Peer Navigator I or II

Job Overview

Location/Schedule: This position is located at the Lloyd Corporate Plaza in NE Portland. The schedule for this position is Monday through Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Part-time options are also available.

Position: Peer Navigator I or II

Program: Peer Services

Cascadia Mission and Vision

Mission: Cascadia Health delivers whole health care – integrated mental health and addiction services, primary care, and housing – to promote hope and support the well-being of the communities we serve. 

Vision: We envision a community where everyone benefits from whole health care, experiences well-being, and has a self-directed, connected life. 

Position Description: The Peer Navigator I will provide peer services that will support individuals to pursue their own wellness journey. The Peer Navigator uses their training and experience to provide engagement, de-escalation, and advocacy to support individuals in ensuring stability in the community. Additionally, this position will advocate with and on behalf of individuals using anti-bias measures and the peer provider approaches of cultural humility and non-hierarchical values.

The Peer Navigator must understand, appreciate, and respect the diversity and cultural differences within our Cascadia community. As such, it is expected that this position promotes integrated care, our vision of trauma-informed and person-first approaches and helps create a work environment of inclusion, safety, and acceptance.

Essential Duties

This position description is not intended to be an all-inclusive list of responsibilities, skills, or working conditions associated with the position. Management reserves the right to modify, add or remove duties as necessary.

• Openly identify as a person who has lived the experience of receiving behavioral health services.
• Act as a positive role model for individuals being served, showing a recovery and healthful lifestyle orientation, with a profound understanding that this is an ongoing commitment.
• Share own recovery story with individuals being served when appropriate, utilizing and applying a trauma-informed perspective.
• Through the provision of individual and group peer support, walk alongside individuals as they learn living skills and create healthful lifestyles.
• Support individuals in areas such as self-care, holistic wellness, hygiene, community resources, and other life management skills. Ensure interventions are person-centered.
• Recognize the possibility that individuals served may be in active substance use. Possess the ability to collaborate with both the individual and the treatment team to ensure that sensitive matters are addressed.
• Demonstrate a priority for client and staff safety. Maintain de-escalation skills and a keen awareness of safety procedures at locations where services are provided. Provide crisis support as needed.
• Advocate for individuals being served, both within the organization and with other entities.
• Act as a representative for peer-delivered services and remain mindful of this when fostering relationships with internal and external stakeholders.
• Facilitate one or more therapeutic groups per week, as requested.
• Attend clinical case conferences and staff meetings as indicated to gain knowledge, to communicate program goals, and to advocate for the needs of the individuals being served.
• Comply with and implement regulations, policies, and Standard Operating Procedures as applied to this position.
• Administer measurement tools and data collection as requested.
• Provide input into the therapeutic treatment in collaboration with individuals being served, case managers and other practitioners.
• Adhere to mandatory abuse reporting laws and HIPAA requirements.
• Perform other duties as assigned.
• Maintain knowledge and ability to support a diverse range of individuals, including survivors of domestic violence, veterans, those currently experiencing homelessness, and historically marginalized groups.
• Actively support team members and other managerial and/or volunteer staff. Share with and learn from other teams through shadowing and other forms of communication.
• Represent the Peer Wellness Program at community, state, and /or national functions as indicated related to the work of Cascadia.
• Respect and honor client rights and responsibilities and demonstrate professional boundaries and ethics.
• Complete annual employee training requirements promptly
• Participate in all scheduled staff meetings, supervision sessions, and other departmental and agency meetings.

Qualifications
 

There are two levels of Peer Navigator.

Peer Navigator I:

Education:

• A completed Peer Support Training approved by the Oregon Health Authority (OHA).
• Traditional Health Worker (THW) Peer Support Specialist Certification required.
• Traditional Health Worker (THW) Peer Wellness Specialist Certification preferred.
• A Traditional Healthcare Worker (THW) certification is required (proof of application is acceptable and certification within 6 months of hire). THW certification must be kept current and in compliance with the OARs.

Experience:

• Position requires experience as a former or current user of mental health services.
• In depth working knowledge of the behavioral health system and external resources.
• Must self-disclose as a current or former user of behavioral health services and must have personal experience with recovery.

Peer Navigator II:

Education:

• Bachelor’s degree in related field or equivalent experience in the field.
• A completed Peer Support Training approved by the Oregon Health Authority (OHA).
• A Traditional Healthcare Worker (THW) certification is required (proof of application is acceptable and certification within 6 months of hire). THW certification must be kept current and in compliance with the OARs.
• Must complete a Peer Wellness Training approved by the OHA within two years of the date of employment if incumbent has not completed one.

Experience:

• Position requires experience as a former or current user of mental health services.
• Minimum of three years of experience working with adults with severe and persistent mental illness or dually diagnosed individuals.
• In depth working knowledge of the behavioral health system and external resources.
• Must self-disclose as a current or former user of behavioral health services and must have personal experience with recovery.

Specialized Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities:

• Implement positive-peer values, develop systems for collaborative notetaking, and ensure compliance with legal requirements.
• Foundational education regarding EDI with a commitment to continuously broaden knowledge of how to best serve underrepresented populations.
• Operate computer hardware and software (including Electronic Health Record software) at a level needed to effectively perform job functions.
• Enter and retrieve data.
• Prepare simple reports and progress notes.
• Familiarity or working knowledge of models connected to personal medicine, peer-led safety plans, WRAP and other peer-led models.

Other: Employee must possess a valid driver’s license, three-year driving history; clean driving record, ability to pass Driver Motor Vehicle (DMV) check and complete the Cascadia online Defensive Driving course.

Working Conditions

Work will be performed in both a community and clinic setting.

Mental Demands: The work assigned is diverse and involves addressing new and unusual circumstances in which outcomes may negatively affect costs, employee morale or participants. The work regularly involves a degree of unpredictability and disruption of planned tasks requiring a flexible time management approach.

Physical Demands: Activities and structure support community integration while assisting individuals in continued growth for successful independent living. Employees must have the ability to assist the team in providing safety to all individuals in potentially volatile situations.

Cascadia is an Equal Opportunity employer.  We celebrate diversity and are committed to creating an inclusive environment for all employees.  If you need assistance or an accommodation due to a disability, you may contact us at 503.963.7654 or at peopleandculture@cascadiabhc.org 

Benefits

We offer generous benefits for our full-time and part-time employees (20 hours pro-rated) including:

• Generous Paid Time Off Package Full-time employees earn 6 weeks of PTO in their first year!
• Medical and Dental Coverage (begins 1st of the month following 30 days after hire date)
• VSP Vision Discount Plan
• 403(B) Retirement Savings (Pre and post-tax plans with up to 8% employer matching contribution!)
• Flexible Spending Account (FSA) (Medical, dependent care, and transportation options)
• Short-Term Disability, Long-Term Disability, and Life Insurance
• Paid Bereavement and Jury Duty Leave
• Length of Service Award
• Voluntary Life Insurance
• Supplemental Insurance
• Student loan forgiveness options

Wellness Benefits:

• Employee Assistance Program (EAP)
• Bicycle Reimbursement
• Discounted Fitness Memberships
• Trauma Support Team

Starting Rate Range in USD ($)

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