Certified Peer Specialist

Job Summary: Certified Peer Specialist is a person who has progressed in their own recovery and promotes self-determination, personal responsibility, empowerment inherent in self-directed recovery, and assists individuals with mental illness in the individual's recovery process.  Provides structured activities within a peer support that promote socialization, recovery, wellness, self-advocacy, wellness, self-advocacy, development of natural supports, and maintenance of community living skills; understanding of what creates recovery and how to build environments conducive to recovery. Participates in regular interdisciplinary staff meetings with the interdisciplinary team to best help consumer, including Behavioral Health Specialists, Staff Psychiatrist, Registered Nurses, quality assurance specialists, and paraprofessional. ACT is an Evidence Based Practice that is person-centered, recovery-oriented, and a highly intensive community-based service for individuals who have serious and persistent mental illness. The individual’s mental health condition has significantly impaired his or her functioning in the community. The service utilizes a multidisciplinary mental health team from the fields of psychiatry nursing, psychology, social work, substance use disorders, and vocational rehabilitation; additionally, a Certified Peer Specialist is an active member of the ACT Team providing assistance with the development of natural supports, promoting socialization, and the strengthening of community living skills. Services emphasize social inclusiveness though relationship building and the active involvement in assisting individuals to achieve a stable and structured lifestyle. ACT is a unique treatment model in which the majority of mental health services are directly provided internally by the ACT program in the recipient’s natural environment. ACT services are individually tailored with each individual to address his/her preferences and identified goals, which are the basis of the Individualized Recovery Plan (IRP). 

Essential Functions: Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

Productivity

• Meet the minimum direct time requirements of individual billed hours/target staff hours 100% per year.
• Daily attendance must be at least 70% of clinical guidelines per facilitator.
• Maximum face to face ratio 30 individuals to 1 Certified peer Specialist 

Documentation and Compliance

• Records services accurately that relate directly to the treatment outcomes, within approved timeframes. Completes required clinical documentation according to agency standards. 
• Maintain all documentation in accordance with applicable policies, laws and instructions. 
• Ensure that all services provided are within the guidelines and document care in compliance with agency requirements and standards.
• Ensure that all notes are in Care Logic and signed within 24 hours of service delivery.
• Maintain a minimum chart audit score of 70% or better for all consumers on case-load.
• Ensure all weekly reports are addressed and corrected as necessary within timeframe specified by supervisor.
• Billed Staff Hours in comparison to Target Staff Hours must be at least at 100%.
• Treatment plans and orders for services must be signed on the same day as admission or change.
• Services must be authorized prior to the delivery of services, with the exception of the intake appointment which should be authorized within 5 business days of service delivery.
• Services must be authorized prior to the delivery of services, with the exception of the intake appointment which should be authorized within 5 business days of service delivery.
• Failed Activities and Failed Claims must be resolved and cleared in less than 10 days.
• Quality Improvement Internal Audit scores must be at least 90%.
• At least 85% of your active caseload must receive at least 1 face-to-face service within the quarter.
• Staff cancellation rates must be less than 5%.
• Must be in compliance with Human Resources requirements with all trainings (including Relias). 

Community Outreach

• Collaborate with behavioral health providers and the community through regular meetings in order to engage and transition consumers throughout systems of inpatient and or community care.

Corporate Responsibilities

• Treat those we serve, co-workers and supervisors with respect.
• Provide high quality customer service focused on outcomes of improved health.
• Carry out job responsibilities in a competent and ethical manner.
• Utilize our resources effectively, efficiently and without abuse.
• Contribute to an environment that encourages passion, creativity and team work.

Required Knowledge & Skills:

• Knowledge of working knowledge of the nature of serious mental illness; self-help techniques, provides enhance consumers empowerment skills and successful community living, community resources and information on specific topics, as assigned.
• Knowledge of consumers’ rights; agency and federal policies, procedures and guidelines.
• Knowledge of client record documentation requirements; and implementation of client services plan development.
• Knowledge of crisis intervention protocol.
• Knowledge of peer individual and group therapy techniques
• Observe, record and report on an individual’s functioning; 
• Ability to read and understand assessments, evaluations, observation, and use in developing treatment plan.
• Ability to assist consumers cultivate their independence, self-confidence, and self-esteem.
• Ability to empower other individuals with disabilities to explore new options, resources, relationships, feelings, attitudes and rights.
• Ability to effectively interact and communicate with consumers and their families in diverse populations.
• Ability to communicate effectively, verbally and in writing, to maintain confidentiality, and to work independently under general supervision.
• Ability to demonstrate strong interpersonal and “Listening” skills.
• Ability to Establish and prioritize goals and objectives of assigned program.
• Ability to assist consumers with successfully acquiring all income, entitlement benefits and health insurance for which the individual is eligible.
• Ability to facilitate relationships between Gateway, consumer families/legal guardians and various social service community resources, such as housing assistance, healthcare, job training and placement and substance abuse support groups.

Competencies:

Communication

Accountability/Responsibility

Cooperation/Teamwork

Creative Thinking

Customer Service

Dependability

Flexibility

Initiative

Job Knowledge

Judgement

Professionalism

Quality/Quantity of Work

Goal Orientation

Required Education & Experience: 

• High school diploma/equivalent
• Certification by Georgia Certified Peer Specialist Project
• Requires a minimum of 40 hours of CPS training

Supervisory Responsibilities:  None

Work Environment: 

This job operates in a variable business settings with trips into the community.  This role routinely uses standard office equipment such as computers, phones, photocopiers, filing cabinets and fax machines.  This role provides basic employment support which requires employee to perform in loud/quiet environments, outdoors/indoors, etc.   Some medium travel between Gateway sites and in the community is required.

Physical Demands:

The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job.

Employee is frequently required to walk, sit, stand or kneel and occasionally required to climb or balance and stoop.  Employee must frequently lift and/or move up to 15 pounds.  Must have the ability to sit for long periods of time at a computer.  Employee frequently uses fine hand/eye coordination, hearing and visual acuity.  Lighting and temperature are adequate, and there are not hazardous or unpleasant condition caused by noise, dust, etc. Employee must be able to travel between Gateway sites.  Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

Gateway CSB promotes a drug/alcohol free work environment through the use of mandatory pre-employment drug testing.