About the Role
The Peer Support Specialist enhances treatment services by assisting clients in developing skills and enhancing strengths to avoid relapse and successfully navigate the full continuum of care and the road to long-term recovery.
Responsibilities
- Acts as a mentor to individuals to promote decision making, empowerment and engagement.
- Acts as a liaison between individuals, clinical team and community resources.
- Acts as a role model for clients by sharing effective coping techniques and self-help strategies in promoting personal growth and development handling internal and external stressors.
- Assists clients in establishing a relationship with a primary care provider or additional medical care in a coordinated/team approach.
- Assists in the process of acquiring housing, necessities and skills needed to maintain daily and monthly household responsibilities and independent livings.
- Assists and promotes positive health, wellness and lifestyle choices.
- Assists with acquiring and developing life and social skills, education and other needs identified by the individual to promote quality of life after recovery.
- Communicates client’s status on a regular basis, including, but not limited to changes in mood or functioning, medical issues and all crisis and health and safety issues.
- Documents all “no shows,” and communicates all difficulties contacting clients with appropriate office staff.
- Documents services provided regularly, concisely, and completely in accordance with clinical standards by office deadline.
- Engages individuals referred to treatment at the initial point of contact, clinic or other ؛other community provider, to expedite screening for the appropriate level of care.
- Provides peer support knowledge related to treatment including methadone, buprenorphine or extended release naltrexone injection maintenance treatment.
- Provides peer support to clinically complex clients, drawing on common experiences as a peer, validates individuals’ experiences and provides guidance and encouragement to promote individuals to take responsibility and actively participate in their own recovery.
- Serves as linkage between clients and employers in the area to assist clients in obtaining and maintaining gainful employment.
- Serves as consultants and subject matter experts in MAT and client participation in community support groups such as Narcotics Anonymous and Celebrate Recovery.
- Takes role of advocate.
- Attends all office trainings as well as regular clinical supervision sessions with assigned supervisor.
Requirements
- High School diploma or equivalent required.
- Two or more years' experience working in a behavioral health setting is required.
- One or more years’ experience in an acute inpatient behavioral health setting preferred.
- Training on personal advocacy, engagement, recovery and resiliency principles, community supports/resources, effective use of sharing life experiences and parenting skills, as applicable.
- Understands general addiction, other substance-related problems and available treatment options.
- General understanding of community resources and how to promote linkage between the client and resource.
- Certification as a Peer Specialist required.
- CPR and de-escalation and restraint certification required (training available upon hire and offered by facility).
- First aid may be required based on state or facility.
Skills
- Personal advocacy
- Engagement
- Recovery and resiliency principles
- Community supports/resources
- Effective use of sharing life experiences
- Parenting skills
- General addiction
- Substance-related problems
- Treatment options
- Community resources
- MAT
- Client participation in community support groups
- CPR
- De-escalation
- Restraint certification
- First aid
Location
- Charleston, West Virginia
Work Type
- Full-time
Experience Level
- Individual Contributor
Education Level
- High School diploma or equivalent
Salary/Compensations
- Competitive salary commensurate with experience and qualifications
Benefits
- Comprehensive benefit plan
About the Company
- Highland Hospital offers a comprehensive benefit plan and a competitive salary commensurate with experience and qualifications.
- Summit BHC is dedicated to serving Veterans with specialized programming at our treatment centers across the country.
- We recognize and value the unique strengths of the military community in supporting our mission to serve those who have served.
Equal Opportunity
- Highland Hospital is an EEO.
- Veterans and military spouses are highly encouraged to apply.
