Peer Support Specialist - Mental Health Urgent Care

Community Care Network•Rutland, VT

About The Position

Community Care Network, comprised of Rutland Mental Health Services and Rutland Community Programs, is seeking a Peer Support Specialist to join its Mental Health Urgent Care (MHUC) team. The role is an integral part of a seven-day-per-week program serving children and adults experiencing mental health needs and crises. The Peer Support Specialist provides individualized, intensive, recovery-oriented peer support, drawing on relevant personal experience when appropriate to promote hope, resilience, recovery, and empowerment. Services may include group facilitation, coping-skills coaching, emotional-regulation strategies, advocacy, and help connecting clients with community and ongoing support services. The role encourages creativity and allows the specialist to incorporate personal interests into services. The specialist works collaboratively with clinicians, nurses, Emergency Services staff, and other team members while maintaining professional boundaries, confidentiality, and the peer role’s scope of practice. The position promotes person-centered, trauma-informed, strengths-based care and respects clients’ rights, dignity, autonomy, and self-determination.

Requirements

High school diploma or GED.
Maintain state certification as it evolves and complete additional training and examination requirements in a timely manner.
Ability to work alternative schedules, including evenings and weekends, as needed.
Ability to use computers and necessary software to complete client documentation.
Knowledge of handling confidential information in accordance with HIPAA standards.
Ability to work effectively as part of a professional care team with adults experiencing acute psychiatric symptoms.
Ability to provide recovery-oriented mentoring and support.
Ability to work with clients and their families in a community-based setting.
Excellent interpersonal, communication, problem-solving, and conflict-resolution skills.
Ability to work independently and as part of a team and exercise mature, professional judgment.
Ability to participate in creating and adhering to a personal wellness plan that includes appropriate options for ongoing mental health care.
Flexibility, adaptability, and ability to work in a fast-paced professional environment.
Excellent organizational skills and ability to appropriately use supervision.
Ability to enter stressful situations calmly and professionally and make appropriate assessments.
Computer literacy, including MS Outlook (email, calendar, and tasks), MS Word, and MS Internet Explorer.
Valid driver’s license, reliable transportation, and personal automobile liability insurance coverage at or above Vermont-mandated levels.
Successful completion of a criminal history background check after hire.

Responsibilities

Engage individuals in a welcoming, nonjudgmental, recovery-oriented manner and use lived experience appropriately to build trust, hope, and connection.
Provide peer support to people experiencing emotional or behavioral health crises.
Support individuals in identifying strengths, coping strategies, wellness goals, recovery supports, preferences, and choices about services and next steps.
Connect individuals with community resources, treatment providers, recovery supports, housing, transportation, and other needed services.
Advocate with or on behalf of participants for their expressed interests within the MHUC and for their voice, preferences, and self-determination within the care team.
Participate in safety and transition planning as directed by the clinical team and within the peer role’s scope of practice.
Facilitate or co-facilitate recovery-oriented groups and activities, and support individuals awaiting clinical assessment or other services.
Assist with warm handoffs and follow-up connections to ongoing services.
Collaborate with clinicians, nurses, Emergency Services staff, and other MHUC team members.
Document peer services and contacts in the electronic medical record according to agency requirements.
Attend and actively participate in required trainings, staff and team meetings, and supervision.
Participate in community networking, education, outreach, and support activities.
Maintain professional boundaries and confidentiality; follow ethical standards, mandated-reporting requirements, and duty-to-warn procedures.
Recognize when an individual’s needs exceed the peer role and seek assistance from appropriate clinical staff.
Follow agency and program standards, philosophy, policies, procedures, and applicable regulatory requirements.
Promote recovery-oriented, person-centered, trauma-informed, strengths-based interactions with clients, families, colleagues, and community partners.