Youth Peer Partner

Working Title:
Youth Peer Partner
Program:
Children and Family Services
- Youth Drop In Center
Reports To:
Program Supervisor


Employment Type :
Full Time, Benefitted, 1.0 FTE (37.5 hours/week)

Hours:

Tuesday, Thursday and Friday 8:30am-6:30pm, Wednesday 9:30am-7:00pm
Location:
Onsite, The Dalles, Oregon(Subject to work in Hood River, Sherman and Wasco Counties)
Pay Range (Dependent on experience):
$/hour
FLSA Status:
Not-Exempt

The Youth Peer Partner will work in the Drop-In Center within the Children and Family Services (CFS) department. This role empowers youth with behavioral, mental health, and other challenges by providing a variety of recovery-oriented services to individuals. This position works with individuals to promote greater independence, community integration, and recovery for mental wellness.

The Peer Support Specialist provides peer support to clients who may be experiencing mental health issues in the community. This position facilitates contact with providers, assists with transportation issues and other issues that may be barriers to accessing treatment and/or support in the community. The Peer Support Specialist provides training in independent living skills, documents client progress and issues, and conducts program outreach as necessary.

Mid-Columbia Center for Living (MCCFL) is a Certified Community Behavioral Health Clinic (CCBHC) that specializes in providing services that are both trauma-informed and recovery-oriented to persons / consumers with mental illness and addictions. Trauma-informed care includes safety, choice, collaboration, trustworthiness and empowerment for both clients and staff. MCCFL serves Hood River, Wasco, and Sherman Counties and utilizes a consumer-involved, consumer-engaged, and consumer-driven model.

MCCFL provides a whole-person care approach to adults and children to address both physical and mental health needs. MCCFL offers a variety of programs including a mobile crisis unit, intensive case management, ongoing counseling, community support, supported employment, jail diversion, hospital discharges, hearings, and more.

What you need:
Any combination of education and experience that demonstrates the ability to perform the position’s essential responsibilities is qualifying. This includes:

• A high school diploma or GED.
• Be certified and registered as a Peer Delivered Service Provider through the Oregon Health Authority and Traditional Health Worker Registry, or obtain certification and register within 90 days of hire. Maintain current and valid certification at all times.
• Have previous or current lived experience as a mental health treatment consumer, and/or support a family member with experience as a mental health treatment consumer, as defined by OAR .
• Must be 30 years of age or younger, as defined by OAR .
• Knowledge of the youth bill of rights and support principles is preferred.
• Knowledge of current national and/or local youth, young adult, and family mental health and other disability issues is preferred.
• Experience with and understanding of laws and policies related to special education, mental health and other disabilities, child welfare, and juvenile justice is preferred.
• Obtain and possess a food handler’s permit within 30 days of hire; maintain current and valid food handler’s permit at all times.
• Must possess a valid Oregon or Washington Driver's License, maintain an acceptable driving record and be insurable for client service purposes and for travel between business office for meetings and/or trainings.
• This position must pass all criminal history check requirements as required by ORS 181.536 to 181.537, and in accordance with OAR  to .

What you'll do:

• Meet regularly with consumers; train consumers in independent living skills and model same behaviors; provide feedback or other documentation as necessary.
• Document encounters with consumers using an electronic health record system. Access and use Agency email system and Intranet to remain updated on Agency functions and department communications.
• Advocate on behalf of consumers and promote self-advocacy; maintain consumer networks in the community; conduct outreach activities in local communities.
• Communic…