Peer Specialist - Per Diem

Mass General Brigham•Boston, MA

10d•$19 - $28•Onsite

About The Position

The Certified Peer Specialist (CPS) is an active member of the Mental Health Program and provides peer support services to clients with serious mental illnesses in Inpatient Psychiatry. Under supervision of the Director of Inpatient Psychology, the Certified Peer Specialist will function as a role model to peers, exhibiting competency in personal recovery and use of coping skills, serve as a consumer advocate, providing consumer information and peer support for clients in outpatient and inpatient settings. The CPS performs a wide range of tasks to assist peers of all ages, from young adult to old age, in regaining independence within the community and mastery over their own recovery process. Recovery resources such as booklets, tapes, pamphlets and other written materials will be utilized by the Certified Peer Specialist in the provision of services.

Requirements

Identify as a person who has lived experience of mental health problems or illness(es), including being either a current or former recipient of mental health services who is in recovery.
Knowledge of the recovery process and the ability to facilitate recovery using established standardized mental health processes.
Knowledge and skills to teach and engage in basic problem-solving strategies to support individual clients in self-directed recovery.
Knowledge of the signs and symptoms of mental illness (i.e. auditory and visual hallucinations, aggressive talk and behavior, thoughts of self-harm or harm towards others, isolation) and the ability to assist the client to address symptoms using strategies such as positive self-talk.
Knowledge and skills sufficient to use community resources necessary for independent living and ability to teach those skills to other individuals with severe mental illness.
Knowledge of how to establish and sustain self-help (mutual support) and educational groups by soliciting input from the mental health consumers on their strengths and interests.
Ability to effectively interact with co-workers and clients with diverse ethnic backgrounds, religious views, cultural backgrounds, lifestyles, and sexual orientations and treat each individual with respect and dignity.
Ability to work collaboratively as a member of a multidisciplinary team.
Professional documentation and communication skills, as well as demonstrated organizational skills.

Nice To Haves

Associate's Degree preferred or Bachelor's Degree preferred

Responsibilities

Assist clients in articulating personal goals for recovery using one-on-one and group sessions. During these sessions, the CPS will support clients in identifying and creating goals and developing recovery plans with the skills, strengths, supports and resources to aid them in achieving those goals.
Assist clients in working with their primary therapist or treatment team in determining the steps they need to take to achieve these goals and self -directed recovery.
Assist clients in setting up and sustaining self-help (mutual support) groups, as well as means of locating and joining existing groups.
Utilize tools such as the Wellness Recovery Action Plan (WRAP) to assist clients in creating their own individual wellness and recovery plans.
Independently, or with periodic assistance of other treatment team members, utilize and teach problem solving techniques with individuals and groups; discussions will be utilized where clients will share common problems in daily living and methods they have employed to manage and cope with these problems. As one who has availed themselves to mental health services, the CPS will share their own experiences and what skills, strengths, supports and resources they use. As much as possible, the CPS will share their own recovery story and as the facilitator of these sessions, will demonstrate how they have directed their own recovery.
Use ongoing individual and group sessions to teach clients how to identify and combat negative self-talk and how to identify and overcome fears by providing a forum which allows group members and CPS to share their experiences. By using identified literature, media, etc. clients will gain hope, learn to identify their strengths and combat negative self-talk.
Teach and role model the value of every individual’s recovery experience.
Model effective coping techniques and self -help strategies.
Serve as a recovery agent by providing and advocating for any effective recovery based services that will aid the client in daily living.
Assist in obtaining services that suit the individual’s recovery needs by providing names of staff, community resources and groups that may be useful. Inform clients about community and natural supports and how to use these in the recovery process. Community resources may include but not limited to: social security office, Department of Family and Children services, local YMCA, library, restaurants, clients’ service organizations, apartment complexes and other types of housing, etc.
Assist clients in developing empowerment skills and combating stigma through self-advocacy. This will be accomplished through regular meetings, individual or group sessions. Using role playing/modeling techniques the CPS provides opportunities for others to show/demonstrate how they have handled similar problems, how to present themselves in certain situations, or how to handle problems that may arise in interactions with others.
Maintain a working knowledge of current trends and developments in the mental health field by reading books, journals, and other relevant materials.
Continue to share recovery materials with others at continuing education seminars and other venues to be developed to support recovery-oriented services; and attend continuing education seminars and other in-service training when offered.
Performs other duties as assigned
Complies with all policies and standards