Peer support specialist

Job Details

Job Location: 1003 Park Ogdensburg - Ogdensburg, NY 12953

Position Type: Per Diem

Salary Range: $16.50 - $20.50 Hourly

Our Mission and Vision

Our Mission and Vision are supported by a foundation of excellence.

SUMMARY/OBJECTIVE:

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.

Essential Functions (Job Duties)

There are 6 categories of peer-support components. Any of the below services can be provided either individually or combined as the care/service plan indicates their need. They include:

• 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.
• 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.
• 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.
• Transitional Supports: Bridging from jail or prison to an individual’s/family’s home. Bridging from institutions (e.g. inpatient or residential facilities) to an individual’s/family’s home. Bridging from general hospitals to an individual’s/family’s home.
• 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.

Qualifications

Competencies: Communication, Organization, Crisis Management/Composure, Time Management, Confidentiality, Ethical Conduct.

Physical Demands

The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job.

Position Type/Expected Hours of Work

This is a part-time/full-time position. Workweek schedule: Schedule determined by supervisor to meet location/departmental needs. Hours and schedules may vary depending on Company need and workload.

Travel

Frequent. Area of coverage: North Country Region.

Required Education and Experience

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

Other Duties

Please note this job description is not designed to cover or contain a comprehensive listing of activities, duties or responsibilities that are required of the employee for this job. Duties, responsibilities and activities may change at any time with or without notice. Employment at Citizen Advocates is “at will”. You are free to resign at any time and for any reason sufficient to you, just as Citizen Advocates is free to terminate your employment at any time and for any reason. We do not guarantee continued or permanent employment.