Position Summary:

The Behavioral Health Certified Peer Specialist Consultant (BHCPSC) will support DBHIDS in the effort to ensure that provider agencies incorporate individuals receiving services in all phases of development, planning, and program evaluation. The Network Improvement and Accountability Collaborative (NIAC) BHCPSC will specialize in assessing peer inclusion, peer culture, person directed planning approaches, and other peer support services at each NIAC site visit.

The ideal candidate will be outgoing, engaging, and comfortable working with people of all ages from children to adults. The BHCPSC will have a working knowledge of the Philadelphia Behavioral Health System, to include mental health and alcohol and other drug recovery. The position requires the individual to draw upon one’s personal recovery experiences and capital when writing reports, conducting interviews and focus groups, and participating in planning and other workgroups.

The BHCPSC will be expected to provide the perspective of a person in recovery regarding peer inclusion in recovery-oriented practices within all levels of care. The BHCPSC will assist in and manage trainings for the NIAC team as it relates to participant-supported activities (WRAP planning, interacting with peers, etc.) as well as provide modeling to thc team members. Fundamentally, the BHCPSC will be directly involved in promoting hope and positive change within the behavioral health system.

Duties and Responsibilities:

• Assume leadership role within the NIAC team particularly as discussions and planning reference issues on individuals receiving services, peer culture, peer leadership, etc.
• Formulating activities and schedules for each site visit — reaching out to peer leadership contacts at provider agencies, scheduling peer forums, interviews with CPS at site, etc.
• Provide support to NIAC team on the components of site visits, as needed.
• Support the development of performance improvement components that reflect the concepts and practices of peer culture, support and leadership.
• Conduct focus groups and/or individual interviews with persons in recovery (adults and adolescents), staff, and family members at provider agencies.
• Travel to provider locations, which will at times be outside of Philadelphia County.
• Review provider policies relating to peer culture, support and leadership.
• Educates provider staff around issues of policies and procedures and state regulations.
• Complete relevant portions of the Network Inclusion Criteria (NIC) document, as it relates to peer activities.
• Enter data into the software program that is utilized to score identified practices that are implemented at provider agencies.
• Correlates and analyzes data acquired through the site visit process.
• When required, prepares written reports in a timely and cohesive manner.
• Attend all mandatory trainings as designated
• Participate in all meetings related to site visits: preparation, entry, exit, debrief and follow-up meetings.
• Consult with the NIAC review team on the development of the Performance Improvement Plan.
• Provide training, technical assistance, and modeling to NIAC teams as needed in peer related areas.
• Participate in CPS Professional development meetings, as indicated
• Other functions as assigned.

Skills Required:

• Has a working knowledge of the Philadelphia Department of Behavioral Health Practice Guidelines and Network Inclusion Criteria.
• Understands and can articulate Recovery and Resilience principles
• Ability to work well within a team
• Ability to work independently, and be flexible/adaptive to a changing environment
• Ability to demonstrate good judgment while performing all assignments and tasks.
• Good writing skills
• Excellent verbal communication skills—to conduct forums, presentations, telephone interactions, focus groups, interviews, etc.
• Knowledge of MS Word and Excel
• Comfort with utilizing software programs to aid in scoring providers’ implemented service delivery practices.
• Experience with and comfort in group facilitation
• Comfort with group/public speaking
• Comfort working with all age ranges from children to adults.

Education and Experience:

• Completion of the Certified Peer Specialist training, with certification.
• Minimum of 2 years in recovery from serious behavioral health challenges, with at least 2 years of experience receiving behavioral health services
• Minimum of at least one year of prior work experience as a CPS
• Other mental health or drug and alcohol credentialing desired

Physical Demands:

• Must have current, valid State issued Driver’s License, and have an acceptable Motor Vehicle Report (MVR)

Equal Opportunity Employment:

PMHCC, Inc. is committed to equal opportunity. It is our policy to support equal employment for all employees and applicants without regard to race, religion, color, sex, sexual preferences, age, national origin, disability, behavioral health status, military status or any other characteristic protected by law.

Americans with Disabilities Act:

Employees as well as applicants who are currently, or become disabled, must be able to perform the functions of the job with either reasonable accommodation or unaided. PMHCC, Inc. will examine reasonable accommodations on a case by case basis in accordance with the law.