's use of self-directed advocacy tools; assisting the individual in goal planning, assisting the individual in learning how to ask for appropriate services in the community.
Assisting individuals in obtaining information about their benefits (SSI, SSDI, Medicaid, etc.).
Engaging individuals in outpatient programs and services to encourage recovery.
Modeling self-advocacy skills.
Teaching wellness management strategies and helping individuals develop their own self-management plans/tools to use in their personal lives; using manualized strategies such as IMR/WMR, WRAP, and others.
Connecting to support groups in the community to learn from other peers, to promote hope, to problem-solve through work situations, and to decrease social isolation.
Providing education to other staff to increase their understanding of self-advocacy and peer support roles, and to promote a culture in which an individuals’ points of view and preferences are recognized, understood, respected, and integrated into service delivery.
Providing resources and teaching transportation skills (teaching bus routes, etc.).
Sharing his or her own personal story to model how to choose, obtain, and maintain stability.
Supporting individuals in making informed decisions about treatment, housing, benefits, and building community connections.
Supporting the individuals in developing crisis plans and safety plans.
Building social skills in the community that will enhance recovery.
Assisting in overcoming barriers to recovery and addressing challenges.
Assisting in obtaining the proper documentation necessary for benefits, employment, and housing.
Assisting the individual in completing paperwork.
Exploring aspirations with the individual.
Leading recovery support groups and NA/AA meetings with the job seeker if appropriate.
Seeks supervision and consultation as needed.
Accepts and employs suggestions for improvement.
Maintains confidential files containing required information.
Maintains documentation for those individuals receiving services.
Provides timely documentation that meets requirements of various funding sources including, Medicaid, and others.
Treats consumers with care, dignity, and compassion.
Respects consumer’s privacy and confidentiality.
Is pleasant and cooperative with others.
Assists consumers and visitors as needed.
Personal values don’t inhibit ability to relate and care for others.
Is sensitive to the consumer’s needs, expectations and individual differences.
Is gentle and calm with consumers and families.
Actively participates in Performance Improvement activities.
Actively participates in AltaPointe committees as required.
Completes assigned tasks in a timely manner.
Follows AltaPointe policies and procedures.
Attends to required in-service training and other works.