Peer Support Specialist

Horizon House Careers•Philadelphia, PA

44d•Onsite

About The Position

Serve as a mentor to service participants to promote hope and empowerment in their recovery process. Act as an informal educator to other team members to facilitate understanding and empathy with each person’s unique and subjective experience and perceptions. Collaborate with the team to promote a team culture in which self-determination and decision-making in recovery planning are supported. Assist service participant’s in identifying, understanding, and combating stigma and discrimination associated with mental illness and develop strategies to reduce self- stigma. Work with team members to identify and understand culture-wide stigma and discrimination against people with mental illness and develop strategies to eliminate stigma within the team. Collaborate with the team to ensure the protection of participant’s rights and to improve their knowledge of service participants’ rights and grievance or complaint procedures.

Requirements

A person who is self identified as having met the criteria for serious mental illness as defined in the Mental Health Bulletin (OMH-94-04) who utilizes or has utilized mental health and/or co-occurring services and has been trained and certified to help her/his peer identify and achieve specific self-determined goals.
Must be a Certified Peer Specialist – certified by a PA State approved entity.
Demonstrates knowledge of recovery/wellness principles and ability to model and mentor the recovery process and demonstrate effective coping skills.
A high school diploma or GED.
At least one year of paid or volunteer work; or any combination of experience, education or training that would provide the level of knowledge, skill and ability required.
Ability to establish supporting trusting relationships with people with mental illnesses and respect for peoples’ rights and personal preferences is essential.
Good oral and written communication skills.
Ability to work independently and as part of a focused interdisciplinary team.

Nice To Haves

Frequent interactions with peers who are at different stages of recovery.
Local travel required.
Flexibility in scheduling and available to do 24-hour on-call coverage.

Responsibilities

Serve as a mentor to service participants to promote hope and empowerment in their recovery process.
Act as an informal educator to other team members to facilitate understanding and empathy with each person’s unique and subjective experience and perceptions.
Collaborate with the team to promote a team culture in which self-determination and decision-making in recovery planning are supported.
Assist service participant’s in identifying, understanding, and combating stigma and discrimination associated with mental illness and develop strategies to reduce self- stigma.
Work with team members to identify and understand culture-wide stigma and discrimination against people with mental illness and develop strategies to eliminate stigma within the team.
Collaborate with the team to ensure the protection of participant’s rights and to improve their knowledge of service participants’ rights and grievance or complaint procedures.
May be required to assist with crisis intervention in emergency situations in an ancillary/supportive role educating and supporting peers in the development and implementation of WRAP and Advanced Directives.