Position Summary: The Peer Specialist will provide direct mental health services to recipients participating in rehabilitation and recovery services within PSCH Inc.  The Peer Specialist will perform a range of tasks which are designed to assist recipients in regaining personal control over their lives and over their own recovery processes.  These tasks focus on facilitating the development of self-help skills, support systems, coping strategies, and increased hope and self-esteem that are central to recovery from a psychiatric disability.  Peer Specialists model competence and the possibility of recovery.  This position may have supervised / unsupervised contact and or conversational interaction with consumers while working in the residences, day treatments and habilitation facilities. Essential Accountabilities:

Provide direct care services to consumer, including planning and implementation of goals and training, which will develop and enhance activities of daily living skills.  These include but are not limited to:

            a)         Budgeting

            b)         Grooming

            c)         Nutritional planning

            d)         Use of public transportation/travel training

            e)         Use of community resources/community integration

            f)          Shopping/menu planning

            g)         Housekeeping

            h)         Sexual development/socialization skills

            i)          Physical health maintenance

            j)          Assertiveness/self-advocacy training

Monitor consumer’s progress. Tasks essential to those duties include, but are not limited to:  seeing, hearing and observing consumers, performing manual tasks, reading and writing (documentation, lifting, climbing and descending stairs, traveling, boarding and utilize public transportation (bus, subway) use of telephone to make and receive calls.

Responsible to coordinate evacuation and ensure consumers’ safety in emergency situations (i.e., fires, fire drills).  Tasks essential to these duties are the ability to exit in emergencies, which may require the ability to climb and descend fire escapes and assist others to do the same.

Responsible for all necessary written documentation including Functional assessments; initialed and updated, progress notes and quarterly service plans.

Essential Accountabilities (Continued):

 

Assist consumers in planning and coordination of recreational/social activities.  At times this may require escorting consumers to these activities and/or participate in moderate physical activities as part of this task.

Knowledge of coping skills for dealing with symptoms of various psychiatric disabilities.

Advocate for recipients and negotiate with service providers.

Travel to and from different sites and assist recipients with traveling training.

Verbally engage and empathize with consumers based on common experiences.

Assist consumers in identifying community supports and facilitating linkages.

Participate in activities of other staff members in their absence or during periods of staff shortage.

If deemed necessary must be able to participate in these programs at various sites and varying times. The ability to complete the following training offered and perform the techniques taught in each area a required function of the position; CPR/First Aid, Medication Supervision, Cultural Competence, CPI, TIP-42, Motivational Interviewing, and Suicide Assessment and Prevention.

Represent the agency at meetings, trainings not otherwise specified.

Ability to work flexible schedule as work schedule and locations are subject to change.

Maintain confidentiality at all times.

This does not limit the assignment of duties or exclude the performance of other duties not mentioned, as assigned by supervisor.