590 Peer Engagement Specialist

Title:                  590 Peer Engagement Specialist

Level:                 Entry

Position Type: Full Time 

Who we are:

C4 was founded in 1972 to help people released from psychiatric hospitals into the Uptown and

Edgewater communities stabilize in the community. Since that time, C4’s service area has expanded to rekindle hope for individuals and families on Chicago’s north and west sides, remaining committed to community-level, system-focused interventions; C4 always seeks to avoid restrictive levels of care and maximize families’ agency to lead their recovery, allowing them to heal in their homes and community.  C4 is the leader in building hope and breaking down barriers – from the personal to the systemic - for Chicago’s systematically disadvantaged communities through the delivery of effective, empirically supported, and trauma-informed mental health services. C4 seeks to equip 7,000 individuals annually to help them move from trauma to living, to working and thriving within their community.

Our Mission - Community Counseling Centers of Chicago (C4), a behavioral health advocate and social service provider, offers quality, comprehensive customer-oriented services tailored to the diversity of its consumers.

Our Vision - Community Counseling Centers of Chicago (C4) will be, and will be recognized as, essential to the wellbeing of the communities we serve.

Philosophy - C4 believes that people recovering from mental illness and emotional trauma are able to live, work and thrive in the community.

Purpose: 

The purpose of this position is to engage patients coming out of emergency room and inpatient psychiatric unit settings and assist in linking them to services to support their community stabilization. The 590 Peer Engagement Specialist team is an innovative care coordination pilot program to connect individuals and families with mental health needs upon their discharge from hospitals and provide support with therapy and care coordination services until linked to long term community providers or consumer needs are resolved. In addition, the responsibility of the 590 Peer Engagement Specialist team is to triage crisis needs, dispatch to mobile crisis, provide community outreach, promote services, assist with linkage, conduct follow-up, and support addressing Social Determinant of Health needs. The Peer Engagement Specialist has a unique role in the Rapid Response program and is encouraged to share personal experiences with recovery from mental health. 

Location and Work Conditions: 

Although the Peer Engagement Specialist will be based at one of C4’s sites, services are provided telephonically and remote work is permitted. Peer Engagement Specialist will occasionally be required to report on site for the purpose of trainings and for the shifts out in the community with clinicians on the Rapid Response company van. Shifts are in 10-hour increments with two shifts during the day and two shifts overnight, with some availability for overtime. Work may be stressful due to consumer behaviors, periods of high call and case volume, or tight deadlines. 

Duties and Responsibilities 

1. Ability to be respectful of the diverse cultures of the people served and to provide culturally appropriate, competent, and individualized treatment according to each client's age, gender, race, ethnicity, and culture 
2. Engage and Educate clients for participation in treatment and other outside needed resources for all Social Determinant of Health needs. 
3. Attend linkage appointments with consumers. 
4. Develop and maintain relationships with community-based programs. 
5. Conduct outreach and follow up with clients, families, and treatment providers. 
6. Maintain all appropriate documentation and reports needed for program. 
7. Provide a Person-Centered approach to ensure client motivation in recovery. 
8. Assist with ensuring hospital discharge recommendations are understand by consumer and followed through with by the patient. 
9. Ensure interventions are recovery oriented, culturally congruent and developmentally appropriate 
10. Engage natural and family support to strengthen the individuals participation and engagement. 
11. Deliver services within hospital, office, and community settings. 
12. Ensure successful linkage to long-term care providers as indicated. 
13. Work collaboratively with interdisciplinary teams and health care team members both internal and external to the organization to improve patient care through effective utilization and monitoring of health care resources. 
14. Maintain effective communication and coordination with paired hospital and participate in hospital staffings

Minimum Qualifications: 

1. High school diploma 
2. CRSS certification (preferred). 
3. High school diploma 
4. Familiarity and comfortability doing community work throughout Chicago 
5. Valid drivers license, insurable driving record and vehicle insurance 
6. Engagement specialists are expected to partner with clinicians in community outreach and crisis response using the agency vehicle on assigned shifts 

Competencies (Minimum Skills, Knowledge, and Experience): 

1. Cultural humility and ability to build trusting relationships with consumers. 
2. Knowledge of and ability to use appropriate behavior management techniques 
3. Understanding of personal and professional boundaries 
4. Comfortability in using appropriate self-disclosure for purpose of de-stigmatization and engagement. 
5. Ability to plan, develop and manage multiple projects 
6. Organizational skills 
7. Time and stress management skills 
8. Communication skills to include interpersonal, teamwork, and collaboration skills 
9. Conflict resolution and diplomacy skills 
10. Computer literacy 
11. Problem solving skills 
12. Excellent interpersonal, verbal and written communication skills 
13. Provide case management, outreach, and aftercare services 
14. Assess clients functioning, strengths and needs 
15. Develop treatment plan collaboratively with client by defining goals, specific outcomes, and time frames for treatment 
16. Apply appropriate behavior management techniques 
17. Provide culturally appropriate, competent and individualized linkage plans in accordance with each clients age, gender and gender identity, sexual orientation, race, ethnicity, religious beliefs and culture 
18. Work cooperatively with other members of the treatment team, offering and accepting assistance when needed. 
19. Maintain positive and mutually respectful relationships with other human service providers, entitlement agencies, health care vendors, and the community 
20. Assist with outcome measures 
21. Maintain compliance at all times with clinical documentation, timelines and agency policies and procedures including meeting required timeframes for documentation and service notes 
22. Report to assigned supervisor and actively seek consultation whenever necessary or requested by supervisor 
23. Maintain compliance with confidentiality policies and procedures at all times 
24. Maintain positive and mutually respectful relationships with other human service providers, entitlement agencies, health care vendors, and the community 
25. Other duties as assigned by supervisor

Salary : $19