Peer Specialist II; Part-time - Beaver Crisis Services

Position: Peer Specialist II (Part-time) - Beaver Crisis Services
Beaver County Crisis Services provides 24/7 mobile crisis response, phone support, and walk-in services to individuals experiencing emotional distress or psychiatric emergencies. Our team delivers compassionate, recovery-oriented care in collaboration with law enforcement, healthcare facilities, and community partners. We are expanding our mobile capacity and integrating peer support to enhance accessibility, responsiveness, and person-centered outcomes.

Peer Specialist II are individuals with lived experience who provide non-clinical support as part of the treatment team. They model recovery principles, educate staff, and help clients overcome barriers and triggers in inpatient or outpatient settings

** Responsibilities:*
* + Provide feedback to clients, families, and clinical staff as appropriate

+ Support clients in setting recovery goals, identifying barriers, and developing strategies

+ Help clients connect with natural supports and community resources

+ Advocate for clients in meetings, voicing their perspectives and goals

+ Accompany clients to community activities and provide follow-up support (1:1, group, phone, virtual, or mobile)

+ Facilitate recovery and wellness groups; offer individual support

+ Monitor goal progress and provide ongoing feedback

+ Assist with crisis planning, including WRAPs and mental health directives

+ Complete documentation and paperwork as required

+ Deliver advanced services in various settings (program, community, home)

+ Educate clients to support informed decision-making

+ Share personal recovery experience and apply recovery tools (WRAP, Personal Medicine, etc.)

+ Teach life skills (e.g., problem-solving, money/time management, transportation)

+ Maintain professional certification and CEUs

+ Build relationships with community providers and treatment agencies

+ Provide non-clinical services and coordinate with clinical staff as needed

+ High School Diploma or equivalent.

+ Certified Peer Specialist or Certified Recovery Specialist certification is required.

+ Demonstrated leadership qualities and mentorship skills.

+ Minimum of one year of Peer Specialist experience

+ OR applicable employment experience within last 3 years, maintained at least 12 months of successful full or part-time paid or voluntary work experience

+ OR within last 3 years, obtained at least 24 credit hours of post-secondary education and have related, supervised work or volunteer experience, as approved the by the Pennsylvania Certification Board (PCB).

+ Have lived experience in one or more of the following areas: mental health, substance use disorder, the recovery process and willing to share experiences to the benefit of clients/patients served.

+ Basic understanding of mental health, wellness, and resiliency.

+ Progressed in own recovery and have basic understanding of the recovery principles:
Hope, Personal Responsibility, Empowerment Skills, Self-Advocacy, Educational Opportunities, and the importance of using personal and community supports.

+ Able to articulate to clients/patients, families, and to interested stakeholders that peer support is a non-clinical service to promote recovery and wellness.

+ Proficient with Office 365 applications, e.g., Microsoft Word, Outlook, Teams, etc.
** Licensure, Certifications, and Clearances:*
* + Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation (CPR)

+ Certified Peer Specialist

+ Comprehensive Crisis Management (CCMC)

+ Driver's License

+ Act 31 Child Abuse Reporting with renewal

+ Act 33 with renewal

+ Act 34 with renewal

+ Act 73 FBI Clearance with renewal

** UPMC is an Equal Opportunity Employer/Disability/Veteran**