Peer Support Specialist

Make an Impact
Trillium Health Resources is a Tailored Plan and Managed Care Organization (MCO) serving 46 counties across North Carolina. We manage services for individuals with serious mental health needs, substance use disorders, traumatic brain injuries, and intellectual/developmental (IDD) disabilities. Our mission is to help individuals and families build strong foundations for healthy, fulfilling lives.

About the role

Trillium Health Resources has a career opening for a Peer Support Specialist to join our Support Transition and Reentry (STAR) team! The Peer Support Specialist provides support to recipients enrolled in the Trillium STAR program. The STAR program is a specialty care team serving adults experiencing behavioral health (BH) or intellectual/developmental disabilities (IDD) conditions who are exiting incarceration. Recipients are referred by the Correctional Facility up to 90 days before release. STAR provides care coordination pre-release and post-release until the individual moves to ongoing Care Management services and supports.

The Peer Support Specialist educates members and guardians throughout the transition process about how to effectively navigate the criminal justice system, behavioral, physical and social services systems, and about the existence of community-based services and supports. The Peer Support Specialist is responsible for working with the recipient’s care team to provide transition linkages including school, employment, housing coordination, community service opportunities, provider services, and other identified treatment supports and services.

This individual will work with community resources and services to meet the identified needs for recipients who are transitioning back to the community and address specific barriers to reentry which may include access to insurance, disability benefits, transportation, food, clothing, and a safe place to live. This position will establish relationships with all area Justice systems including but not limited to all local county jails and prisons, Probation and Parole, and Pre-release officers.

Responsibilities

• Ensure that recipients are well connected and provide a warm hand-off to identify needed treatment and support.
• Meet with justice-involved members in-person in correctional facilities and in-person in the community to facilitate care management activities.
• Engage members who meet criteria for Transitions to Community Living (TCL) special needs population to provide education about permanent supportive housing, supports, services, and other community resources.
• Assist with transition planning and ensure delivery in the most effective manner with a focus on optimal quality outcomes.
• Utilize person-centered planning methods/strategies to gather information, to get to know the members and legally responsible persons to adequately address specific needs of the individual.

Requirements

• High School Diploma or GED.
• One (1) year lived experience with a behavioral health condition and/or substance use. *Lived Experience is defined as living in recovery with mental illness and/or substance use disorder.
• North Carolina Peer Support Specialist Certification.
• Must have a valid driver’s license.
• Must reside within 75 miles of Trillium’s Mid State Region, which includes the following counties: Anson, Guilford, Montgomery, Randolph, and Richmond.
• Must be able to travel within catchment as required.

Preferred Qualifications

Preference given to applicants who have their own history of criminal justice system involvement, incarceration, or MH/SU recovery and education, training, and work experience that shows a history of learning and applying the skills needed to work with a wide variety of individuals from various socio-economic, cultural, ethnic, educational, and other diverse backgrounds.

Benefits

• Typical working hours: 8:30 am – 5:00 pm; flexible work schedules available for some positions with management approval.
• Work-from-home options available for most positions.
• Health Insurance with no premium for employee coverage.
• Flexible Spending Accounts.
• 24 days of Paid Time Off (PTO) plus 12 paid holidays in your first year.
• NC Local Government Retirement Pension (defined-benefit plan).
• 401k with 5% employer match and immediate vesting.
• Public Service Loan Forgiveness (PSLF) qualifying employer.
• Quarterly stipend for remote work supplies.

Pay

Posting Salary Range: $42,682 - $54,205