Behavioral Health Recovery Specialist + Peer Certification

Description

General Description

Behavioral Health Recovery Life Skills Coach provides individuals who are diagnosed with mental health, substance use and/or chronic health conditions and are eligible for Home and Community Based Services (HCBS) with recovery-oriented activities and interventions. Sharing his/her own personal experience of recovery to individuals eligible for Home and Community Based Services (HCBS) and Community Oriented Recovery & Empowerment (CORE) Services who are diagnosed with mental health, substance use and/or chronic health conditions using a trauma-informed, non-clinical approach.

Essential Duties and Responsibilities

· Assist individuals with learning adaptive behaviors and responding to or avoiding identified precursors such as cravings or triggers that result in relapse in unhealthy behavior or functional impairments.

· Provide training to individual/family on treatment regimen choices including but not limited to: recovery support options; recovery concepts; advocacy; understanding substance use disorder/mental illness or chronical health conditions and treatment; medication education; effects of trauma; psychosocial rehabilitation; habilitation; crisis intervention and related tools and skills including but not limited to Individual Recovery Plans, self-care, emotional validation, communication skills, boundaries, emotional regulation, behavioral relapse prevention, violence prevention and suicide prevention.

· When appropriate, assist family members in the acquisition of knowledge and skills necessary to understand and address the specific needs of the individual who is Medicaid eligible in relation to their substance use disorder/mental illness and treatment.

· Collaborate with family and caregivers to develop positive interventions to address specific presenting issues and to develop and sustain health and stable relationships to support the individual’s recovery.

· Assist individuals to develop skills necessary for community living and recovery with ongoing assessment of their functional status and creation of (re)habilitative goals.

· Develop and implement behavioral heal and/or health education support groups for individuals with substance use, mental health, or chronic health conditions.

· Sharing his/her own personal experience of recovery and using a trauma-informed, non-clinical approach to assist individuals receiving services in initiating recovery, maintaining recovery and overall, enhancing the quality of personal and family life in long-term recovery.

· Instruction in self-advocacy skills including activities designed to facilitate individuals’ ability to access social service systems (e.g. health care, substance use treatment, employment, vocational rehabilitation, entitlement/benefits, self-help groups, etc.) and other recovery-oriented systems of care.

· Assist individuals in providing companionship and modeling a successful recovery lifestyle, including participation in recovery activities that might be beyond the scope of traditional treatment providers (e.g. recovery celebration event, attending a social event, etc.)

· Assistance with increasing social opportunities and developing social support skills that improve life stressors resulting from the individual’s disability and promote health, wellness and recovery.

· Assist Individuals with linkage to and system navigation within behavioral health and human services systems to access appropriate care.

· Provide Peer services in the individual’s home or community to support individual before (or in) a crisis or relapse.

· Serve as a professional resource and provided leadership within the department and among staff.

· Participate in training as needed or as assigned by supervisor.

· Participate in staff meetings and other department and/or agency activities as required.

· Assure compliance with all applicable local, state, and federal regulation and agency policies.

· Represent Catholic Charities Family and Community Services on appropriate committees.

· Any other duties as assigned by supervisor.

· Represent Catholic Charities at committees as desired and approved by supervisor.

· Participates in regular individual supervisions and team meetings.

· Other duties as assigned.

Note: The above description is illustrative of tasks and responsibilities. It is not meant to be all inclusive. Employees are required to follow appropriate supervisory direction and perform other related duties as required.

Qualifications

Education: Bachelor’s degree in human service or related field and a minimum of 1 year of experience working with persons with substance use, mental health disorder and chronic health conditions (internships/volunteer duties may be acceptable).

A combination of experience and education may be substituted at the discretion of the Executive Director.

Credentials: Successful completion of state mandated peer certification programs through OASAS or OMH and approved certification.

Experience: Minimum of 1 year of experience working with persons with substance use, mental health disorder and chronic health conditions.

Salary : $19 - $21