TITLE: Peer Specialist

POSITION FUNCTION:

The Certified Peer Specialist is responsible for providing individual advocacy and support to their peers to facilitate the development of recovery skills, and enhance wellness. The peer specialist provides opportunities for individuals to direct their own recovery process, and to develop self-help skills, build support networks, and increase awareness of community resources. The peer specialist serves as a role model for recovery as someone who is a self-identified former or current consumer of mental health, serious emotional disturbance or co-occurring services who can relate to others through their own recovery process.

ROLES/RESPONSIBILITIES:

- Assist individuals in setting and attaining personal recovery-oriented goals

- Assist individuals in revising their personal recovery-oriented goals as needed.

- Act as a peer support system to peers recently discharged from inpatient or crisis services and to consumers in Acute Partial Hospital and IOP programs

- Provide family members with information on support resources available through groups and organizations in their respective counties.

- Assist, when appropriate, family members and others to understand possible warning signs and triggers, appropriate supportive responses, wellness measures, and the overall recovery process.

- Provide outreach to peers who miss scheduled sessions, appear to need support, or have been discharged from programs.

- Assist recovering individuals to have their voices fully heard

- Support individuals in identifying their areas of need for treatment services and to communicate these needs to provider staff.

- Assist individuals in identifying barriers to their recovery, and develop strategies to overcome them.

- Provide education and advocacy within the community that promotes awareness of mental health and co-occurring disorders, and reduces barriers such as stigma and misconceptions.

- When appropriate, actively participate in team meetings, discharge planning meetings and other interventions involving individuals they work with to provide support and advocacy.

- Provide crisis support as needed

- Work with peers and staff to identify community supports and help individuals understand how to utilize these resources in the recovery.

- Assist individuals in developing and utilizing natural supports and resources in the community (e.g. support groups, making friends, spiritual support, etc.)

- Assist individuals in utilizing resources to help them become more independent (e.g. public transportation, support groups, using computers, obtain library card, training, vocational services, education, finances, health and wellness, etc.)

- Assist individuals in developing and practicing skills needed in order to take an active role in the community (e.g. leisure and recreational skills, social skills coping skills, etc.)

- Encourage and support individuals in making and keeping scheduled appointments in the community.

TRAVEL REQUIRED