Peer Support Specialist

Position: Peer Support Specialist I

We are recruiting for a motivated Peer Support Specialist I to join our team!

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Department

CHS Nursing Administration
Job Summary

The Peer Support Specialist will provide support, assistance, and ad vocation for individuals with substance use and mental health challenges by utilizing their own lived experiences to provide support, mentoring, and sharing of resources. The Peer Support Specialist will aid clients in building community, creating relationships, connecting with follow-up care and resources, mentoring, and setting goals and helping clients to overcome obstacles to achieving their goals.

The Peer Support Specialist will build relationships with hospitals, community mental health and service providers, harm reduction organizations, supportive housing agencies, and law enforcement to educate each about the availability of treatment and to support effective linkage to services and supports.

Essential Functions
:

• Perform outreach and engagement into local evidence-based treatment for people experiencing substance misuse and mental health challenges. Create authentic and meaningful supportive relationships with individuals with substance use and/or mental health challenges seeking treatment and understand their needs to assist them in being linked to the appropriate supportive resources. Facilitate peer recovery support services, in a group and/or individual settings. Assist participants with the creation of a personal recovery plan and/or provide resources to reduce barriers to care.
  
  Assist patients in completing any necessary paperwork. Document appropriately according to job requirements. (40%)
• Partner with treatment providers, hospitals, Emergency Departments, harm reduction organizations, support services, law enforcement, and community-based organizations to educate each about the availability of treatment and ensure effective linkage to services from the community. Participate in regular community meetings focused on addressing substance misuse and mental health challenges, as assigned by supervisor. (20%)
• Assist patients in accessing therapeutic and supportive services, promote personal growth, development, and recovery while meeting patients where they are at. Be a mentor and role model, aid in goal setting, building skills, and removing barriers to follow up care. Advocate for people in recovery while serving as a living example of someone who has previously suffered from addiction or mental health issues and desires to help others achieve and maintain recovery.
  
  (40%)

Education
:

• No High School Diploma and/or No GED Required
• High School Diploma or GED Preferred

Work Experience
:

• Lived experience of recovery from substance use and/or successful management of mental health challenges for a minimum of 1 year (longer period preferred). Required and
• Completion of minimum 60 hours of peer support specialist training or willingness to complete this training within 6 months of employment. Approved peer training should count towards Colorado Peer and Family Specialist (CPFS) certification, National Certified Peer Recovery Support Specialist (NCPRSS) certification, or an equivalent peer certification. Full certification not required, only training hours completed. Equivalent peer training hours must be approved by a board recognized by the International Certification & Reciprocity Consortium (IC&RC) as meeting minimum standards.
  
  Required

Licenses
:

Knowledge,

Skills and Abilities

:

• Strong, effective, responsive communication skill. Excellent customer service.
• Organized and attention to details.
• Ability to summarize the positive effects personal recovery experience, and willing to share this experience in a way that would be helpful to others.
• Must honor, support and accept all pathways to recovery.
• Basic computer skills, including ability to use Microsoft Office Programs such as Outlook,
• Word and Excel and to operate a copier and scanner. Cross-cultural skills, and…