Veteran Peer Support Specialist

Description

SUMMARY: 

As a full-time employee of NorthEast Treatment Center’s (NET’s), the peer support staff provide hope encouragement and recovery support to individuals with a range of behavioral health challenges.  A peer specialist draws on their unique lived experience to engage and connect individuals with local behavioral health, recovery and community services of their choosing.  The Veteran Peer Specialists works closely with program staff, clinicians, social workers, and outreach staff.  

Qualifications

ESSENTIAL POSITION REQUIREMENTS:

• Veteran status or experience working with Veterans is highly preferred.
• Provide hope and encouragement needed for the client in reaching his/her goal(s) for recovery.
• Reinforce the process the recovering person has learned for identifying weaknesses such as negative self-talk, while also assisting the recovering person with identifying his or her own strengths, needs, abilities, and preferences.
• Provide resources for the recovering person about community and natural supports and how to utilize these in the recovery process.
• Promote empowerment skills through self-advocacy and stigma-busting tools.
• Advocate for effective recovery-based services.
• Become a referral source and act as a liaison with established 12 step and other identified community support groups.
• Model effective coping techniques and self-help strategies.
• Support the vocational choices of the recovering person and assist him/her in getting connected with job-related anxiety, support groups.
• Teach and utilize problem solving techniques and coping skills.
• Document plans and interventions collaboratively with recovering person.
• Attend provider networking events to expand the relationships between the program and community service providers.
• Demonstrate proficiency in completion of intake/admission paperwork, consumer search, and Medicaid Eligibility Check.
• Demonstrates proficient computer skills i.e., hardware and software
• Documents services provided in a legible, timely, and individualized manner and in accordance with NET, CARF, and DSAMH licensing standards

ESSENTIAL POSITION RESPONSIBILITIES: (Age/Service/Position Specific Competencies)

• Provide recovery education to individuals in every phase of recovery from pre-engagement to program discharge.
• Engage people to achieve health management goals using recovery coaching, motivational interviewing, and problem-solving skills.
• Serve as a model for both people and recovery and staff by demonstrating that recovery is possible.
• Share one’s own recovery experience.
• Assist people in discovering their personal interests, strengths, weaknesses to provide clarity for planning.  Promote self-advocacy by assisting people to take back their voice in service planning and ultimately life.
• Accompany individuals to recovery and wellness appointments as desired by the individual receiving service.
• Work with individuals to develop connections in the communities of their own choosing.
• Assist individuals in overcoming any barriers to meeting recovery goals.
• Support connections to community based, self-help groups.
• Educate professional staff about the recovery process, the damaging role that stigma can play in undermining recovery.
• Complete necessary paperwork to document individual’s progress.
• Follow up with individuals by phone, home visits, community visits or other settings where the individual may be met with.

Salary : $18