Supported Employment Program - Certified Peer Specialist (CPS)

Pathway & Community

Part-Time (Monday - Thursday, 7:30am - 5:00pm &  8:00am - 12:00pm)

- Tuscaloosa, AL -

Competencies:

1. Must be able to effectively communicate verbally and in writing.
2. Must possess knowledge and skills sufficient for establishing effective relationships with consumers who have mental illness.
3. Must be knowledgeable about mental illnesses, the recovery model, and components of psychosocial rehabilitation. 
4. Must work within the Organization to serve the needs of consumers.
5. Must understand treatment methods and services provided by the agency.
6. Must be able to work effectively in crisis situations.
7. Must be able to establish priorities and handle routine administrative and rehabilitation duties independently.

Essential Functions/Job Responsibilities:

• Support recipients of IPS-SEP in their goals of obtaining employment.
• Attending meetings with recipients, promoting self-determination and recovery, and modeling self-advocacy skills.
• Attend treatment team meetings with the individual to promote the individual's use of self-directed advocacy tools.
• Assist the recipient in goal planning and assist in the development of career profiles.
• Assist the recipient in learning how to ask for and access appropriate services in the community.
• Assist the recipient in obtaining information about their benefits (SSI/Supplemental Security Income, SSDI/Social Security Disability Income, Medicaid, etc.).
• Engage recipients in other programs and services to encourage employment.
• Model self-advocacy skills for addressing disclosure issues or requesting job accommodations.
• Educate on wellness management strategies and help recipients develop their own self-management plans/tools to use in the workplace and in their personal lives.
• Provide education to other team providers to increase their understanding of self-advocacy and peer support roles, and to promote a culture in which a recipient's points of view and preferences are recognized, understood, and integrated into service delivery.
• Provide resources and teach transportation skills (teaching bus routes, etc.) for work.
• Share your personal story to model how to choose, obtain, and keep employment.
• Support recipients in making informed decisions about supported employment and building community connections.
• Build social skills in the community that will enhance job acquisition and tenure.
• Assist in overcoming barriers to employment ands addressing workplace challenges.
• Assist in obtaining the proper documentation necessary to obtain employment.
• Research, with the recipient, businesses and/or industries in which the person may be interested.
• Assist the recipients in completing applications, resumes, cover letters, etc.
• Explore career and educational aspirations with the recipients.
• Assist in teaching skills related to job-seeking, such as using the computer.
• Attending recovery support groups and (NA/Narcotic Anonymous and AA/Alcoholic Anonymous) meeting with the job seeker, if appropriate.
• Assist with financial wellness tools for money management and asset development.
• Provide outreach services as necessary to individuals when they appear to disengage from the IPS Supported Employment Program.
• Seek supervision and consultation as needed.
• Treat recipients with care, dignity, and compassion.
• Accept and employ suggestions for improvement.
• Educate new recipients regarding the services available to them as well as the recovery process.
• Utilize and teach problem solving techniques with recipients.
• Assist recipients in maintaining self-care needs.
• Develop and maintain a therapeutic relationship with recipients so that they can identify emotional, psychiatric or behavioral changes which may require further intervention or treatment.  The CPS will help the recipient resolve the problem, and/or refer the recipient to the appropriate clinical staff.
• Teach recipients how to identify and combat negative self-talk and overcome fears.
• Attend and provide input in staff meetings and interdisciplinary treatment planning.
• Document appropriate information in recipient's records promptly and accurately.
• Model for recipients, good communication skills, recovery-oriented living skills, effective coping techniques, and self-help strategies.
• Maintain a working knowledge of current trends and developments in the mental health field by reading books, journals, and other relevant materials.
• Continue to develop and share recovery-oriented material with other CPSs at the continuing education assemblies and via email.
• Attend continuing education assemblies when offered by the state.
• Serve as a recovery agent by providing and advocating for effective recovery based services.
• Ensure that all assigned duties are implemented according to IRBH policies, procedures and DMH Standards.
• Ensure all safety, fire prevention, and health measures are followed while on duty.
• Maintain communication and awareness of current events by reading memos, e-mails, bulletin boards, and communication logs.
• Work independently and/or with teams to complete assigned tasks accurately and in a timely manner with minimum supervision.
• Support Organizational Code of Conduct, Standards Compliance, HIPAA and Security Programs by ensuring job tasks are performed in a legal and ethical manner, assessing the work area for non-compliance and notifying the supervisor, manager, Clinical Director, Executive Director or designee as appropriate, and maintaining training requirements and understanding that training is a required condition of employment.
• Adhere to attendance and punctuality policy by allowing adequate time to arrive, clock-in and assume responsibilities at designated time, adhering to meal and break times and making timely requests for annual leave (if applicable).
• Comply with all standards related to safety and health by maintaining current TB Test, CPR/First Aid, CPI, and by reporting infections and on-the-job injuries in accordance with policy.
• Identify opportunities for improving the quality of services provided by the department and the organization.
• All other duties and responsibilities as assigned by the Supervisor or Executive Director.

Minimum Qualifications:

• Must be a present or past consumer of mental health services.
• Willingness to obtain Peer Specialist Certification from Alabama Department of Mental Health required.
• High school diploma or equivalent required.
• Must be able to read, write legibly, speak, and comprehend English. 

Working Conditions, HIPAA and Other Guidelines

Job Specifications:  To perform this job successfully, an individual must be able to perform each primary duty satisfactorily.  The requirements listed below are representative of the knowledge, skill, and/or ability required.  Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities as defined by ADA, who are otherwise qualified, to perform the essential functions.

HIPAA:  Must be knowledgeable of and abide by HIPAA regulations with regard to protected health information as defined by HIPAA and IRMHC.  Minimally accesses verbal, written, and /or electronic PHI, usually incidentally to an approved use and /or disclosure as pertains to consumer's financial, demographic, and/or clinical data.

Working Conditions:  Works in wide range of settings, including the main outpatient center, in the consumer's home, community-based settings, residential programs, or in transport vehicles.  Areas may be noisy, irregular and unpredictable and can be stressful at times.  Consumers can present with active psychiatric symptoms, mixed responses to interventions, and unstable living and relationship situations; may require long hours.  Must have the use of sensory skills in order to effectively communicate and interact with other employees, consumers and the public through the use of the telephone and personal contact. Physical capability to effectively use and operate various items of office related equipment, such as, but not limited to, computer, copier, multi-line phone and fax machine.  Must be able to lift fifty (50) pounds and negotiate several sets of stairs in an eight (8) hour shift.  Some risk involved in the event of aggressive/out-of-control consumers.

Physical Requirements: The Physical Requirements described herein are representative of those which must be met by an employee to successfully perform the primary functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities as defined by ADA, who are otherwise qualified, to perform essential functions.

Physical presence onsite is essential.  Hearing and vision must be normal or corrected to within normal range.  Able to perform the duties with or without reasonable accommodation.

Indian Rivers is an Equal Opportunity Employer
This Employer participates in E-Verify