Hill Country Health and Wellness Center

Job Description

Job Title: Certified Peer Support Specialist

Department: Behavioral Health/Substance Use Services

FLSA Status: Non-Exempt- Hourly

Reports To: Program Manager - CCBHC

Hours: Full Time: Monday to Friday (hours TBD)

PLEASE INCLUDE COVER LETTER WITH RESUME

PROGRAM DESCRIPTION:

Hill Country has been awarded a grant from SAMHSA to become a Certified Community Behavioral Health Center (CCBHC), enabling us to expand and refine our recovery-oriented approach to substance use and mental health services, especially for people with highly complex needs. CCBHCs are a new form of provider within the Medicaid system, approved in 2013 via the federal Excellence in Mental Health Act. They are designed to provide whole-person care by integrating physical health care with a comprehensive range of mental health and substance use services to vulnerable adults and children. Whole-person care means all aspects of a person’s health are considered, including their physical, mental, and behavioral health, as well as their socioeconomic status, housing situation, and other social determinants of health, which can exacerbate short and long term health issues. CCBHCs are presently considered the “gold standard” care model for people with complex needs.

One aspect of what makes CCBHCs different is that all providers involved in a person’s healthcare have access to all relevant information and communicate with one another to gain the full picture of a patient’s health. All patients are screened for behavioral health at the beginning of an appointment and a full spectrum of services from primary to specialized care is provided by the CCBHC or a close partner.

There are nine types of behavioral health services that a CCBHC is responsible for providing, either directly or by contracting with partner organizations. They are:

• 
  Screening, assessment, and diagnosis
• Primary care screening and monitoring
• Crisis care mental health services
• Patient-centered treatment plan

• Outpatient mental health and substance use services
• Targeted case management
• Psychiatric rehabilitation services
• Peer support, counseling, and family support services
• Veteran services

POSITION SUMMARY:

Under supervision of the Program Manager, this position will support the Certified Community Behavioral Health Clinic (CCBHC) as the Certified Peer Support Specialist. The CCBHC is a community-based program with a target population of adults and children that experience severe mental illness (SMI), severe emotional disturbance, substance use and co-occurring disorders. Individuals served at the CCBHC have diverse, complex care needs that require comprehensive team-based care. The Certified Peer Support Specialist is responsible for managing an assigned caseload. The position works as a part of a multi-disciplinary team to help support participants in learning skills to make behavioral changes to improve their health and wellness. Under minimal supervision, work independently and in close collaboration with Hill Country’s CARE Center staff, medical and behavioral health staff and other community agencies to provide outreach, navigational and direct services to maximize health outcomes.

Hill Country utilizes a harm reduction approach to promote self-determination and change. The Certified Peer Support Specialist will engage with participants to offer support, advocacy, and assistance to navigate treatment services to address mental illness and substance use, including care coordination and case management. The Peer Support Specialist will work with patients both individually and in group settings.

ESSENTIAL DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES:

To perform this job successfully, an individual must be able to perform each essential duty satisfactorily. Other duties may be assigned which may become essential to the position.

• Works closely with the participants and the care team to support participants achieve goals.
• Co-jointly develop and implement recovery strategies with participants.
• Facilitates education and support groups to promote health and wellness.
• Responds to participants’ emergencies as needed and in a timely manner.
• Assists participants in utilization of services, maintains follow up contacts and coordination of care.
• Works closely with participants to develop individualized recovery plans to meet their needs.
• Work in partnership with participants to develop and implement self-management strategies based on their needs and goals.
• Assists participants in increasing social support networks of relatives, friends and/or significant others.
• Advocates on participants’ behalf as needed to protect participant rights and to assist in reducing associated stigma.
• Maintains accurate and timely documentation of all interactions, including telephone calls in the in the Electronic Health Record system (EHR).
• Works in collaboration with other providers, family members and/or significant others involved in the participant’s recovery plan.
• Uses effective interpersonal skills and sound judgement to determine how best to collaborate with co-workers, supervisors, staff and outside organizations as necessary for the completion of duties and responsibilities.
• Responsible for understanding participants’ rights and Hill Country’s policies and procedures.
• Adheres to strict boundaries and professional ethics in the care of others.
• Maintains confidentiality laws and regulations to protect health information.
• Attend all mandatory webinars, conferences and team meetings as assigned by supervisor.
• Participates in ongoing education and training for professional development.
• Performs other duties as assigned and be able to make adjustments as the CCBHC program evolves.

SUPERVISORY RESPONSIBILITIES:

This position does not have any supervisory responsibilities.

QUALIFICATIONS:

The requirements listed below are representative of the knowledge, skill, and/or ability required. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS:

• 
  High School, with a minimum of 2 years as a Peer Support Specialist. Comparative work experience will be considered.
• If not state certified at hire, must complete the certification process within the first year of employment. Information on California Peer Support Specialist certification at https://www.capeercertification.org/initial-certification/
• Identifies as a past consumer of mental health or substance use services with a history of self-management in their recovery.
• Awareness of recovery principles, recovery-oriented language working with others in their recovery.
• Ability to work within multiple areas of EHR and ability to learn new programs quickly.
• Competent oral and written communication skills.
• Demonstrates excellent attendance, reliability and dependability.
• Ability to work with a team of professionals and have the ability to implement team strategy approaches to work assignments.

PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS:

• AA or higher degree, in social sciences or case management.
• Familiar with Shasta County’s community resources and social service agencies.
• Past experience working directly with people in a service oriented field is beneficial.
• Active membership in a consumer advocacy or self-help group.

BEHAVIORAL STANDARDS:

• Adhere to Policies and Procedures
• Participate in team systems
• Perform duties ethically
• Maintain patient confidentiality
• Demonstrate ability to re-prioritize duties as needs arise
• Use time efficiently
• Be responsible for co-workers and patient satisfaction
• Display flexibility in accepting, changing, and carrying out assignments
• Maintain a neat, clean, and safe work environment throughout the facility
• Perform duties with kindness in a quality manner

LANGUAGE ABILITY:

Must have intermediate level language skills. Ability to read and interpret documents such as safety rules, operating and maintenance instructions, and procedure manuals. Ability to write routine reports and correspondence. Ability to speak effectively before individuals, groups or employees of organization.

MATH ABILITY:

Must have intermediate math skills. Ability to add, subtract, multiply, and divide in all units of measure, using whole numbers, common fractions, and decimals. Ability to compute rate, ratio, and percentages.

REASONING ABILITY:

Must have advanced level reasoning skills. Ability to apply common sense understanding to carry out instructions furnished in written, oral, or diagram form. Ability to deal with problems involving several concrete variables in standardized situations.

COMPUTER SKILLS:

To perform this job successfully, an individual should have intermediate working knowledge of Windows operating systems, Microsoft Office Suite - Word, Excel, Outlook, and Internet browsers.

EQUIPMENT SKILLS:

To perform job successfully, one should have intermediate knowledge to operate telephones, facsimile and copier machine.

WORK ENVIRONMENT:

The work environment characteristics described here are representative of those an employee encounters while performing the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

The position requires work to be performed in various work environments. This may include indoor/outdoor and medical office environment. Employee will occasionally be exposed to fumes or airborne particles, outdoor weather conditions, and may occasionally exposed to risk of electrical shock. The noise level in the work environment is usually moderate with normal business office, computer, printer and medical equipment noises. In addition performance of duties may include outreach in the community and working in various environments.

PHYSICAL DEMANDS:

The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions. While performing the duties of this job, employees will regularly use hands to finger, handle or feel, and talk or hear. Employees will frequently sit and reach with hands or arms. Employees will occasionally stand, walk, balance, stoop, kneel or crouch, and smell. Employee will frequently lift and/or move up to 10 pounds, and occasionally lift and/or move up to 25 pounds. Employee must use close vision, distance vision, color vision, peripheral vision, depth perception and ability to focus.