Peer Specialist - Per Diem

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The Certified Peer Specialist (CPS) is an active member of the Mental Health Program and provides peer support services to clients with serious mental illnesses in Inpatient Psychiatry. Under supervision of the Director of Inpatient Psychology, the Certified Peer Specialist 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 CPS 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 Certified Peer Specialist in the provision of services.

Assist clients in articulating personal goals for recovery using one-on-one and group sessions. During these sessions, the CPS 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 primary therapist or treatment team in determining the steps they need to take 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 periodic assistance of other 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 CPS will share their own experiences and what skills, strengths, supports and resources they use. As much as possible, the CPS 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 CPS to share their experiences. By using identified literature, media, etc. clients will gain hope, learn to identify their strengths and combat negative self-talk. Utilizing their recovery experience, the CPS will:

• Teach and role model the value of every individual’s recovery experience.
• Model 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 the individual’s recovery needs by providing names of staff, community resources and groups that may be useful.
• Inform clients about community and natural supports 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. Using role…