Certified Peer Specialist

Summary

The Certified Peer Specialist (CPS) provides non-clinical, recovery-oriented peer support to Members receiving behavioral health services. Drawing appropriately on lived experience with behavioral health recovery, the CPS builds mutually supportive relationships, promotes hope, supports self-determination, and helps clients identify and pursue personal wellness and recovery goals. The CPS serves as a mentor, coach, advocate, and wellness liaison while honoring the client’s voice, choice, culture, identity, and chosen pathway of recovery.

SCHEDULE: MONDAY-FRIDAY 9AM-5:30PM or 10AM-6:30PM with one late night (11:30AM-8PM)

$1 per hour Language Differential! (eligible languages include: Cape Verdean Creole, Haitian Creole, Portuguese, Spanish or ASL)

Child & Family Services carefully considers a wide range of factors when determining compensation including, but not limited to, prior experience, education, certification(s), license(s), skills and expertise, location, internal equity and other factors that are job related and consistent with business need. Our goal is to support, reward and compensate the entire individual. Depending on role eligibility, your offer may include a bonus or other incentives. Therefore, final offer amounts may vary from the amount stated.

Job Responsibilities & Essential Functions

• Provide a safe, welcoming, and clean environment for our clients and families
• Provide trauma-informed, recovery-oriented, person-centered care based on the unique needs of clients
• Participate in our Triage, Screening & Intake process with clients to ensure fidelity of same day access to services, including the completion of necessary documentation
• Assist clients and families with exploring and identifying areas of need, including housing, insurance, food assistance, educational, career, and other case management related needs
• Establish trusting, strength-based relationships with clients and support them as equals in their wellness and recovery journey.
• Use lived experience and appropriate self-disclosure in a safe, ethical, and purposeful manner to inspire hope and model recovery.
• Assist with the facilitation of our CBHC’s family and peer support services by sharing lived experience, strengths, and hope through individual, family, or group services as appropriate
• Provide clients and families with advocacy, coaching, training, support, and psychoeducation
• Complete internal and external referrals with clients based on their individualized needs, including links to peer/parent support and self-help groups, community resources, and pro-social activities
• Support clients in identifying goals, developing or updating wellness plans when appropriate, and building skills to sustain recovery
• Assist our clients and families with navigating systems within schools & community as appropriate
• Support transitions of care and engage in effective coordination of care across health and behavioral health services to facilitate wellness and recovery of the whole person, including outreach and engagement, and after-care planning
• Utilize evidence-based interventions, including motivational interviewing skills to empower clients and develop person-centered service plans as appropriate
• Provide crisis intervention and coordinate with Emergency Services as appropriate 
• Serve as a community educator by providing psychoeducation to relevant community providers
• Deliver services in community-based, outpatient, home, workplace, crisis, diversionary, or remote settings when safe and appropriate.
• Provide temporary transportation support when available through the organization and when used to support essential peer, medical, behavioral health, or community-based appointments
• Maintain record-keeping as required by CFS, funding sources, and accreditation authorities
• Participate in all supervision and training activities as required by CFS, funding sources, and accreditation authorities
• Keep Evolv and Outlook Calendars up to date to support implementation of Centralized Scheduling 

Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform these essential functions.

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.

Required Education and Experience

High school diploma or equivalent. Current Certified Peer Specialist credential or active progress toward credentialing as a Certified Peer Specialist, consistent with Executive Office of Health and Human Services and Department of Mental Health requirements. CPSs are individuals currently in sustained mental health recovery for at least 1 year or who have lived experience with behavioral health disorders and have been certified to help their peers with a similar experience.  CPSs may, in addition to having a history of mental health disorder, have a co-occurring substance use disorder.  CPSs have a willingness to share that experience appropriately in the context of peer support and have the ability to safely and effectively provide recovery-oriented peer support to clients with behavioral health needs. Ability to work in community-based settings and collaborate with clients, families, providers, care managers, and community partners.

Cultural Competency Qualifications: 

• Awareness of personal attitudes, beliefs, biases, and assumptions about others 
• Knowledge of the various dimensions of diversity, including gender, race, and ethnicity 
• Acknowledging that people from other cultural groups may not share the same beliefs and practices or perceive experiences in the same way 
• Cultural knowledge of key populations that will be served to address disparities in service delivery
• Demonstrates positive attitudes towards cultural differences by showing respect and openness towards people whose social and cultural background is different from one's own 
• Demonstrates skills for communication and interaction across cultures, including the ability to recognize and manage personal behaviors, moods, and impulses to create an inclusive, equitable, and welcoming climate within the agency

Travel Required

Must have a valid driver’s license and reliable transportation that meets CFS Driver Policy. Travel is required to provide services in different settings and to attend agency meetings, events, and trainings

Benefits:

• Benefit eligible at 20 hours per week
• Medical – Harvard Pilgrim/HealthPlans Inc.
• Dental – Delta Dental of MA
• Vision - EyeMed
• Wellworks for You (Employee Wellness)
• 2 weeks’ vacation accrued over 1st year, 3 weeks after 3 years, 4 weeks after 5 years and 5 weeks after 20 years
• 12 Sick Days, 10 Paid Holidays, and 2 Personal Days per year
• Tuition reimbursement – Up to $1,500 per calendar year
• Professional Licensure reimbursement (LICSW, LMHC)
• Flexible spending accounts – save on medical expenses and dependent care!
• 401K – CFS matches first 1% at 100%; 2%-6% of annual earnings are matched at 50%
• 100% Employer paid Life Insurance
• 100% Employer paid Long Term Disability and AD&D
• 24-hour travel assistance, mileage reimbursement, discounted Healthtrax gym membership, and employee appreciation events!

Child and Family Services, Inc. values a diverse workplace and strongly encourages applicants from the BIPOC, LGBTQ , AAPI, Hispanic, Latinx and Veteran communities to apply for employment. We are an equal opportunity employer and all qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, national origin, citizenship, age, gender, sex,( including gender identity, sexual orientation, and pregnancy) disability status, protected veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by law.

Salary : $21 - $24