Department Overview

The OHSU-PSU School of Public Health (SPH) is aligned with the American Public Health Association in declaring racism a public health crisis, and our School is committed to becoming an antiracist SPH. We are working to center social justice in our internal and external work as a school and are committed to addressing structural and institutional racism, and to holding ourselves accountable to this work.

Function/Duties of Position

This position supports the culturally responsive, trauma-informed development and improvement of evidence-based peer support, youth and young adult engagement, shared decision making and leadership opportunities within the Early Assessment and Support Alliance early psychosis network.

The EASA Center for Excellence is committed to inviting participation and co-learning with people who have experienced psychosis as teenagers and young adults. Lived experience perspectives are central to the Center for Excellence’s conceptualization of psychosis recovery, articulation of culturally informed and healing-centered core values and practices in participatory decision making and care delivery, and developing and delivering training and consultation for mental health programs in Oregon and nationally. Peer support is a core element of care delivery that recognizes the centrality of identity development, developmental progression and choice-making. This position plays a key role on the Center for Excellence team in bringing peer support and young adult perspectives into decision making, and supporting participatory decision making at all levels of EASA program development, training and practice.

This position operates as part of the EASA Center for Excellence team, and uses culturally responsive, trauma-informed approaches to recruit, engage, convene, organize, and partner with young adults who have had involvement with the EASA program, as well as EASA peer support specialists and supervisors. The role works closely with peer support specialists and their supervisors throughout the state to help support their full inclusion and address their needs for training and support. The role also works with young adults statewide to understand priorities in care delivery, and to develop and interpret evaluation of program effectiveness from young adult perspectives. The position works closely with other members of the EASA Center for Excellence, Oregon Health Authority, mental health centers and community organizations to identify opportunities to integrate young adult voice and center youth and young adult perspectives. The position collaborates with young adults with lived experience throughout Oregon and nationally. The position may recruit for and facilitate advisory and leadership groups, focus groups and forums.

Additional duties as assigned.

The position works with the Center for Excellence team to:

Reach out to and engage youth and young adults in participatory research and programmatic decision making.

Provide ongoing support and act as a liaison to the EASA Young Adult Leadership Council and other state-level young adult leadership groups to center youth/young adult voice, direction and feedback to research and EASA and related program development activities.

Assemble, digest and report on current evidence related to the functions of the position.

Participate in development and measurement of fidelity and outcome measures at local provider levels.

Participate in development and implementation of culturally responsive, trauma informed training and consultative support to peer support specialists, youth and young adults, local mental health centers and other audiences.

Participate as a full team member with the Early Assessment and Support Alliance (EASA) Center for Excellence.

Required Qualifications

• Master's in relevant field AND 2 years of relevant experience OR
• Bachelor's in relevant field AND 4 years of relevant experience
• Experience as a peer support specialist or related work
• Able to work well as a team
• Basic computer skills
• Strong interpersonal and communication skills
• Familiarity with qualitative and quantitative research practices
• Knowledge and practice with community-based outcomes driven research
• Experience working as a collaborative, integrated team member
• Experience engaging youth and young adults in projects or collaborative efforts

• Driver’s license required

• Certified Peer Support Specialist or ability to become certified within 90 days

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience with psychosis
• Experience with early psychosis coordinated specialty care or related services
• Knowledge about peer support models and practices
• Peer support supervisory experience
• Bilingual and/or bicultural
• Knowledge of research methods and applied practice in youth and/or young adult populations
• Experience with curriculum and training development for adult learners
• Knowledge and experience with person-centered, developmentally informed, strengths and resiliency -based treatment of young adults with mental health challenges vulnerable to social discrimination
• Strong writing and research skills.
• Awareness of state and local systems of care or mental health services
• Competency with social media platforms

All are welcome

Oregon Health & Science University values a diverse and culturally competent workforce. We are proud of our commitment to being an equal opportunity, affirmative action organization that does not discriminate against applicants on the basis of any protected class status, including disability status and protected veteran status. Individuals with diverse backgrounds and those who promote diversity and a culture of inclusion are encouraged to apply. To request reasonable accommodation contact the Affirmative Action and Equal Opportunity Department at 503-494-5148 or aaeo@ohsu.edu.