SF CARE Court Peer Support Specialist
About The Position
The Mental Health Association of San Francisco (MHASF) is a peer-run nonprofit serving the Bay Area since 1947. We center the lived expertise of people with mental health challenges in our advocacy, education, and support programs. MHASF partners with the Collaborative Justice Programs of the Superior Court of California, San Francisco, to provide peer recovery and support to participants of CARE Court in San Francisco. The CARE Court program is a statewide framework to deliver mental health and substance use disorder services to individuals with specific diagnoses who are considered unstable in the community. Involvement can be initiated by various parties, and the program is voluntary. Once a petition is received, the San Francisco Department of Public Health’s CARE Team and assigned counsel outreach to respondents. If a participant qualifies and wishes to participate, a CARE Agreement is developed with Citywide as the service provider, lasting for one year with a possible renewal. Participants graduate from CARE Court upon completion of their agreement. The Peer Support Specialist (PSS) for this project will provide 1:1 peer counseling and support to CARE Court participants, building trust and rapport to offer emotional support, advocacy, linkages to services, and WRAP® planning.
Requirements
- Personal lived experience of recovery and a willingness to disclose to participants and during counselor trainings is a requirement for this peer position
- Minimum two years of experience as a peer counselor, peer specialist, or similar (either paid or volunteer), ideally within a nonprofit setting
- High level of organization and time management with an ability to focus and prioritize in stressful situations
- Behavioral health knowledge, including familiarity with psychiatric diagnoses, psychiatric symptoms and associated behavior, psychiatric medications, and substance use issues
- Ability to respond effectively to conflicts and strong emotions; crisis support or call center background is very helpful for this role
- Familiarity with community resources in San Francisco
- Experience maintaining confidentiality of sensitive information & understanding of confidentiality practices
- Familiarity with the mental health recovery movement, peer support model, & local resources
- Proficiency in Microsoft Office Suite, use of tele-health platforms such as Zoom, and data entry
- Strong verbal and written communication skills, including the ability to write effective case notes
- Highly collaborative work style and ability to work effectively within a multi-disciplinary team to identify and accomplish goals
- Ability to problem-solve and to exercise independent judgment under stress
- Willingness to learn from others, take feedback, and adjust communication and behavior
- Experience taking initiative to self-educate about unfamiliar subjects or concepts
- Affirmative and accepting approach toward people whose needs and experiences differ from your own
- Commitment to upholding the mission and values of MHASF
Nice To Haves
- Ideally within a nonprofit setting
- Crisis support or call center background is very helpful for this role
Responsibilities
- Provide wellness-focused 1:1 peer-to-peer support, including the development of Wellness Recovery Action Plans (WRAP)®
- Provide peer counseling and case management to individuals living with mental health challenges who are participants of CARE Court
- Serve as an advocate for program participants and a model for mental health recovery
- Use personal lived experience as an individual living in recovery to engage with participants
- Serve as a role model and self-disclose lived experience background to participants as appropriate, to establish trust and demonstrate the possibility of recovery
- Provide information and assist participants with access to community services and resources
- Communicate with physicians, psychiatrists, and therapists as well as other service providers as needed
- Assist with crisis intervention, targeted case management, advocacy, service navigation, and other supports
- Provide on-going follow-up contact to ensure participants are connected to appropriate supports and provide additional assistance when needed
- Help ensure that services are sensitive to the cultural context and personal history of each participant and their support system; provide services in community-based settings
- Ensure that participants are involved to the greatest extent possible in decisions affecting services and treatment
- Promote collaboration among support systems, mental health providers, healthcare providers, justice system personnel, school personnel, and other agencies
- Accompany and advocate for participants at their appointments providing emotional support
- Be familiar with WRAP ® planning and support participant with developing individualized WRAP plans; if not trained in WRAP ®, MHASF will ensure that the PSS receives this training.
- Attend one-on-one supervision with manager, staff meetings, and monthly all-staff trainings
- Maintain detailed records of services provided and ensure participant record confidentiality
- Ensure records contain all data necessary in reporting to the SF DPH and SF Courts
- Ensure records conform to Medi-Cal and HIPAA requirements and standards
- Support broader MHASF initiatives and is responsible for other duties as assigned.
Benefits
- MHASF will ensure that the PSS receives WRAP training if not already trained.
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What This Job Offers
Job Type
Full-time
Career Level
Mid Level
Education Level
No Education Listed
