ACT Peer Support Specialist (Full-Time)

About the Role

ACT Peer Support Services are client-centered services with a rehabilitation and recovery focus designed to promote skills for coping with and managing psychiatric symptoms while facilitating the utilization of natural resources and the enhancement of community living skills. This position provides goal-directed supports and solution-focused interventions to achieve identified goals or objectives as set forth in the client’s individualized treatment plan.

The structured, scheduled activities provided by this service emphasize the opportunity for support in the restoration and expansion of skills and strategies needed to move forward in recovery. Peer support is a face-to-face intervention with the client present. Services can be provided individually or in a group setting. At times, this position will provide services to clients who are experiencing a psychiatric crisis to interrupt and/or improve a crisis experience. As medically necessary, this position will aid in the form of direct support, supervision, and/or queueing to support independence. Most contacts will occur in community locations where the client lives, works, attends school, and/or socializes. This position conducts activities under the direction of clinical staff.

Responsibilities

• Follow dress code policies of any alternative work locations, including but not limited to schools, jails, courts, detention centers, and other community partners.
• Help the client develop a network for information and support from others who have been through similar experiences.
• Support clients in making independent/educated choices and taking a proactive role in treatment, including discussing questions or concerns about medications, diagnoses, or treatment approaches with their treating clinicians.
• Assist the client with identifying and effectively responding to and/or avoiding identified triggers that result in functional impairments.
• Disclose, as needed, personal experience with a mental illness or substance use disorder and utilize these experiences as a model for recovery to the client.
• Assist in the assessment of needs for assigned clients.
• Assist in the development of treatment plans.
• Assist in accessing community-based resources.
• Provide transportation when indicated by treatment plan goals.
• Assist in tasks related to treatment plan goals.
• Work closely with clinical and medical staff in the provision of medication services.
• Assist in participation and provide support for group sessions as needed.
• Participate in activities to role model appropriate behavior.
• Teach, train, and provide appropriate interventions and role modeling for appropriate life skills in group settings for individual clients.
• Attend meetings and supervision as directed by supervisor.
• Meet department productivity standards and documentation standards.
• Participate in on-call rotation for the Save Line, scheduled by the ACT Coordinator.
• Perform additional duties as necessary and as assigned by the Division Director and/or Immediate Supervisor.

Requirements

• Must be at least 18 years of age and at least three years older than a client under 18 years of age.
• High school diploma or equivalent.
• Certification in the State of Kansas to provide this service is required.
• The peer provider must self-identify as a present or former primary consumer of mental health services or substance use services.
• Driver License is required.
• Pass pre-employment background checks and State of Kansas Adult/Child Abuse.
• Experience working with adults in a community mental health setting is preferred.

Skills

Staff will meet competency expectations, including integration of evidence-based practices and required certifications by successfully completing the following training, which will be conducted in various formats, including in-person training, online training, webinars, seminars, workshops, and self-directed training. All training, certifications, and competencies will be documented by completion of certificates when available and maintained by the Training department.

• Obtain Certification for Management of Aggressive Behavior (MOAB) training. MOAB is an in-depth training program that teaches individuals how to recognize, reduce, and manage violent and aggressive behavior. Training is provided. MOAB training requires controlled movements, body positioning, and the ability to perform physical holds and restraint techniques. The focus of MOAB training is to use techniques that can be effectively applied by employees of varying physical capabilities while minimizing potential harm to both the individual being restrained and the trained staff themselves.