What are the responsibilities and job description for the Youth Peer Support Specialist I or II position at Livingston County Community Mental Health?
Starting Compensation:
Youth Peer Support Specialist I: $16.17 - $18.59 per hour depending on experience
Youth Peer Support Specialist II: $17.56 - $20.19 per hour depending on experience
About Us:
Livingston County Community Mental Health is a public mental health services provider located in Howell, Michigan, between Detroit and Lansing. We are an organization joined by the shared vision to create a healthy and rewarding life in the community for everyone. Our team approach works together to serve individuals with a wide array of needs in order to create individualized pathways to wellness, resilience, recovery, and self-determination.
The Youth Peer Support Specialist will look forward to:
- Meaningful and rewarding work
- Opportunities to develop a broad range of clinical skills in working with children/adolescents and families.
- Regular and accessible clinical supervision
- A supportive team of colleagues with a variety of experience and expertise.
- A positive work environment that values diversity.
- Ability to take on special projects and/or interests
- Opportunities for advancement
- Electronic health record - no paper charting
Role:
Under the supervision of a Mental Health Program Director and a Program Coordinator, advocates for the community support needs of children and adolescents with a serious emotional disturbance. The Youth Peer Support Specialist I is a person who has received mental health services as a youth and has progressed in their own recovery from a mental health condition and / or substance use disorder and is willing to self-identify as a peer and work to assist other children and adolescents with a serious emotional disturbance. Because of their life experience, such persons have expertise that professional training cannot replicate. This is a part-time (20 hours/week) position.
- Build and foster relationships with the youth and families and others working with the youth.
- Actively engage as a part of the treatment team to meet youth needs, complete all required documentation and paperwork.
- Prepare the youth to fully participate in their own meetings and treatment planning process (including Wraparound, Family Centered Planning meetings (IPOS) IEP meetings, etc.).
- Teach self-advocacy, problem-solving, coping techniques, and self-help strategies, learning, and practicing new skills, including independent living skills.
- Provide support during "rough" or "crisis times".
- Provide community education about youth culture and perspective to enhance community understanding and acceptance of children and adolescents with a serious emotional disturbance.
- Interrupt bias and promote a stance of acceptance while reducing stigma about mental health.
- Empower the youth to build understanding in others about their unique mental health needs.
- In collaboration with the youth, work with other internal and external partners (i.e. schools, faith community, other human service organizations) to develop natural supports to eliminate barriers to services, enhance existing community services or develop new services based on the needs of the youth.
- Co-facilitate groups of youth focusing on goals as specified in treatment plan.
- Provide consultation and education to individuals and groups and use problem solving techniques with the objective of assisting youth in improving or maintaining functioning.
- Serve as a role model and active participant in supporting youth in meeting their treatment plan goals.
- Monitors recipient rights violations and complies with recipient rights reporting requirements established by the Mental Health code and procedures of the Community Mental Health Services Board.
Requirements to join us:
Candidates must be committed to our shared values and commitment to community care including clinical excellence, community inclusion, community benefit, innovation, integrated care and improvement. Our collaborative approach to treatment requires strong teaming skills. This is a dynamic, team-oriented position with great opportunities to grow.
- This position is limited to persons between the ages 18 through 26.
- Experience receiving services as a youth in complex, child serving systems (behavioral health, child welfare, juvenile justice, special education, etc.) preferred.
Job Specific Requirements:
Education: High school diploma or equivalent (GED).
Experience:
- The Youth Peer Support Specialist is a person who has received mental health services as a youth.
- The Youth Peer Support Specialist is a person who is willing and able to self-identify as a person who has or is receiving mental health services as a youth and has lived experience and is prepared to use that experience in helping others.
- The Youth Peer Support Specialist I must be able to achieve MDHHS certification as a Youth Peer Support Specialist within one year of hiring and be willing to participate in ongoing required training.
Other Requirements:
- Must have basic computer literacy skills and the ability to successfully utilize an electronic medical record to complete documentation requirements.
- Strong communication and organization skills.
- Must possess a valid Michigan driver's license.
- Access to and ability to utilize transportation in order to perform job activities.
Salary : $16 - $20