Trauma Informed Peer Specialist (20 hrs/ week)

PMHCC Inc.•Philadelphia, PA

6d•$22 - $23•Hybrid

About The Position

The Trauma Informed Peer Services (TIPS) program aims to provide comprehensive peer services across the City of Philadelphia, focusing on trauma-informed care and population health. This role is part of a specialized team including Certified Peer Specialists, Certified Recovery Specialists, Community Autism Peer Specialists, Community Health Workers, and Certified Family Peer Support Specialists. The program addresses the increasing needs of individuals impacted by extensive trauma, introducing a novel approach to connect them with appropriate services in underserved communities. The goal is to offer on-the-ground wellness support, facilitate connections to treatment, and empower individuals with lived trauma experience to become peers themselves, thereby creating economic opportunities and strengthening community support systems. TIPS peers will be deployed to neighborhoods most affected by trauma, with many coming from these same communities. Trauma Informed Peer Specialists will collaborate with the DBHIDS initiative to deliver person-centered support, assisting community members with behavioral health and wellness challenges in achieving their self-defined wellness goals. The position is specifically targeted towards communities in Philadelphia at high risk for multiple trauma incidents, including those affected by gun violence and immigrant/refugee populations. TIPS will champion and safeguard the health of these populations facing healthcare disparities by employing trauma-informed, culturally humble, and population health frameworks. This role may involve working more than 50% of the time outside the office in diverse community settings. This is a grant-funded position through December 2027, with efforts to secure additional funding for extension, though continuation is not guaranteed.

Requirements

Provide and advocate for effective recovery-based services, teach techniques for identifying strengths-based supports.
Attend networking meetings to provide support and information on peer services and wellness initiatives.
Support staff in identifying environments that are conducive to wellness and recovery.
Lend unique insight into wellness.
Coordinate and communicate with team and department staff to discuss ongoing issues regarding access and treatment.
Knowledgeable of behavioral health systems transformation, peer culture in Philadelphia, and the Peer Support Toolkit.
Understanding of the Philadelphia Transformation Practice Guidelines for Recovery and Resilience Oriented Behavioral Health Services.
Knowledge of community resources, peer culture principles and practices, the meaning and role of peer support at each stage in the recovery process, definition of dynamics of recovery, and the Wellness Recovery Action Plan (WRAP).
Ability to interact with staff and people at all levels in a fast-paced environment, sometimes under pressure, remaining flexible, proactive, resourceful, and efficient, with a high level of professionalism.
Good written communication skills.
Able to work well independently and within a team.
Good verbal skills that will be required to conduct presentations, surveys, telephone contacts and focus groups.
Completed Trauma Informed Peer Support certificate of competency.
Any equivalent combination of education and community engagement experience determined to be acceptable.
Individuals who have prior lived or professional experience working with multicultural/multilingual groups are strongly encouraged to apply.
Demonstrating sensitivity to mental health and substance use challenges.
Proficient in Microsoft Office, Outlook, Word, Excel, and PowerPoint.
Minimum of a high school diploma or GED.

Nice To Haves

Current certification as a Certified Peer Specialist (CPS), Certified Recovery Specialist (CRS), Certified Community Health Worker (CHW) or other related peer certification by the Pennsylvania Certification Board (PCB) is preferred but not required (newly hired individuals in this position will be required to obtain certification within the first year).
Individuals who are bi-literate or bilingual in the following languages are strongly encouraged to apply (Chinese, Vietnamese, Russian, Haitian Creole, Arabic, or Spanish).
Complete Trauma Informed Peer Support certificate of competency within one (1) year of hire

Responsibilities

Attend community meetings and develop targeted community partnerships.
Assist individuals in the community with identifying recovery and wellness resources within the community.
Assist with identifying barriers and identifies appropriate support system and trainings.
Provide information and aid in accessing supports on community agencies.
Make recommendations to supervisor regarding the needs of the community.
Participate in training and in-service opportunities to enhance knowledge of DBHIDS and wellness and behavioral health resources at the community level.
Organize and assist in preparing outreach materials and maintain documentation of encounters.
Present at various workshops and events in the community partnered with DBHIDS.
Attend and support peer professional development networking meetings.
Assist in skill development of DBHIDS/IRLAS interns and peer volunteers.
Organize and facilitate peer focus groups.
Work a flexible schedule that allows for evening and weekend hours as needed.
Provide monthly written reports.
Duties not otherwise specified.