CPS

Job Summary: As a Certified Peer Specialist, you will provide peer support and advocacy to individuals living with mental health conditions or substance use disorders. Drawing from your own lived experience of recovery, you will serve as a role model, mentor, and resource for clients navigating their own paths toward wellness and recovery.

Responsibilities:

1. Peer Support: Build trusting relationships with clients based on mutual respect, empathy, and shared experiences. Offer encouragement, validation, and practical guidance to individuals facing similar challenges on their recovery journey.
2. Individualized Support Planning: Collaborate with clients to develop individualized recovery plans that reflect their strengths, goals, and preferences. Assist clients in identifying barriers to recovery and exploring strategies for overcoming obstacles.
3. Education and Advocacy: Provide psychoeducation on mental health and recovery topics, including symptom management, medication adherence, self-care practices, and coping skills. Advocate for clients' rights, preferences, and needs within the healthcare system and community settings.
4. Peer-Led Groups and Workshops: Facilitate peer-led support groups, workshops, and wellness activities focused on topics such as mindfulness, resilience, stigma reduction, and self-advocacy. Foster a supportive and inclusive environment where participants can share experiences and learn from one another.
5. Crisis Intervention: Offer non-clinical support and crisis intervention to individuals experiencing emotional distress or acute symptoms. Help clients develop safety plans, access community resources, and navigate the mental health crisis response system.
6. Collaboration and Communication: Work closely with other members of the multidisciplinary team, including therapists, physicians, nurses, and other peer specialists. Participate in team meetings to discuss client progress, share insights, and develop coordinated treatment strategies.  Communicate effectively with clients, families, and team members to ensure continuity of care.
7. Community Integration: Assist clients in building social connections, accessing community resources, and participating in meaningful activities that promote recovery, wellness, and community inclusion. Provide support with transportation, housing, employment, and other practical needs as appropriate.
8. Documentation and Reporting: Maintain accurate and confidential records of client interactions, service plans, progress notes, and outcomes. Adhere to agency policies and procedures regarding documentation, data collection, and quality assurance.

Qualifications:

• Lived experience of recovery from a mental health condition or substance use disorder, as demonstrated by personal experience and completion of a Certified Peer Specialist training program.
• Certification as a Peer Support Specialist or Certified Peer Specialist (CPS) preferred, or willingness to pursue certification upon hire.
• Excellent communication skills, both verbal and written, with the ability to effectively communicate with diverse individuals and groups.
• Strong interpersonal skills and the capacity to establish rapport, build trust, and maintain professional boundaries with clients.
• Knowledge of recovery-oriented principles, trauma-informed care, and person-centered approaches to support individuals in their recovery journey.
• Commitment to ongoing personal and professional development, including participation in supervision, training, and peer support activities.
• Flexibility to work non-traditional hours, including evenings and weekends, to accommodate client needs and program schedules.
• Familiarity with community resources, mental health services, and peer support networks in the local area is a plus.

Salary : $17 - $19