Specialist Certified Peer Clinic

About the role

Metrocare Services serves neighbors with developmental or mental health challenges by helping them find lives that are meaningful and satisfying. The agency is committed to quality gender-responsive, trauma-informed care to individuals experiencing serious mental illness, developmental disabilities, and co-occurring disorders. Programs focus on the issues that matter most in the lives of the children, families, and adults served.

The Peer Specialist is an individual in recovery who has been trained to effectively share their lived experience and recovery story to help and support other individuals with their recovery. They provide flexible, community-based services designed to promote the empowerment, recovery, and community integration of individuals who have severe mental health challenges by facilitating opportunities for individuals receiving service to direct their own recovery and advocacy process, by teaching and supporting the acquisition and utilization of skills needed to facilitate the individual's recovery, promoting the knowledge of available service options and choices and the utilization of natural resources in the community, and helping facilitate the development of a sense of wellness and self-worth.

The Peer Support Specialist performs a range of tasks through individual and group sessions to assist consumers in their own recovery process. They are responsible for working with adults and families in treatment in a manner that is trauma-informed and responsive to needs, culture, gender, and military status. They collaborate with individuals and teams in the development of a person-centered recovery plan/family-centered recovery plan aimed at helping every individual and family achieve their goals and objectives.

Responsibilities

• Applies general knowledge of Recovery services to complete small projects or conduct a series of tasks with a limited degree of supervision.
• Works with individuals in service to identify, develop, and access support to increase their success in community integration and community inclusion.
• Supports and teaches recovery and recovery tools and models personal responsibility, self-advocacy, and hopefulness.
• Facilitates the individual's self-review of progress upon each encounter.
• In partnership with each participant, assesses their hopes, strengths, accomplishments, and challenges in order to achieve his/her stated goals.
• In partnership with each participant, develops the recovery plan and his/her support system in order to support him/her in becoming self-sufficient.
• Supports participants in the self-management of critical or crisis situations.
• Supports participants in coordinating with or in choosing his/her significant and relevant supports in order to arrange services or resources to achieve his/her goals.
• Outreaches to individuals that have missed appointments with the goal to engage in treatment.
• Assists the individual in preparation and recording of the peer support recovery plan, encounter notes, and other documents that verify service delivery using person-first language, in a timely manner according to established quality and regulatory standards.
• Continues to engage new individuals into services, assisting and navigating services.
• Provides capability training to model, coach, support, and advocate with participants.
• Escorts participants when necessary and ensures participants' safety when participating in events, visits, and other interactions.
• Provides linkage to other services within Metrocare.
• Transports individuals as needed.
• Performs other duties as assigned.

Qualifications

• GED or high school equivalent (required).
• Individual in recovery (required).
• Active Certified Peer Specialist certification (preferred, but candidates pursuing certification within one year may be considered).
• At least 5 years of active involvement in personal recovery without any incident of relapse or crisis (preferred).
• Current State of Texas Driver License (or currently licensed in another state, with Texas license required within 3 months of employment). Liability insurance required if operating a personal vehicle on Center property or for Center business. Must be insurable by Center's liability carrier and have an acceptable driving record.
• Certification as a Certified Peer Specialist within 1 year of employment (required).

Skills

• Strong interpersonal and engagement skills.
• Strong organizational and time-management skills.
• Ability to problem solve, exercise good judgment, and make sound decisions.
• Ability to support the agency's mission and demonstrate sensitivity to cultural diversity and workplace.
• Ability to juggle multiple projects with accuracy.
• Exceptional customer service skills, over the phone and in person, with individuals in service and internal/external partners.
• Basic math skills.
• Ability to apply common sense understanding to carry out duties.
• Ability to remain organized and prioritize work assignments based on urgency and client needs.
• Ability to correctly identify client needs and assist in acquiring services accordingly.
• Ability to give and receive corrective feedback.
• Computer skills: use of computer, printer, and software programs necessary to the position (Word, Excel, Outlook, PowerPoint); ability to utilize Internet for resources.

Benefits

• Medical/Dental/Vision
• Paid Time Off
• Paid Holidays
• Employee Assistance Program
• Retirement Plan, including employer matching
• Health Savings Account, including employer matching
• Professional Development allowance up to $2,000 per year
• Bilingual Stipend – 6% of the base salary
• Many other benefits