Peer Specialist

NORTHEAST TREATMENT CENTER•Philadelphia, PA

4d•$43,000 - $46,000•Onsite

About The Position

NET provides Certified Peer Support Services to adults age 18 or older with serious emotional disturbance or serious emotional illness, and to individuals who are members of the adult priority group defined by Bulletin OMH-94-04, Serious Mental Illness: Adult Priority Group, who live in Philadelphia County. NET specializes in serving people with co-occurring disorders. The services promote hope, choice, empowerment, and self-determination through mutual relationships and the use of natural community and service supports. Peer Specialists help participants build natural supports and become active in their communities; explore and access supports for housing, employment, and education; and pursue treatment, self-help, and self-advocacy. They support participants in improving social relationships, developing wellness and advance-directive plans, pursuing self-improvement activities, and adopting healthy habits according to individual preferences. Services are delivered using a trauma-informed approach and include accompanying participants to meetings as needed. The position works independently in the community with participants, completes documentation daily, takes part in supervision, team meetings, and required trainings, and must achieve at least 50 billable hours per two-week pay period. After-hours on-call duties are required, and the role requires flexibility to work some evenings and weekends as needed.

Requirements

Be a self-identified individual who has received or is receiving mental health services for a serious emotional disturbance or serious mental illness.
Be at least 18 years old.
Have a high school diploma or general equivalency diploma.
Within the last three years, have either maintained at least 12 months of successful work or volunteer experience or earned at least 24 credit hours at a college or post-secondary educational institution.
Complete Department-approved Certified Peer Specialist training.
Have a valid driver’s license issued by the state where the employee lives, a safe driving record, and proof of insurance coverage.
Have experience navigating multi-system services and working knowledge of available community resources.
Demonstrate genuine respect for all individuals.
Demonstrate understanding of cultural competence and the principles of recovery.
Demonstrate genuine empathy and concern for individuals, consistent with the organization’s vision, mission, and values.
Adhere to applicable city, county, state, and federal laws and regulations and internal NET standards.
Have current state clearances for Child Abuse, Criminal Records, and Contagious Diseases.
Possess strong interpersonal and organizational skills.
Be available and flexible to work some evenings and weekends as needed.
Be able to drive and work independently in the community with participants.
Perform required after-hours on-call duties.

Nice To Haves

Lived experience of mental health and/or substance use recovery.
Work or volunteer experience in an outpatient mental health and/or substance use treatment setting.

Responsibilities

Work with participants to assess strengths and needs and develop person-centered, individualized service plans.
Support participants in carrying out their recovery plans and continually review and assess needs with them.
Help participants identify, develop, access, and strengthen supports that increase community integration and inclusion.
Monitor supports and services for appropriateness and effectiveness.
Support participants in self-managing critical or crisis situations.
Advocate on behalf of individuals at all levels.
Attend individual and group supervision, treatment team meetings, inter-agency team meetings, and required trainings.
Ensure all participant visits are documented in the electronic health record.
Complete documentation daily.
Achieve a minimum of 50 billable hours per two-week pay period.
Support participants in exploring and accessing natural community supports and activities, including spiritual, social, fitness, and recreational opportunities.
Support participants in exploring and accessing housing, employment, and education options, and accompany them to meetings as needed.
Encourage treatment engagement, wellness, participation in recovery plans, and attendance at self-help groups.
Support participants in improving personal relationships, socializing, and meeting people of their choice.
Support participants in creating and using a Wellness Recovery Action Plan and, when trained, completing and using a Mental Health/Substance Use Advance Directive.
Facilitate participant-selected activities that promote self-esteem, self-worth, talents, and quality of life.
Support participants in adopting healthy habits based on their preferences.