Peer Support Specialist; NC

LOCATION: Remote - must live in or near Vance, Franklin, Granville, or Person County, NC. The person in this role must live in North Carolina or within 40 miles of the North Carolina border. This is a home-based position that requires community travel.

GENERAL STATEMENT OF JOB

Under the supervision of the Peer Support Specialist Manager, the Peer Support Specialist function is in-reach, engagement, education and support effort designed to accurately and fully inform adults who have serious mental illness (SMI) or a serious and persistent mental illness (SPMI) about community based mental health services and supported housing options including but not limited to the availability of tenancy support services and rental assistance.

Peer Support Specialist in-reach is ongoing with the goal of educating members/recipients about all community-based options, including the option to transition to supported housing, its benefits, the array of services and supports available to those in supported housing to include rental subsidy and other assistance members/recipients may need. In-reach also includes informing members/recipients about Medicaid, Special Assistance, services under the North Carolina State Plan for Medical Assistance or the State funded service array for which the members/recipients are eligible.

Peer Support Specialist in-reach also includes offering the members/recipients opportunities to meet with other members/recipients with disabilities who are living, working, and receiving services in inclusive settings.

Note: This position requires access to and use of confidential healthcare information or protected health information (PHI) as described in laws addressing patient confidentiality, including, but not limited to, the federal HIPAA law, the Confidentiality of Alcohol and Substance Use Patient Records law, 42 CFR Part 2, and various state laws. As such, the individual filling this position shall be required to be trained regarding such laws and shall be required to observe those laws in his/her capacity as an employee of Vaya Health.

The individual filling this position shall also sign a confidentiality statement as an employee of Vaya Health.

ESSENTIAL JOB FUNCTIONS

Benchmarks:

Peer Support Specialist In-Reach

• Must make minimum in-reach visits per day to meet weekly visit requirements.
• Must meet minimum requirements per In Reach, Transition, Diversion policy for potential transition participants per month.
• Must make minimum requirements for completion of the Informed Decision-Making Tool per month
• Ensure adherence to boundaries within In Reach, Transition, Diversion policy and do not provide services or supports outside of the scope of work.

Monitoring

• Must maintain caseload (In-Reach List) by ensuring every person has a Peer Support Specialist visit prior to reaching 90 days. Frequency of ivisits can vary within 90 days based on readiness for transition.
• Will communicate with manager any upcoming events (if known) that may impact minimum requirements and will propose an alternative plan to ensure that requirements are met.

Peer Support Specialist In-Reach activities:

The LME-MCO shall provide In-Reach services to applicable members/recipients no less than quarterly. Peer Support Specialist may need to occur more frequently based on the housing situation of the member/recipient. It is required that Peer Support Specialist activities be delivered by LME-MCO staff that are knowledgeable about community services and supports, including supported housing.

The LME-MCO Peer Support staff is expected to coordinate a face-to-face meeting with members/recipients and guardians as applicable to determine a member/recipient's interest in integrated supported housing with tenancy rights and behavioral health services. Peer Support Specialist staff should make every effort to schedule visits during a time that is convenient for both the member/recipient and facility.

Activities include but are not limited to:

• Assessing member/recipient's interest in supported housing
• Explaining fully the benefits and financial aspects of clinically appropriate community based inclusive settings, including supported housing
• Facilitating and accompanying member/recipient on site visits to permanent housing with tenancy rights
• Exploring and addressing the concerns of any member/recipient who declines the opportunity to move into supported housing or who are ambivalent about moving into supported housing, despite being qualified for such housing
• Reviewing housing preferences
• Provide linkage to ongoing in-reach as a step-in education/exposure to the housing options and supports available
• Educating member/recipient about services covered under the North Carolina State Plan for Medical Assistance, Medicaid 1915(b)(c) waiver, or the State funded service array

Documentation and Reporting:

All Peer Support Specialist activities should be documented and outcomes of in-reach efforts tracked to include refusals to meet with LME-MCO as well as lack of response to…