Youth Peer Support Specialist

Location: Perryville, MO (Ste Gen, Perry, and Madison Counties)

Full - Time, Non-Exempt (Hourly)

Work Schedule: 8:00a-4:30p M-F - Some evenings may be required dependent upon agency or client need.

Pay: $14.42 per hour

Minimum Required Qualifications:

• High School Diploma / GED / HSE
• Must self identify as a former or current consumer of mental health, behavioral health, substance use, or co-occurring disorder services, and must hold, or be eligible to obtain within 75 days of starting, a valid Certified Peer Specialist Credential from the Missouri Credentialing Board.
• Be eligible to obtain Youth Peer Specialist credential.
• Must hold or obtain by start date, MO Class E Driver’s License (Class D for IL Residents), and proof of continuous auto insurance. Must also meet CCC’s Motor Vehicle Record standards policy and have reliable transportation.

What is Peer Support?

Peer support encompasses a range of activities and interactions between people who share similar experiences of being diagnosed with mental health conditions, substance use disorders, or both. This mutuality—often called “peerness”—between a peer support worker and person in or seeking recovery promotes connection and inspires hope. Peer support offers a level of acceptance, understanding, and validation not found in many other professional relationships (Mead & McNeil, 2006). By sharing their own lived experience and practical guidance, peer support workers help people to develop their own goals, create strategies for self-empowerment, and take concrete steps towards building fulfilling, self-determined lives for themselves. (source)

Job Summary

Peer support specialists perform a wide range of tasks in emergency, outpatient or inpatient settings that are designed to assist clients in recovery and living in the community by sharing their own personal experience in dealing with mental illness.

Essential Functions

1. Share their personal experience with mental illness/co-occurring substance use and their own personal recovery experience.
2. Promote the idea and concept of recovery and serve as role model.
3. Interact directly with clients, both individually and as a group.
4. Help identify clients individual warning signs and help develop ways to prevent relapse in order to avoid hospitalizations.
5. Help clients develop insight into their illness and understand their experience with mental illness/co-occurring substance use.
6. Help clients in developing support systems and connect clients with peer support/self-help groups.
7. Assist clients in developing self-care skills to promote recovery (i.e., self-advocacy, coping, social, etc.).
8. Assist staff to understand recovery, the importance of recovery based services and the value of the experience lived by individuals with mental illness/co-occurring substance use.
9. Participate as a member of the clinical team.
10. Provide clients point of view at team meetings, treatment planning meetings, and psychiatric visits.
11. Document according to clinical policies and procedures, DMH, CARF, and any other federal or state program per agency standards.

Non Essential Functions

1. Maintain compliance with all policy and procedures.
2. Complete all required training.
3. Work cooperatively with other departments and members of the community.
4. Participate in all required meetings as determined by supervisor.
5. Maintain positive attitude toward agency and clientele.
6. Other duties as assigned.

The Agency
Community Counseling Center (CCC) - Your Behavioral Health + Wellness Resource - is a behavioral health organization that has been serving the public since 1974. We are an administrative agent for the Missouri Department of Mental Health, and we are entrusted to provide a full array of comprehensive behavioral health services within our five county catchment area.

Our Mission is to provide and support personal growth, wellness, and improved quality of life through the delivery of comprehensive behavioral health services to individuals and families residing in Bollinger, Cape Girardeau, Madison, Perry, and Ste Genevieve counties in Missouri.

Our Vision is to create a diverse and inclusive behavioral healthcare system where individuals and families can readily access mental health and substance use services, feel welcome, accepted, and leave services with hope and improved quality of life.

Commitment to Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion:

Join our team at Community Counseling Center and be part of our commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion (DE&I). We believe that a diverse workforce fuels innovation and enables us to better serve our diverse client base. We actively seek out applications from individuals of all races, ethnicities, genders, sexual orientations, abilities, religions, and socio-economic backgrounds. Through inclusive hiring practices, unbiased selection processes, employee resource groups, ongoing training, and transparent progress tracking, we are dedicated to creating a workplace where everyone feels valued, respected, and empowered. Join us in building an inclusive environment where every employee can thrive and contribute their unique perspectives.

Our Benefits

• Note: Available benefits may change dependent upon employment status and number of hours worked.

• 24 Paid Days Off Your First Year

  • + get a day off for your birthday!

• Seven Paid Holidays

• Competitive Health, Dental, Vision, and Supplemental Insurance

  • Company Paid Life and LTD Insurance

• Retirement Auto-Enrollment

• LegalShield and IDShield - Lawyer and Identity Theft Benefit

• Public Service Loan Forgiveness (PSLF)

• Employee Referral Program

• Much More!

Community Counseling Center is an equal opportunity employer, and all qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability status, protected veteran status or any other characteristic protected by law.

CCC will consider requests for reasonable accommodations for qualified individuals with disabilities in accordance with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). If you need a reasonable accommodation to participate in the job application or interview process, to perform essential job functions, etc., please contact employment@cccntr.com to speak with us about your needs.