Peer Support Specialist

RINCON FAMILY SERVICES•Chicago, IL

16h•$38,000 - $43,000

About The Position

Rincon, established in 1972, has grown into a large provider of high-quality, culturally competent services including counseling, crisis intervention, substance use prevention and treatment, violence prevention, education, case management, and community and family services. The organization is dedicated to providing compassionate and effective programs to promote quality of life by advocating, educating, and empowering individuals and families. The Peer Support Specialist (PSS) is a member of a multi-disciplinary team, providing engagement services for Wellness West clients to ensure their needs are met by directly connecting them with services. The PSS works in the community, meeting clients in various locations such as their homes, hospitals, or shelters. The team collaboratively assesses the immediate needs of Wellness West clients with other Wellness West organizations.

Requirements

Good listening, communication, and case management skills.
Able to tailor communication styles to make all clients and support structures feel safe and respected.
Understand of the basic behavioral health needs common to the community areas being served, including co-occurring disorders, and how to serve their recovery.
Understand internal and external community, medical and supportive services within the community.
Ability to adapt, connect and collaborate across differences.
Ability to work effectively with peers, individual clients and groups.
Desire to learn new skills.
Ability to maintain accurate records and necessary paperwork, efficiently and effectively.
High School Diploma or GED
Willingness to work with individuals with co-occurring disorder (MH/SUD)
Must pass pre-employment background checks. This includes clearance by the DHS Background Check Unit.
Full time use of a properly licensed and insured automobile with a valid driver’s license and ability to drive, or independence in travel arrangements.
Must adhere to the agency’s non-discrimination policies.

Nice To Haves

Fluency in Spanish, bicultural applicants strongly preferred.

Responsibilities

Attend hospital discharges of Wellness West clients and participate in the assessment with the behavioral case manager, within the required 90-minute time-frame upon referral.
Provide, as needed, transportation to the client, bringing them home from the hospital.
Focus on the case management and community support recovery needs of each client.
Follow the treatment goals set in the assessment and treatment plan, created by the behavioral case manager.
Monitor to ensure that the health and safety needs of our clients are met.
Services and support are to be provided in ways that respect each client’s dignity and are compliant with payer, licensing or accreditation procedures, or any other requirements.
Coordinate care with other service providers, both internal and external to the agency, as appropriate and based on their Wellness West assessment.
Assists in de-escalation of clients experiencing a mental health crisis through engagement with client and coordination with team members providing clinical intervention.
Establish rapport, share experiences, and strengthen engagement with the individual experiencing the crisis throughout all Crisis Programs.
Role model positive recovery behaviors.
Provides skill building and case management to clients with identified need.
Participate in outreach activities necessary to offer services, engage participation in a non-coercive manner and increase opportunities for professional development.
Develop, maintain and establish linkages and relationships with community-based organizations to serve our clients and provide information on Wellness West services.
Advocate for the clients and agency within the broader health and social service systems.
Plan and document community engagement efforts in required formats.
Participate in regular supervision from Wellness West, and agency supervisors as designated.
Ensure services are delivered in accordance with the all regulatory standards.
Services are to be documented in the clients’ files within 48hrs of service delivery.
Maintain client records that meet documentation standards of the funder, agency and all regulatory standards.
Participate in quality assurance and quality improvement activities as directed.
Adhere to all state and federal privacy regulations, including HIPAA and 42 CFR Part 2, and to Corporate Compliance policies and agreements regarding confidentiality, privacy, and security. Support compliance with all privacy and security requirements pursuant to community partners’ and outside providers’ patient confidentiality agreements, including privacy and security requirements for EHR access. This includes immediate reporting of any PHI breach of Corporate Compliance or outside provider's health records to the Corporate Compliance Legal and Quality departments, as well as to the program administrator.
Complete all funder, agency and other regulatory body required trainings, including topics like state administrative rules, sexual harassment, fraud waste and abuse, mandated reporter, clinical courses, diagnosis and other requirements.
Complete all training required to keep any licenses or certifications relevant to your position and/or any grant.
All other duties as assigned.

Benefits

Health insurance
Dental & Vision insurance
Life insurance
Short- and Long-Term Disability Insurance
403(b) Retirement Plan
Generous PTO (Paid time off)- Accrue up to 21 days in Year 1, some PTO carryover allowable.
Employee Assistance Program
Professional Development Opportunities
Employment may qualify for the Public Service Loan Forgiveness Program (PSLF)
Certain employees may qualify for City of Chicago commuter transit benefits