Peer Support Specialist

Job Overview

The Family & Peer Support Partner assists patients and families by providing intermediary services between the health care system, social services, and the community. Facilitates access to services in support of families and assist in the obtaining of care and resources needed to maintain their health. Contributes to patients’ treatment through support and encouragement, with shared lived experiences, as an ally, in patients and family efforts to become healthier. Team member will provide lived experience-informed support, facilitate warm hand-offs from the emergency department and inpatient encounters, and address barriers to accessing treatment and recovery supports following discharge. The recovery coach will also facilitate harm reduction education and dissemination of harm reduction supplies. This position is made possible by and is funded through third party grants and/or restricted funding. The length of the assignment is dependent on the grant program and on funding availability. Based on current funding, the anticipated end date for this assignment is 5/15/2028. This position will be reviewed and may be extended in accordance with the grant. Should this position be discontinued and/or eliminated for any reason, it is not eligible for severance.

Duties & Responsibilities

• Works in collaboration with an interdisciplinary care team to advocate for the medical and psychosocial needs of patients and families in the Pediatric Mental Health Institute of CHCO, and support patients and families with transition process.
• Provides information, referrals, and support to youth and young adults and their families who are living with a chronic illness.
• Affords assessments to tailor appropriate internal and external resources.
• Aids families in hospital, community and home settings to remove barriers related to accessing services.
• Supports patients to cope with the social, emotional, and psychological challenges impact of living with a chronic medical condition.
• Shares knowledge on issues related to supporting youth with mental health challenges and their families, including problems of adherence to pill therapy; the nature of optimal medical care; the importance of regular attendance to scheduled clinic visits; and the obstacles to transition to care.
• Collaborates with patients, physicians, nurse practitioners, social workers, and clinics in adherence to continuum of care for youth and their families and assesses for appropriate resources and support patient with successfully linking to services.
• Communicates information to members of the healthcare team to provide an understanding of the unique psychosocial or emotional needs of the patients.
• Participates in psychosocial activities and classes provided to patients to increase emotional coping and increase health literacy skills.
• Provides encouragement and support as needed to remove barriers, preventing families from receiving services or entitlements as needed.
• Identifies trends in barriers experienced by families when seeking care and provides data to internal team members.
• Maintains confidentiality of patients as stated in HIPAA policy.
• Utilizes principles of cultural-responsiveness and patient-centered care into clinical services.

Qualifications

• High School Diploma or equivalent
• Three (3) years’ experience assisting patients and families or other related healthcare/community experience.
• Willingness and ability to self-identify as having experienced adolescent mental health issues and navigating child-serving systems or being a family member of a child experiencing such conditions.
• Peer Support Specialist Certification at time of hire or obtain within six (6) months of hire.

Benefits

Here, you matter. As a Children’s Hospital Colorado team member, you will receive a competitive pay and benefits package designed to take care of your needs that includes base pay, incentives, paid time off, medical/dental/vision insurance, company provided life and disability insurance, paid parental leave, 403b employer match (retirement savings), a robust wellness program, and access to professional development tools, including an education benefit to help you advance your career. As part of our Total Rewards package, Children's Colorado offers an annual employee bonus program that rewards eligible team members based on organizational performance. If organizational goals are met for the year, the bonus is paid out the following April. Children’s Colorado delivers annual base pay increases to eligible team members based on their performance over the previous year.

EEO Statement

It is our intention that all qualified applicants be given equal opportunity and that selection decisions be based on job-related factors. We do not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, national origin, sex, age, disability, or any other status protected by law or regulation. Be aware that none of the questions are intended to imply illegal preferences or discrimination based on non-job-related information.