SUD Peer Support Specialist - Lakes Region Mental Health Center
Laconia, NH 03246
About the Job
**This position includes a $2,000 sign on bonus**
PRIMARY PURPOSE: Uses their own lived experience of recovery from mental illness and/or addiction, plus skills learned in formal training, to deliver services in mental health settings, and other settings, to promote mind-body recovery and resiliency.
DUTIES & RESPONSIBILITIES: Under the general supervision of the SUD Services Program and within the agency’s and program’s policies and procedures, the Peer Support Specialist performs the following:
- Coordinates and oversees Peer Supports services for the project
- Enters into mutually supportive relationships with patients that support recovery
- Shares their stories of recovery
- Serve as a team member and shares personal and practical experience of recovery and knowledge of the delivery of mental health services to benefit the team and its patients
- Provide medically necessary functional support services with a recovery focus to patients and their families
- Maximize patient choice, self-determinization and decision-making in the planning, delivery and evaluation of treatment, recovery and support services
- Assists patients to discover and maintain a valued role(s) in the community
- Facilitate and ensure patient choice, self-determination and decision making in the planning, delivery and evaluation of treatment
- Provide advocacy and education on behalf of the patients and their families to legislators, decision-makers, community members and agencies about mental health, recovery, and peer support
- Provide peer counseling and consultation to patients, family members and team, and act as liaison to community services
- Attendance is an essential function of this position.
KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS, ABILITIES REQUIRED: The individual must possess the knowledge, skills and ability noted below or be able to explain and demonstrate how they can perform the essential functions of the job, with or without reasonable accommodation, using some combination of skills and abilities. The individual must also possess the necessary physical capacities, with or without the aid of mechanical devices or other forms of accommodation, to safely perform the primary functions of the job
- Lived experience of mental illness, substance use disorder, and recovery
- Able to establish rapport with patients
- Treats patients with dignity and respect and takes a patient-centered approach, as noted through supervision, team participation, and feedback from patients and staff
- Able to build a relationship of trust, as observed by patients, supervisor and team • strong commitment to the right and ability of persons with mental illness and substance misuse disorders to live in the community, to work, and to have access to appropriate services • provides input into program issues and shares/receives feedback in a healthy, constructive atmosphere
- General knowledge about medications and diagnosis, as well as working knowledge of issues, recovery, and supportive living concepts associated with patients and uses these appropriately with patients
- Ability to organize workload so that clinical and administrative duties are completed in a timely and thorough manner without the need for direct supervision.
- Ability to follow through on responsibilities to the satisfaction of supervisor or other contact person(s).
- Makes effort to learn and understand the program’s operation and philosophy and apply this knowledge productively both within and outside of the team setting.
- Represents the program/patients/agency positively in interactions within and outside of the agency.
- Able to establish a rapport and build working relationships with patients
- Treats patients with dignity and respect and takes a patient centered approach to services, as noted through supervision, team participation, and feedback from staff and patients.
- Ability to use computers, word processing equipment
- Ability to express or exchange ideas by means of spoken word and to receive detailed information through oral communication. Primary functions include activities in which verbal communication with patients and with others is key to job effectiveness.
- Visual acuity must meet minimum standard to work with preparing, reading, and analyzing data and reports, work with a computer terminal, etc.
TRAVEL: Some travel required within the 24-town catchment area to meet project objectives.
QUALIFICATIONS:
Education: Bachelor’s degree in the Human Services area with emphasis in mental health/or personal experience. A combination of education and personal experience may be substituted. Licensure/Certification: Intentional Peer Support. WRAP, MOAB preferred. Valid NH driver’s license, proof of adequate automobile liability insurance and reliable transportation is required.
HOURS: Full time, 40 hours per week, hours vary
This is a grant funded position. The grant will run for five years and is contingent upon continued grant/restricted funding. The Agency will support you becoming a Certified Recovery Support Worker and provide monetary support in that endeavor.
PI250971675