Peer Specialist - WellConnect

Downtown Emergency Service Center•Seattle, WA

5d•Onsite

About The Position

The Peer Specialist is a member of DESC’s WellConnect program, a modified assertive community treatment (ACT) team serving Permanent Supportive Housing residents with complex needs who are underserved by traditional office-based care. The interdisciplinary team provides services including community integration, systems navigation, care coordination, psychiatric medication management, peer support, housing stability services, co-occurring substance use treatment, and individual and group psychotherapy. The Peer Specialist draws on lived experience as a recipient of mental health services for severe and persistent mental illness to support participants and inform the team. The position provides expertise on recovery, advocacy, symptom management, and the persistence needed to pursue a satisfying life. Services are delivered onsite in participants’ homes and at DESC housing sites, as well as in office and community settings. The posting lists an office-day schedule of 8:00 a.m.–4:00 p.m., with one late shift of 12:00 p.m.–8:00 p.m.; days off are Sunday and Monday. The team provides rotating coverage for 12 hours per day Monday through Friday and eight hours per day on weekends and holidays. Team members participate in paid on-call rotations for 24-hour crisis coverage, both by phone and in person. Reliable home internet access is required for after-hours coverage. An active Washington State Certified Peer Support Specialist license is stated as a condition of employment for individuals hired into a Peer position. DESC is a social services organization, supportive housing operator, and licensed behavioral health treatment provider serving people experiencing long-term homelessness and complex behavioral health and medical conditions. The position is union-represented by SEIU Healthcare 1199NW.

Requirements

Current Certified Peer Support Specialist (CPSS) or Certified Peer Support Specialist Trainee (CPSS-T) credential through the Washington State Department of Health; the posting also states that an active Washington State Certified Peer Support Specialist license is a condition of employment for Peer positions.
Lived experience as a consumer of behavioral health services, including mental health and/or substance use treatment, or as the parent or legal guardian of a child who has received behavioral health services.
Ability to drive an agency or personal vehicle for agency business.
Current Washington State driver’s license and an insurable driving record.
Interest in working with clients who are difficult to engage and maintain in traditional mental health or substance use disorder programs.
Availability to participate in a regular paid on-call rotation for 24-hour crisis coverage, by phone and in person.
Reliable home internet access for after-hours crisis coverage shifts.
Good oral and written communication skills and ability to work effectively with participants and staff from varied backgrounds.
Ability to complete clinical documentation promptly and in accordance with agency guidelines.
Ability to prioritize multiple responsibilities, work independently, and exercise professional judgment.
Ability to establish supportive, trusting relationships with people with severe and persistent mental illnesses, while respecting participants’ rights and treatment preferences.
Understanding of and respect for participant confidentiality in compliance with HIPAA.
Ability to work effectively with clients displaying a wide range of unpleasant and/or bizarre behavior.
Experience working with adults who are experiencing or have experienced homelessness, mental illness, and/or co-occurring substance abuse disorders.
Commitment to cooperation and continuity across programs and consideration and respect for clients.
Ability to sit for long periods, communicate by talking and hearing, lift and carry items weighing up to 40 pounds, and operate computer hardware systems.
Vision abilities required include close, distance, color, and peripheral vision, depth perception, and ability to adjust focus.

Nice To Haves

One or more years of experience in community-based behavioral health services or a similar industry serving a diverse client or participant population.
Two or more years of experience leveraging a personal peer story as a peer specialist.
Bilingual Spanish/English skills.
Basic understanding of psychiatric medications.
Experience creatively engaging individuals in treatment.
Experience navigating Social Security and DSHS benefits applications.

Responsibilities

Provide peer counseling and support, using shared experience to validate participants’ experiences and encourage their participation in recovery.
Mentor participants to promote hope and empowerment.
Help non-mental-health team members understand participants’ experiences and perspectives.
Advise the team from a mental health participant perspective about symptoms, medication effects and side effects, treatment responses, and recovery experiences.
Help participants recognize and address stigma and discrimination, including self-stigma, and help team members address broader stigma.
Promote participation in self-help programs and advocacy organizations, and connect participants with recovery-oriented services.
Support case management, including benefits enrollment and recertification, appointments, payee services, and psychiatric rehabilitation.
Assist with ongoing assessment of symptoms and responses to treatment, and suggest treatment-plan changes when participants’ mental status or behavior creates risk.
Assist in providing individual, group, and family clinical services in office and community settings, including symptom-management and personal-growth support.
Assist with individual and group treatment using a stage-based, non-confrontational approach that accounts for interactions between mental illness and substance use and incorporates participant-determined goals.
Provide mentoring, problem-solving, encouragement, and work-related support, including help with clothing and grooming supplies, wake-up calls, and transportation.
Assess and support activities of daily living through problem-solving, side-by-side assistance, skill teaching, prompts, and environmental adaptations.
Help participants find and maintain safe, affordable housing, including apartment searches, roommate arrangements, landlord negotiations, household setup, and obtaining necessities.
Support household activities, personal hygiene and grooming, nutrition, meal planning, grocery shopping, and food preparation.
Help participants obtain financial support, employment, and entitlements; teach budgeting and bill-paying; and connect participants with financial services.
Help participants access reliable transportation and use transportation options.
Support participants in accessing and effectively using primary care, dental care, and other medical specialists.
Coach and encourage participants in social activities and community participation, including activities offered by peer-support organizations.
Help participants plan and carry out leisure activities, including evenings, weekends, and holidays; organize and lead individual and group social and recreational activities.
Provide practical support, advocacy, coordination, problem-solving, direct assistance, and supervision to help participants obtain health care, legal services, entitlements, housing subsidies, money-management services, and transportation.
Support participants in achieving and maintaining healthy living conditions, including attending care conferences, providing outreach and skills support in residential units, coordinating with housing staff, participating in unit cleanouts, and documenting barriers.
Participate in daily team meetings, psychiatric consultations, clinical supervision, program meetings, in-service training, clinical reviews, and case conferences.
Comply with clinical accountability policies and procedures; maintain timely and complete clinical records; participate in quality assurance reviews when assigned; and follow applicable research and evaluation procedures.
Participate in a regular paid on-call rotation providing 24-hour crisis coverage for WellConnect clients.
Perform other duties as assigned.