Certified Peer Support Specialist

($17.25 an hour + Performance Incentives)

Flexible schedule

Trinity Wellness Community Care is a CARF accredited agency looking for talented individuals who want to work, and grow with a great company. We are looking for people who will contribute to the growth of the company.  This includes outreach opportunities throughout multiple counties we serve through networking and building caseloads for our peer support services. 

Our mission: Affecting Change...One Person at a Time.

Certified Peer Support Specialist (CPSS) will function as a role model to peers; exhibiting competency in personal recovery and use of coping skills; serve as a consumer advocate, providing consumer information and peer support for clients in outpatient and inpatient settings.

The CPSS performs a wide range of tasks to assist peers of all ages, from young adult to old age, in regaining independence within the community and mastery over their own recovery process.

Recovery resources such as booklets, tapes, pamphlets and other written materials will be utilized by the Peer Support Specialist in the provision of services.

Job Summary:

Using a formal goal-setting process, the CPSS will:

• Assist clients in articulating personal goals for recovery through the use of one-to one and group sessions.
• During these sessions the CPSS will support clients in identifying and creating goals and developing recovery plans with the skills, strengths, supports and resources to aid them in achieving those goals
• Assist clients in working with their case manager or treatment team in determining the steps he/she needs to take in order to achieve these goals and self-directed recovery.

• Assist clients in setting up and sustaining self-help (mutual support) groups, as well as means of locating and joining existing groups.
• Utilize tools such as the Wellness Recovery Action Plan (WRAP) to assist clients in creating their own individual wellness and recovery plans. Independently or with the periodic assistance of higher-graded treatment team members, utilize and teach problem solving techniques with individuals and groups; discussions will be utilized where clients will share common problems in daily living and methods they have employed to manage and cope with these problems.
• As one who has availed themselves to mental health services, the CPSS will share their own experiences and what skills, strengths, supports and resources they use.
• As much as possible, the CPSS will share their own recovery story and as the facilitator of these sessions will demonstrate how they have directed their own recovery.
• Use ongoing individual and group sessions to teach clients how to identify and combat negative self-talk and how to identify and overcome fears by providing a forum which allows group members and CPSS to share their experiences.
• By using Adapted from Peer Support Technician VACO Classified (Veteran's Administration) 2 identified literature, media, etc. clients will gain hope, learn to identify their strengths and combat negative self-talk. Support clients’ vocational choices and assist them in choosing a job that matches their strengths, overcoming job-related anxiety by reviewing job applications, and providing interview tips.
• Assist clients in building social skills in the community that will enhance job acquisition and tenure utilizing their recovery experience, the CPSS will: Teach and role model the value of every individual’s recovery experience.
• Assist the client in obtaining decent and affordable housing of his/her choice in the most integrated, independent , and least intrusive or restrictive environment by taking them out to view housing, either driving them or riding with them on public transportation. The CPSS models effective coping techniques and self-help strategies.

• Serve as a recovery agent by providing and advocating for any effective recovery based services that will aid the client in daily living.
• Assist in obtaining services that suit that individual’s recovery needs by providing names of staff, community resources and groups that may be useful. Inform clients about community and natural support and how to use these in the recovery process. Community resources may include but not limited to: social security office, Department of Family and Children services, local YMCA, Library, restaurants, clients’ service organizations, apartment complexes and other types of housing, etc.
• Assist clients in developing empowerment skills and combating stigma through self-advocacy. This will be accomplished through regular meetings, individual or group sessions. Through the use of role playing/modeling techniques the CPSS provides opportunities for others to show/demonstrate how they have handled similar problems, how to present themselves in certain situations, or how to handle problems that may arise in interactions with others. With assistance from the Program Coordinator/Team Leader, the Peer Support Specialist will work with the clients and other treatment team staff to develop a treatment/recovery plan based on each client’s identified goals. Treatment/Recovery Plans will be reviewed and signed by the Coordinator/Team Leader and other participating treatment team staff.
• The CPSS will document the following on the client’s treatment/recovery plan: identifying person-centered strengths, needs, abilities, and recovery goals b. interventions to assist the client in reaching their goals for recovery c. progress made toward goals Adapted from Peer Support Technician VACO Classified (Veteran's Administration) 3 The PSS will maintain a working knowledge of current trends and developments in the mental health field by reading books, journals, and other relevant materials.
• The CPSS will continue to share recovery materials with others at continuing education seminars and other venues to be developed to support recovery-oriented services and attend continuing education seminars and other in-service training when offered. Knowledge required by the Position a. Knowledge of the Recovery process and the ability to facilitate recovery using established standardized mental health processes. Knowledge and skill to teach and engage in basic problem-solving strategies to support individual clients in self-directed recovery. Knowledge of the signs and symptoms of mental illness (i.e. auditory and visual hallucinations, aggressive talk and behavior, thoughts of self-harm or harm towards others, isolation) and the ability to assist the client to address symptoms using strategies such as positive self-talk. Knowledge and skill sufficient to use community resources necessary for independent living and ability to teach those skills to other individuals with severe mental illness.
• Community resources may include but are not limited to: social security office, Department of Family and Children services, local YMCA, Library, restaurants, clients’ service organizations, housing providers, etc. The PSS may accompany clients to community resources to assist them in accessing these resources. Knowledge of how to establish and sustain self-help (mutual support) and educational groups by soliciting input from the mental health consumers on their strengths and interests.. A valid driver’s license is required as some driving and/or transportation may be required to take clients to medical appointments, job sites, social activities and other community resources. GUIDELINES: Established procedures and specific guidelines are available to the incumbent to cover the work assignment. Guidelines are applicable and specific to most situations. The incumbent will use judgment in determining the appropriate guide or instruction to fit the circumstances and in determining what information is required. In situations where the guidelines are not applicable; do not exist or are unclear the incumbent refers to the problem to the coordinator. The administration has provided and will continue to update a Bibliography of Recovery literature and the program will select appropriate literature that focuses on Recovery and how to teach clients in their recovery process.
• COMPLEXITY: The work involves providing support services for the client that requires assisting them in establishing goals and mechanisms to reach those goals. Decisions on establishing goals and formal action plans will always be made in conjunction with the client and case manager/treatment team and reviewed with the supervisor. Decisions regarding what needs to be done involve choices that require a simple analysis such as organizing facts in narrative or logical order and comparing them to past solutions in similar cases or to applicable criteria. Actions to be taken or responses to be made, such as advice to the client differs depending on the facts of the situation.
• SCOPE AND EFFECT: The Peer Support Specialist assists and guides clients toward the identification and achievement of specific goals defined by the client and specified in the Individual Treatment Plan (ITP).The work involves a variety of routine, standardized tasks that facilitate work performed by higher level providers. Work performed by the incumbent will promote community socialization, recovery, self-advocacy, self-help, and development of natural support.
• PHYSICAL DEMANDS: The work is primarily sedentary. Typically, the employee will sit to do the work. However, there may be some walking; standing; bending; carrying of light items such as books, papers, etc; accessing transportation and driving a car etc.
• WORK ENVIRONMENT: Work will be performed in a wide range of settings, including the medical center; in the client, group or family homes; in community-based outpatient settings, community agencies; or in transport vehicles (public or government). Work areas are often noisy, irregular and unpredictable and can be stressful at times. Clients demonstrate varying levels of recovery and symptoms.
• Education, Experience, and Certifications: High School diploma or GED required. Bachelor degree (for QP position), CPR, NCI, First Aid, Bloodborne (for QP and CPSS Certification)

To apply, please complete the Application on our webpage.

https://www.trinitywellnesscc.com

• Click on the purple icon button at the top right corner of our page.
• Scroll down and click on Join Our Team.
• Click on TWCC Application Peer Support Specialist (PSS) or TWCC Application Qualified Professional (QP).
• The referral form can be access by clicking on Our Services and selecting Screening Referral form under the drop down box.