Peer Specialist- Outpatient/MAT

Duties and Responsibilities

• Engagement, Mentorship, and Education
• Establish a peer support relationship with program participants.
• Build trust and rapport with clients and their supportive relationships (by request).
• Promote engagement in recovery and resiliency-building services through outreach and coordination at community resources and community events.
• Mentor, advocate, and support clients in setting and pursuing personal goals, including recovery goals.
• Educate clients and supportive relationships on local health services, substance use education, daily living skills, and accessing community resources in both individual sessions and group settings.
• Conduct educational and support sessions for supportive relationships at request of clients.
• Support clients in identifying and engaging with strengths, coping strategies, and natural supports.
• System Navigation and Advocacy
• Help individuals navigate systems such as education, legal, medical, and mental health services.
• Advocate with external service providers to ensure coordinated care and support.
• Promote self-determination, personal responsibility, and empowerment in recovery and life decisions through endorsing autonomy and referrals to sustainable support systems
• Team Collaboration
• Work alongside licensed medical providers, SUD counselors, and behavioral health professionals within and outside the outpatient program to complement traditional treatment approaches.
• Attend and contribute to team planning meetings, uplifting the clients’ voice in decision-making.
• Participate in team trainings, supervision, and reflective practice.
• Endorse structural wellbeing of the program by committing to safety, workflows, and collaborative team decision-making
• Professionalism and Documentation
• Maintain accurate and timely documentation in various systems as required and achieve productivity requirements.
• Demonstrate organization, clear task completion, and strong communication across cultures and identities with supervisor support on strategies for adherence.
• Model positive relationships, respectful boundaries, and maintain a safe and supportive environment.
• Use trauma-informed methodology to perform toxicology screenings and relay/collect data

Qualifications

• Bilingual – English/Spanish preferred (will receive bilingual stipend of $1.00 per hour on top of hour pay rate)
• High school diploma or GED
• Self-identified as having experience with the process of recovery from a substance use disorder system and willingness to share experiences to encourage and advocate for others in recovery process.
• Lived experience with recovery supports, the justice system, behavioral health, and/or welfare system.
• Strong commitment to recovery
• Passion for working with clients in the community facing complex challenges.
• Strong communication and active listening skills and adherence to professional boundaries.
• Ability to pass background clearance (Department of Justice and FBI)
• Ability to successfully pass the Peer Specialist Medi-Cal certification examination within 30 days of hire
• Possession of reliable vehicle, valid CA driver’s license, vehicle insurance, and good driving record
• Excellent interpersonal, written/oral communication and basic computer skills.
• Willingness to engage in ongoing training and personal development, including provider training and administrative training

Wages & Benefits

• $26 per hour, 40 hours paid work
• Supplementary partial-day pay for on-call Holiday and weekend shifts
• Employee Assistance Program
• Ongoing training opportunities to support professional development
• Vacation, Sick, and Holiday PTO

About Us

At Encompass Community Services we provide our community with a wide range of services related to family & social well-being, early childhood education, behavioral health, housing and more. Every day through these services we work to make health, education and housing more equitable for all people in Santa Cruz County. For more than 50 years our work has touched generations by helping people have access to education, rebuild relationships, restore their health and regain dignity.