Youth Peer Support Specialist Job Ashland area,Kentucky USA,Social Work

Function:

The Youth Peer Support Specialist (YPSS) uses personal lived experience to engage children, adolescents, and their caregivers in Boyd, Carter, Elliott, Greenup, and Lawrence counties referred to RE's NEKY Children Crisis-to-Community Regional Telebehavioral Health Spoke. As a member of the Collaborative Care team, the YPSS helps youth and families stay connected to care after a referral, crisis, emergency department visit, or hospital discharge by providing peer support, outreach, resource navigation, and re‑engagement, while adhering to Kentucky's regulatory standards for youth peer support services.

Organizational

duties & responsibilities:

The primary responsibility of all staff is to ensure the safety and well‑being of all Ramey-Estep/Re-group (RE) clients.

Supports the mission, vision, and values of RE. Facilitates and adheres to the agency’s code of ethics, policies, and procedures.

Supports all functions that attain and maintain accreditation and compliance with regulatory agencies.

Supports and facilitates positive interaction with clients and staff by exhibiting both in‑office and in‑public when carrying out job duties: individual maturity, respect for others, a team-centered approach, maintenance of confidential information, and awareness and sensitivity to cultural and other differences in clients and staff.

Exhibits effective communication skills, including proper use of agency communication systems.

Participates in appropriate professional development programs to attain and maintain competency.

Effectively manages financial and physical resources to achieve the mission of RE.

Reports incidents of abuse or potential abuse involving clients to the appropriate authorities and RE.

Essential Duties and Responsibilities:

Share relevant personal experiences to build trust, hope, and engagement with youth and caregivers referred through primary care, schools, EMS, hospitals, and community partners.

Contact youth and families promptly after referral, including within 24 to 72 hours after a crisis, emergency department visit, or hospital discharge, to explain services, schedule appointments, and confirm attendance.

Serve as a role model, demonstrating effective coping strategies, resilience, and recovery.

Empower youth and caregivers to voice their preferences in the development and implementation of their care plans.

Participate in Collaborative Care team meetings and case reviews to share the youth's perspective and advocate for their needs.

Help families overcome barriers to care, including transportation, medication access, benefits, housing, food insecurity, school disruption, and caregiver stress, through warm handoffs to community resources.

Re‑engage youth and families after missed appointments or loss of contact, and support continued engagement at 7, 30, 60, and 90 days.

Help youth and families set up and use telehealth services, including loaned tablets and hotspots.

Coordinate with schools, Family Resource and Youth Services Centers, and community partners to support youth in the program.

Enhance youth self‑advocacy skills and confidence.

Educate primary care and community partners about youth culture and the value of peer support to improve service delivery.

Gather youth and caregiver feedback to support program quality improvement.

Complete required documentation, including contacts, social needs referrals, and follow‑up outcomes, within required time frames to support grant reporting.

Complete other duties as assigned.

Working conditions/environment:

Holidays, weekends, evenings, and extra hours may occasionally be required.

Community‑based position with daily local travel across Boyd, Carter, Elliott, Greenup, and Lawrence Counties.

Work with youth and families who may be in crisis…