Peer Support Specialist - New Beginnings

Alleghany Highlands Community Services • Covington, VA

5d

About The Position

Alleghany Highlands Community Services provides services and support to individuals in our community with behavioral health challenges and intellectual and developmental disabilities. A Peer Recovery Specialist (PRS) is a self-identified person with lived experience with a mental health and/or addiction condition who is in successful and ongoing recovery from mental health and/or addiction challenges. Peer Recovery Specialists use their lived experience to support another person's recovery journey. This role will serve individuals in AHCS' transitional housing program. Assists individuals in mental health crises by providing supportive counseling, helping them articulate their support needs and developing strategies for recovery, helping them monitor their progress, and modeling effective coping techniques and self-help strategies based on the specialist's recovery experience and training. Why Become a Certified Peer Recovery Specialist (CPRS) with AHCS? Automatic pay raise after obtaining CPRS certification Quality behavior health training with Southwest Virginia agency in operation for 40 years Generous benefits Unless you are already CPRS, this is an entry-level position, and this position will prepare you for certification and you will be required to complete all the necessary training and supervision hours to apply for certification within nine months of the hire date. Services include one-on-one peer mentoring, peer-led support groups, telephone outreach, assisting clients in accessing community resources, services, and affiliation with recovery-supported social activities.

Requirements

• High School graduate or GED required.
• A valid driver's license and safe driving record are required.
• Must be, or have previously been a recipient of mental health services or substance use disorder services for a mental illness or substance use disorder and should be well along in the recovery process.
• Complete all the necessary training and supervision hours to apply for certification within nine months of the hire date.
• Knowledge of services and systems available in the community including primary health care, support services, and generic community resources
• Knowledge of the nature of the recovery process including the use of established standardized mental health, substance use, and co-occurring processes
• Knowledge and understanding of multiple pathways to recovery
• Knowledge of trauma and impact on recovery
• Ability to identify and document an individual's need for resources, services, and other supports
• Ability to develop recovery, resiliency, and wellness plans by integrating information obtained from informal assessments, evaluations, observations, and interviews
• Ability to promote services, supports, and strategies for the recovery process
• Ability to deliver peer services within agencies and organizations.

Responsibilities

• Assists individuals in mental health crises by providing supportive counseling
• Helping individuals articulate their support needs and developing strategies for recovery
• Helping individuals monitor their progress
• Modeling effective coping techniques and self-help strategies based on the specialist's recovery experience and training
• One-on-one peer mentoring
• Peer-led support groups
• Telephone outreach
• Assisting clients in accessing community resources, services, and affiliation with recovery-supported social activities

Benefits

• Automatic pay raise after obtaining CPRS certification
• Quality behavior health training with Southwest Virginia agency in operation for 40 years
• Generous benefits

What This Job Offers

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