HARPS Peer Support Specialist

Housing Peer Support Specialist – Full-time
Hiring Range: $20.07 - $24.58 per hour

Benefits: 

• Comprehensive and generous health, dental and vision benefits
• Up to 19 days of PTO, 2 mental health days and 9 paid holidays your first year (pro-rated for part-time)
• Company paid short-term disability, long-term disability and life insurance
• Student loan payment assistance and extensive training
• An incredible team approach that is dynamic and collaborative

General Summary of Duties:  The Peer Counselor has experience as a recipient of Substance use services for substance use and substance dependence and is willing to use and share his or her personal, practical experience, knowledge, and first-hand insight to benefit the team and its clients. 

• The Peer Counselor provides the team with expertise about the recovery process, symptom management, and clients' persistence to lead a satisfying life.
• The Peer Counselor is responsible for advocating for client choice, self-determination, and decision-making in the planning, delivery, and evaluation of treatment, rehabilitation, and support services.
• The Peer Counselor provides consultation to clients, families, and team staff in community resources, treatment planning, crisis intervention, and substance abuse services.

Supervisory Responsibilities: None

Major Responsibilities/Tasks:

• Draw on common experiences as a peer to validate clients' experience and to provide guidance and encouragement for clients to take responsibility and participate in their own recovery.  Promote hope and empowerment designed to help clients attain recovery goals and maintain the highest possible independence level, even during periods of instability. 
• Housing: Assists clients find and maintain a safe and affordable place to live, apartment hunting, finding a roommate, landlord negotiations, cleaning, furnishing and decorating, and procuring necessities.  Identify type and location of housing with an exploration of access to natural supports and avoidance of triggers. Provides practical help and supports, mentoring, advocacy, coordination, side-by-side individualized support, problem-solving, direct assistance, and supervision to help clients obtain the necessities of daily living, including medical and dental health care; legal and advocacy services; financial support such as entitlements, housing subsidies; money management services: transportation, and reasonable accommodation requests as needed.
• Employment: Assists with referrals to job training, Supported Employment, and DVR.  Performs mentoring, problem solving, encouragement, and support on and off the job site.  Provides work-related supportive services, such as assistance securing necessary clothing and grooming supplies, wake-up calls, reasonable accommodation requests as needed, and transportation.
• Activities of Daily Living Services: Provides ongoing assessment, problem-solving, side-by-side services, skill teaching, support, and environmental adaptations to assist clients with daily living activities.  Assists and supports clients in organizing and perform household activities, including house cleaning and laundry.  Assists and supports clients with personal hygiene and grooming tasks.  Provide nutrition education and assistance with meal planning, grocery shopping, and food preparation.  Ensures clients have adequate financial support teaches money-management skills, and assist clients in accessing financial services. Help clients access reliable transportation. Assists and supports clients to have and effectively use a personal primary care physician, dentist, and other medical specialists as required.
• Social and Interpersonal Relationships and Leisure Time: Provides side-by-side support, coaching, and encouragement to help clients socialize, going with a client to community activities, including activities offered by consumer-run peer support organizations.  Assists clients to plan and carry out leisure time activities. Organizes and leads individual and group social and recreational activities to help clients structure their time, increase social experiences, and provide opportunities to practice social skills.
• Other coaching, guidance, and transition support:  Provides transition services from hospital to community, including medication management.  Assist in providing ongoing assessment and direct services to clients, responding to such challenges as an increase in suicidality, the need for substance abuse education and treatment, and the clients' readiness for meaningful daily activity, including employment.
• Act as an interpreter to the rest of the team while providing expertise and consultation from a client perspective in symptoms, effects, side effects of medications, client opinions of treatment, and client recovery experiences.
• Help clients and staff to identify, understand, and combat stigma, discrimination and assist clients in locating self-help and consumer advocacy groups that promote recovery while acting as the liaison between the team and such groups.
• Collaborate with staff and clients on awareness of client rights, including grievance and complaint procedures; support clients with filing, mediating, and resolving complaints.
• In addition to the above, any other responsibilities appropriate to the position and not specifically listed in the job description.

Minimum Qualifications:

EDUCATION: High School Diploma or GED

EXPERIENCE: Entry level (no prior related work experience)

This position requires driving clients in a personal vehicle on behalf of the agency; therefore, the incumbent must successfully complete a motor vehicle history check, possess and maintain a current, valid driver's license in the state of Washington, and have reliable, insured transportation.

LICENSURE: Agency Affiliated Counselor Registration. Completed the Washington State Mental Health Division's Peer Counselor Training and the subsequent certification as a Peer Counselor within six months of employment.

Preferred Qualifications:

EXPERIENCE: Relevant experience working with clients with severe and persistent mental illness.

Capacity to work well with children and families.

Performance Requirements:

KNOWLEDGE:

1.                  Maintain a working knowledge of mental health rehabilitation standards.

SKILLS:

1.                  Must have a strong commitment to the right and the ability of each person with a substance use diagnosis to live in normal community residences; work in market jobs; and have access to helpful, adequate, competent, and continuous supports and services.  It is essential the peer specialist has the skills and competence to establish supportive, trusting relationships with persons with substance use and dependence, and respect for clients' rights and personal preferences in treatment is essential.
2.                  Skill in establishing and maintaining effective working relationships with other employees, clients, organizations, and the public.
3.                  Communication ‑ Communicates clearly and concisely.
4.                  Computer skills - The ability to operate a personal computer, fax machine, printer, and copier proficiently.

Abilities:

1.                  Demonstrated ability to maintain appropriate professional boundaries while balancing the sometimes conflicting demands of being both a peer to clients and an employee of the agency.  Seek appropriate clinical supervision where necessary, particularly around boundary issues.

1.                  Demonstrated ability to meet or exceed productivity standards.
2.                  Demonstrated ability to work cooperatively and collaboratively as a team member.