Drop-In Center Recovery Support Specialist; Part-time

Job Scope: Actively contribute as a peer support counselor to offer a community based, member driven drop-in center that offers recovery focused support, advocacy, leisure and enrichment activities to persons living with mental illness and disabilities who desire to engage fully in community life. Drop-in staff members provide and coordinate a range of activities aimed at engaging and motivating members living independently in the Northwest Suburbs.

The drop-in center will be open at flexible times that meet member identified social, interpersonal, and educational/informational needs that improve their level of community integration, stability, and personal satisfaction. The drop-in staff will also serve as early identifiers of risk or instability in members and be able to intervene and encourage members self-refer or take actions to refer members to more formal clinical services

Essential Functions:

The work environment characteristics, responsibilities, and competencies described here are representative of those an employee encounters and is required to perform while meeting the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

• 1. Engage drop in members in actively using the center to increase level of community integration.
• 2. Assist peer support supervisor to plan and implement drop-in center activities
• 3. Responsible for travel assistance and transportation
• 4. Participate in Kenneth Young Center Mount Prospect Drop-in Member Advisory Council
• 5. Provide supportive peer counseling utilizing personal experience to establish a warm and empathic connection with members and as needed, their families/significant others
• 7. Promote opportunities for clients to build natural systems of support within their communities through exposure to recreational, spiritual, educational, vocational, volunteer and civic activities
• 8. Work with members to develop personal Wellness Action Recovery Plans
• 9. Regularly consult with other Team members including Community Support Team, Employment services, ACT, and IRG, to address specific member issues and coordinate care strategies
• 10. Work cooperatively with other Center teams/staff to maintain smooth transitions and effective continuity of care

• 1. Assist in development and maintenance of local community resources and groups (NAMI, AA etc.). Recovery literature, on-line materials/websites to support members
• 2. Participate in supervision as directed
• 3. Participate in team and other agency meetings and trainings as directed by supervisor
• 4. Interpret and communicate, at the service delivery level, Center policies and procedures

• A. Promote positive image of KYC with all contacts (customers)
• B. Exhibit high quality work
• C. Be a productive member of the staff
• D. Demonstrate cooperation
• E. Take the initiative to act on own
• F. Use excellent judgment
• G. Communicate clearly and respectfully
• H. Make use of supervision
• I. Contribute to development of a culture of care

• A. Ability to effectively engage and motivate members to participate in activities offered at Drop In
• B. Ability to refer clients to appropriate services and help coordinate care
• C. Act honestly and ethically in all member interactions
• D. Ability to effectively work as a member of a multidisciplinary team and encourage building of natural community support

• A. Show awareness of issues affecting adults with chronic mental illness
• B. Skill in the use of motivational interviewing and engaging clients in self directed care
• C. Demonstrate a working knowledge of community resources that enhance recovery
• D. Certified Recovery Support Specialist (CRSS) certification or (course work completed and able to obtain certification within 12 months of hire)
• E. If recovery correlates to substance use, they must have two years of demonstrated sobriety.
• F. Requires significant personal experience with the mental health system as a primary consumer of services.

• A. Has ability to effectively engage guests in care
• B. Has ability to effectively use personal lived experience to support clients in their recovery

• A. Preferred Bachelors from an accredited college or university in social work, psychology or a related discipline and a Certified Recovery Support
• Specialist (CRSS) certification…