PEER SUPPORT SPECIALIST

Citizen Advocates, Inc. • City of Watertown, NY

20h • Onsite

About The Position

Peer Support services are peer-delivered services with a rehabilitation and recovery focus. They are designed to promote skills for coping with and managing behavioral health symptoms while facilitating the utilization of natural resources and the enhancement of recovery-oriented principles (e.g. hope and self-efficacy, and community living skills). Peer support uses trauma-informed, non-clinical assistance to achieve long-term recovery from a behavioral health disorder. Activities included must be intended to achieve the identified goals or objectives as set forth in the individuals/families individualized service plan, which delineates specific goals that are flexibly tailored to the participant(s) and attempt to utilize community and natural supports. The intent of these activities is to assist individuals and/or their families in initiating recovery, maintaining recovery, and enhancing the quality of personal and family life in long-term recovery.

Requirements

• High school diploma or equivalent.
• “Lived” / relevant experience.
• Clean driving record for 3 years is required.
• Must maintain certification requirements

Responsibilities

• Advocacy: Assistance seeking and obtaining benefits and entitlements, food, shelter, permanent housing. Assisting recipients in participating in shared decision making. Use Peer Bridgers to assist with linkages to and systems navigation within behavioral health and allied human services systems to access appropriate care. Benefits advisement and planning. Development of psychiatric advance directives (PAD). Assistance advocating for self-directed services.
• Outreach and Engagement: Companionship and modeling of recovery lifestyle, including participation in recovery activities that might be beyond the scope of treatment providers (e.g., coffee/tea at a coffee shop, attending a court date, attending an appointment, attending or participating in a recovery celebration event or wellness activity). Raising the awareness of existing services, pathways to recovery and helping a person to remove barriers that exist for access to them. Interim visits with individuals and/or their families after discharge from Hospital Emergency Rooms, Detox Units or Inpatient Psychiatric Units to facilitate community tenure and increased readiness while waiting for the first post-discharge visit with a community based mental health provider, treatment provider or appropriate system of care. “Outreach” is a face-to-face service with a patient and/or their family provided by clinical staff or a peer advocate for the purpose of increasing motivation to participate in clinically indicated treatment for chemical dependence. Individuals and/or families identified for this intervention must be current patients who have failed to appear for sessions at the program and are judged to be at risk for prematurely discontinuing treatment or persons transitioning from another Office-certified program.
• Self-help Tools: Assist selecting and utilizing self-directed recovery tools such as Relapse Prevention Planning. Assist selecting and utilizing the things that bring a sense of passion, purpose and meaning into his/her life and coaching the person as they identify barriers to engaging in these activities. Assist individuals to help connect to natural supports that enhance the quality and security of life Connecting individuals to “warm lines.” Connections to self-help groups in the community.
• Peer Recovery Supports and Peer Counseling: Recovery education and counseling for individuals and their family members. One to one peer support. Person centered goal planning that incorporates life areas such as community connectedness, physical wellness, spirituality, employment, self-help. Assisting with skills development that guides people towards a more independent life. Individuals in continuing care may receive counseling or peer services once per month. Learning and practicing new skills. Helping peers self-monitor their progress. Modeling effective coping skills.
• Transitional Supports: Bridging from jail or prison to an individual’s/family’s home (note: that peer supports while in Jail are not Medicaid reimbursable). Bridging from institutions (e.g. inpatient or residential facilities) to an individual’s/family’s home (note: that peer supports while in an institution are not Medicaid reimbursable). Bridging from general hospitals to an individual’s/family’s home. Bridging from an individual’s/family’s home to the community. Arrangements for appropriate services (appointment dates, contact names, and numbers, etc.) are discussed and made with the individual/family, their significant others and/or family prior to the planned discharge date. Documentation of this information will be included in the individual’s/family’s case record. Where an individual and/or family is going from a bedded service to another service, a warm hand-off or peer service is considered where possible.
• Pre-crisis and Crisis Support Services: Providing companionship when an individual or family in an emergency room or crisis unit or preparing to be admitted to detox, residential or other service to provide non-clinical support. Providing peer support in the individual’s/family’s home or in the community to support them before a crisis or relapse. Developing crisis diversion plans or relapse prevention plans.

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Mid Level
• Education Level: High school or GED