What are the responsibilities and job description for the ZSF General Peer Support Specialist position at Mental Health Association of San Francisco?

Job Description

JOB TITLE : ZSF General Peer Support Specialist

DEPARTMENT : Peer Services

JOB STATUS : Full-time (40 hours); Non-exempt

HOURS & LOCATION :

ZSF General Hospital Psychiatric Units and Field Based in San Francisco
10am - 6pm

SALARY : $30.29 hourly

BENEFITS :

100% Employer Paid Medical : Kaiser HMO or Blue Shield PPO

100% Dental, vision, life & long-term disability coverage; EAP

Over 30 days of PTO, including 10 vacation days (baseline), sick days, personal days, and major holidays

Health and Dependent Care FSA, Commuter Check, and 403(b) options available

Ongoing access to MHASF continuing education and skill-building workshops- all training time paid

Excellent opportunity for advancement-over 70% of our staff have been promoted internally at least once!

REPORTS TO : Community Partnerships Peer Manager

ABOUT THE MENTAL HEALTH ASSOCIATION OF SAN FRANCISCO (MHASF)

MHASF is a mental health peer-run nonprofit located in downtown San Francisco serving people and agencies across the Bay Area since 1947. As mental health consumers ourselves, we center the lived expertise of people with mental health challenges in our advocacy, education, and support programs, and believe that dignity and recovery in mental health are something everyone can experience. Our staff is dedicated to creating spaces for learning and healing around stigmatized and under-resourced areas in mental health-hoarding and cluttering behavior, peer employment support, wellness & nutrition, community-based crisis response, service navigation, and more. MHASF strongly-encourages people with lived experience of mental health challenges to apply and grow with us!

OVERVIEW OF PROGRAM & POSITION :

The Community Partnerships Team works within MHASF's Department of Peer Services to provide support to peers experiencing significant challenges, and we invite them to discover and build wellness with us. Our team works with individuals during and after psychiatric hospitalization, through complex court processes, and as they access housing in San Francisco. The Peer Support Specialists (PSS) on our team maintain a primary focus on wellness - for the participants in our programs and for ourselves.

In your role as a member of the Community Partnership Team you will provide services within our Zuckerberg San Francisco General (ZSF) General Hospital Peer Support Program, which provides in-patient support (1 : 1 and group) to individuals on the psychiatric units at ZSF General Hospital and peer counseling and case management support to participants, post-discharge. This program sets the foundation for Medi-Cal reimbursement for MHASF peer counseling programs.

Peer Support Specialists (PSS) serving this program provide access to resources for mental health, housing, substance use, and other key community support services in San Francisco with an overall goal of reducing and mitigating mental health crises and hospitalizations. This program connects San Francisco residents to peer support, counseling, and case management from trained individuals with lived experience of mental health conditions and recovery.

The PSS provides in-person support and resources to participants via 1 : 1 face-to-face, group support, phone, text, and web-based technology to patients on the ZSF General Hospital psychiatric unit and recently discharged participants from the unit. Post-discharge support includes assisting participants with service navigation, emotional support, and up to 120-day case management, leading to a warm handoff to ongoing services by community partners.

RESPONSIBILITIES

Top Three Responsibilities :

Provide wellness-focused peer-to-peer support in 1 : 1 settings and group support settings on the ZSF General Hospital Psychiatric units

Provide peer counseling and case management to previously hospitalized patients and individuals who have been placed on psychiatric units at ZSF General Hospital for mental health crises

Model peer community and core competencies with program participants and colleagues

Peer Support & Case Management :

Use personal lived experience as a mental health consumer to engage with participants, with the goal of developing trust and rapport

Serve as a role model and self-disclose lived experience background to participants as appropriate, to establish trust and demonstrate the possibility of recovery

Provide information and assist participants with access to community services and resources

Communicate with physicians, psychiatrists, and therapists as well as other service providers as needed

Assist with crisis intervention, targeted case management, advocacy, service navigation, and other supports

Provide on-going follow-up contact to ensure participants are connected to appropriate supports and provide additional assistance when needed

Help ensure that services are sensitive to the cultural context and personal history of each participant and their support system; provide services in community-based settings

Ensure that participants and family members are involved to the greatest extent possible in decisions affecting services and treatment

Promote collaboration among support systems, mental health providers, healthcare providers, justice system personnel, school personnel, and other agencies

Provide group support, in-person and via Zoom, to program participants

Accompany and advocate for participants at their appointments providing emotional support

Record-Keeping, Training, & Participation :

Attend supervision, staff meetings, and trainings

Maintain detailed records of services provided and ensure participant record confidentiality

Ensure records contain all data necessary in reporting to the State Department of Mental Health

Ensure records conform to Medi-Cal and HIPAA requirements and standards

The Peer Support Specialist also supports broader MHASF initiatives and is responsible for other duties as assigned. The above job responsibilities are meant to be representative, not a comprehensive job description, and are subject to change depending on the needs of the program and MHASF.

REQUIRED QUALIFICATIONS

Personal lived experience of mental health challenges and a willingness to disclose to participants and during counselor trainings is a requirement for this peer position

Minimum 2 years of experience as a peer counselor, peer specialist, or similar (either paid or volunteer), ideally within a nonprofit setting

Behavioral health knowledge, including familiarity with psychiatric diagnoses, psychiatric symptoms and associated behavior, psychiatric medications, and substance use issues

Ability to respond effectively to conflicts and strong emotions; crisis support or call center background is very helpful for this role

Familiarity with community resources in San Francisco

Case management experience

Experience maintaining confidentiality of sensitive information & understanding of confidentiality practices

Familiarity with the mental health recovery movement, peer support model, & local resources

Proficiency in Microsoft Office Suite, use of tele-health platforms such as Zoom, and data entry

High level of organization and time management with an ability to focus and prioritize in stressful situations

Strong verbal and written communication skills, including the ability to write effective case notes

Highly collaborative work style and ability to work effectively within a team to identify and accomplish goals

Ability to problem-solve with little to no guidance and to exercise independent judgment under stress

Willingness to learn from others, take feedback, and make adjustments to communication and behavior

Experience taking initiative to self-educate about unfamiliar subjects or concepts

Affirmative and accepting approach toward people whose needs and experiences differ from your own

Commitment to upholding the mission and values of MHASF

DESIREABLE QUALIFICATIONS

Bilingual in one of the five threshold languages

Individuals with lived experience of mental illness / psychiatric disabilities

PHYSICAL REQUIREMENTS

This position is field based in the San Francisco community. The position requires walking in San Francisco, standing in lines with program participants, and the use of public transportation. The position also requires periods of work at a desk, which may involve sitting or standing and the use of a computer, keyboard, mouse, and cell phone.

EQUAL OPPORTUNITY EMPLOYMENT STATEMENT

Mental health challenges can affect anyone at any time, regardless of identity or background, and consequently the communities we serve are highly diverse. As a peer-run organization, we also recognize the importance of lived experience as an irreplaceable form of expertise and as a basis for building trust and providing effective services. We welcome and strongly encourage people from historically marginalized and economically disadvantaged groups, including people who identify as disabled or neuro-divergent, to apply to work with us.

MHASF is committed to providing equal employment opportunities to all qualified applicants for employment and does not discriminate on the basis of race, religion, color, national origin, ancestry, physical or mental disability, medical condition, genetic information, marital status, sex, gender or gender identity, gender expression, age, sexual orientation, military or veteran status, or any other factor not related to ability to successfully fulfill the requirements of the position.

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