Peer Leadership Coordinator

About the role

The Peer Leadership Coordinator (PLC) works in one of the Youth and Young Adult (YYA) Access Centers (ACs) to coordinate YYA leadership and advocacy activities, conduct engagement activities, and ensure YYA voice and choice is reflected throughout the AC. The PLC functions as a liaison to the YA Leadership Council and is a key member of the AC leadership team alongside the PD, promoting YYA voice and leadership throughout all elements of AC programming and culture.

Responsibilities

• Shares personal experiences; provides non-directive support and works with the YYA (if YYA chooses) to enhance skills of self-direction and empowerment.
• Provides outreach and engagement activities that lead to the establishment of a Young Adult (YA) Leadership Council.
• A member of the AC leadership team, partners with the PD to engage in networking, collaboration, and coordination efforts to develop and strengthen relationships with community stakeholders in order to ensure ACs are offering activities and events to meet the needs of YYA in the community.
• Acts as staff liaison to the Young Adult Leadership Council, serving in an advisory capacity to the Council and assisting the Council as requested.
• Works closely with the YA Leadership Council to ensure that the YYA voice and choice informs all AC programming and is the driver of all AC supports and services.
• Captures and coordinates YYA leadership activities within the AC.
• Promotes YYA participation in other local and statewide leadership councils, such as the Department of Mental Health (DMH) Statewide Mental Health Planning Council Youth Development Subcommittee.
• A member of the AC leadership team, ensures YYA decision making power is present in all aspects of the AC operation.
• Communicates YYA input and feedback to AC PD, and to organizational leadership as needed.
• Promotes YYA participation in other local and statewide leadership councils, such as the Department of Mental Health (DMH) Statewide Mental Health Planning Council Youth Development Subcommittee.
• Coordinates the inclusion of YYA in the interview and hiring of all staff positions.
• Arranges trainings/forum in collaboration with the AC Program Director that are based on YYA feedback and are opportunities that include both YYA and YYA Access Center Peer Ldrshp Coor MA PR 3 staff.
• Develops volunteer opportunities through networking efforts for YYA to give back to the community.
• Helps YYA in developing supportive relationships and community connections.
• Helps YYA in communicating and working effectively with service providers, employers, natural supports, family members, and others to achieve their goals.
• Promotes healthy lifestyles and wellness practices including in the area of substance use.
• Educates DMH and AC staff around engagement strategies that retain YYA in services.
• Supports YYA and facilitates and promotes YYA voice in policy and programmatic decisions and service design and improvement to ensure services are relevant.
• Promotes discovery and recovery as they use their own lived experience in a purposeful, strength-based way to support YYA.
• Inspires hope and future focus in YYA.
• Provides social activities for YYA, whether at the AC or in the community.
• Attends in-service trainings and staff meetings.
• Helps YYA develop self-advocacy skills, in groups or individually.
• Helps maximize choices available to YYA as well as their self-determination, and participation and decision-making in the planning, delivery, and evaluation of their services.
• Helps YYA link to other community services and peer networks, both in person and virtual, including services and networks for people with co-occurring disorders – including mutual help and peer support groups.
• Models effective coping techniques and self-help strategies.
• Provides crisis intervention when needed.
• Works collaboratively as a cohesive unit with all other AC staff, both within the AC and collaboratively with other ACs, to deliver services under the leadership of the PD.
• Performs other related duties, as assigned.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in human services discipline strongly preferred.
• Certified Peer Specialist required.
• Experience as a recipient of services for people with psychiatric conditions as well as being well along in own recovery required.
• Two to three years working with YYA experiencing co-occurring disorders in addition to psychiatric conditions required.
• A fully insured vehicle that you will use in the course of daily work and willingness to provide transport to YYA.
• Ability to form solid connections with YYA with mental health concerns.
• Knowledge of both the DMH Child Youth and Family and Adult services systems.
• Willingness to use and share personal, practical experience of recovery process and wellness management.

Skills

• Ability to create and maintain supportive, trusting relationships with YYA served by the AC.
• Knowledge of both the DMH Child Youth and Family and Adult services systems.
• Skill in mediation and conflict resolution.
• Willingness to use and share their personal, practical experience of recovery process, wellness management, and the personal effort and commitment required for YYA to have a full and satisfying life in the community.
• Strong commitments to the right and ability of people served to live, work, have meaningful relationships and receive the resources and supports needed in their community of choice.
• Knowledge of person-centered, strengths-based, recovery-oriented values, and principles and modalities.
• Knowledge of Peer Support practices and ethical standards including the Peer Mentor Practice Profile.
• Ability to learn and use evidence-based practices and approaches.
• Knowledge of Wellness Recovery Action Planning (WRAP) and other wellness management strategies.
• Knowledge of community and other resources.
• Ability to work independently as well as a part of a team.
• Ability to use crisis intervention techniques and relapse prevention techniques.
• Ability to balance competing priorities.
• Ability to make independent judgments and decisions.
• Knowledge of personal computer applications and equipment.

Benefits

My Job. My Community. My Vinfen. Vinfen is an Equal Opportunity Employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, pregnancy, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, age, protected veteran status, or disability status.