Purpose: 

Our Peer Support Specialists provide hope and support necessary to assist others to make lifestyle changes that lead to better whole-health outcomes. Sharing their experience of stigma, discrimination and self-determination, and the impact of behavioral health challenges on all life domains situates them to offer empathy, inspire hope and guide improvement around how these issues affect behavioral healthcare access and engagement. 

Job Summary: 

This position is part of the crisis response and will have specific duties to create linkages to evidence based treatment services for persons with mental illness. You will work with clients who are in crisis and will provide support for their individual needs. 

As our Peer Support Specialist you will assists clients in articulating their goals for recovery, helps them monitor their progress, models effective coping techniques and self-help strategies based on the specialist's own recovery experience, and advocates for the client in obtaining effective services. The RC/PSS works with individuals in groups and one on one to help people live their lives to the fullest.  Intended clients of the Peer Support Specialist services are any person seeking a treatment referral for Mental Health and or Substance Use Disorder (SUD) services, but also the organizations and communities that have regular contact with people struggling SUD disorders. Works as a recovery coach and role model providing peer based services to assist individuals in finding their own recovery path from substance use and/or mental health disorders. Is a member of the inter-disciplinary team and assists with outreach and supportive services to engage individuals in services and helps individuals build connections to the entire treatment team. Provides services that promote hope, responsibility, empowerment, and self-sufficiency and helps individuals connect to the community of their choice. You will also coordinate with internal and external providers to link to referral services to community resources and encourages clients to utilize these available resources and to be involved in their community.

Schedule: Monday - Friday 12am - 8am

Essential Functions:

• Build professional relationships with clients without the constraints of the traditional expert/patient or expert/family member role and one built on mutual learning founded on the key principles of hope, equality, respect, personal responsibility and self-determination
• Offer hope through their own life example and use personal stories in a conscious, deliberate and professional way in the service of helping another
• Promote recovery, wellness, and healthy lifestyle behaviors       
• Encourage active participation in managing illness and assist people with behavioral health issues to identify and pursue a change they would like to make in an area of wellness
• Deliver peer-led evidence-based services that help individuals, set and achieve goals, increase healthy lifestyle habits, maximize/prioritize their time with treatment professionals, reduce self-stigma and find or recover lost roles and goals in life
• Help clients cope with social or emotional barriers to stay motivated to reach their goals
• Outreach to priority groups that can benefit from MH and SUD specific services
• Convey a deep respect and empathy for the impact of the effects of a serious mental health and substance use challenge on all aspects of life and provide empathic understanding of another's situation through the shared experience of emotional and psychological distress and improvement
• Help bridge the gap between clients and health professionals and help individuals seek out clinical and community resources when it is appropriate
• In special circumstances provide transportation with highly need appointments where situational barriers interfere with attending (such as unresolved lack of transportation or fear of attending)        
• Regular maintenance calls for a defined period of time following end of treatment to help prevent relapse
• Provide support to achieve goals individually and in groups
• Documents provision of services consistent with clinical and administrative policies and procedures
• Meets defined individual and department goals, activity metrics and Key Performance Indicators
• Promotes, supports and demonstrates MHP's mission, vision and values through both behavior and job performance and adheres to policies, procedures, Compliance Plan and Standards of Conduct on a day to day basis
• Effectively interacts and communicates with other MHP staff/clients/customers/partners/etc.
• Regular and consistent attendance is required to perform other essential functions of the job
• Other duties as assigned

Specialized Duties: 

• Focus of role to target specific populations that are in need of MH/SUD services through community outreach.  Work with treatment team focused on crisis services.
• Interpersonal skills in motivating and supporting behavioral change in regard to opiate use are needed
• Lived experience as a person with mental illness and have used community services in the past

Mental Health Partners offers a diverse, quality work environment, a competitive salary and a comprehensive benefits package. Our benefits include a very generous paid time-off policy (paid holidays, paid vacation and paid personal days-off), medical, dental, vision, flexible spending accounts, and percentage match-up retirement contribution. We are an Equal Opportunity Employer.

As a condition of employment, you will be required to receive the COVID-19 vaccination (and any subsequent boosters) and the annual influenza vaccine.  Medical exemptions or religious accommodations may be requested. 

Education/Experience/License/Certification

• High school diploma or GED required; Bachelor’s degree preferred
• Peer Support Certificate or ability to obtain within 9 months of hire required
• Must have personal lived experience with mental illness or substance use issues; preferable in the public mental health system
• Must have experience in outreach to ED's, Crisis, and other community agencies will be required
• Must be at least 21 years of age, possess a current CO Driver’s License and a good driving record
• SUD (Withdrawal Management team only): Must have lived experience with mental illness and substance use issues

This position will be posted, at minimum, until 7/11/24 and may remain open until a sufficient candidate pool has been collected.