Telecare's mission is to deliver excellent and effective behavioral health services that engage individuals with complex needs in recovering their health, hopes, and dreams. Telecare continues to advance cultural diversity, humility, equity, and inclusion at all levels of our organization by hiring mental health peers, BIPOC, LGBTQIA+, veterans, and all belief systems. 

As part of the Telecare Family, La Casa Psychiatric Health Facility (PHF) is a 16-bed facility providing acute psychiatric treatment to adults 18 and older.

Shifts Available:  

On Call; Hours and Days vary as needed

Expected starting wage is $21.  Telecare applies geographic differentials to its pay ranges.  The pay range assigned to this role will be based on the geographic location from which the role is performed.  Starting pay is commensurate with relevant experience above the minimum requirements.

POSITION SUMMARY

Peer Support Specialists engage, inspire, and facilitate meaningful conversations with members served that assist the person to explore, create, and meet their own recovery goals. Peer Support Specialists provide consultation to the team to promote and reinforce Telecare’s Recovery Culture as defined by the Telecare Recovery Centered Clinical System (RCCS), in which each member’s point of view and preferences are recognized, understood, respected, and integrated into services and self-help programming. Additionally, Peer Support Specialists respond to critical situations with high level engagement and de-escalation skills which support a least restrictive environment for individuals experiencing an emergency related to a mental health/addiction challenge.

ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS

·        Demonstrates the Telecare mission, purpose, values, and beliefs in everyday language and contact with internal and external stakeholders

·        Draws upon own personal recovery experience with mental health/addiction challenges as a basis for engagement with members as a peer, and to validate members’ own lived experiences

·        Assists members with voicing their strengths, interests and goals throughout their services including: goal plans, crisis plans and other methods of expressing individual preferences

·        Utilizes a comprehensive resource guide and educates members served about local community supports and resources

·        Supports members served in developing strategies to reduce self-stigma

·        Engages and communicates with a wide range of members served especially those who are struggling to be active in their own recovery

·        Assists members served in all needs including Activities of Daily Living (ADLs)

·        Actively participates in multidisciplinary team meetings

·        Participates in verbal de-escalation and physical interventions in emergent situations and is willing and able to assist other staff as needed to maintain a safe, healing environment for all

·        Travels locally to provide outreach to members served in the community (program specific)

·        Must assist with restraint of members served in the event of assaultive behavior and pass assault crisis/crisis prevention training except for SUTS (Substance Use Treatment) programs

Duties and responsibilities may be added, deleted and/or changed at the discretion of management.

QUALIFICATIONS

Required:

·        High School Diploma or GED required

·        Successful completion of Peer Support Training / Certified Peer Specialist or Peer Employment Training within one (1) year of hire

·        Experience as a beneficiary of the Behavioral Health system of care

·        Must be at least 18 years of age

·        Must be CPR, Crisis Prevention Institute (CPI), and First Aid certified on date of employment or within 60 days of employment and maintain current certification throughout employment

·        All opportunities at Telecare are contingent upon successful completion and receipt of acceptable results of the applicable post-offer physical examination, 2-step PPD test for tuberculosis, acceptable criminal background clearances, excluded party sanctions, and degree or license verification. If the position requires driving, valid driver’s license, a motor vehicle clearance, and proof of auto insurance is required at time of employment and must be maintained throughout employment. Additional regulatory, contractual, or local requirements may apply.

Preferred:

·        Bilingual a plus

·        Bicultural background/experience preferred

SKILLS

·        Knowledge of and ability to use public transportation 

·        Knowledge of the mental illness process

·        Knowledge of recovery focused, strengths based work in mental health/addiction recovery

·        Willing to understand each member’s unique circumstances, personal preferences, and goals and incorporate them into daily work as well as any needed crisis response to help the member regain a sense of control

·        Strong understanding of recovery and resilience, the value of partnerships with members and member choice, and the balance between protection from harm and personal dignity

·        Strong knowledge of relevant community resources and methods for accessing them

·        Strong communication, writing, and typing/computer skills

PHYSICAL DEMANDS

The physical demands here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job.

The employee is occasionally required to stand, twist, squat, kneel and lift and carry items weighing 25 pounds or less as well as to frequently sit, walk, reach, bend and do simple and firm grasping. The position requires manual deviation, repetition and dexterity.

EOE AA M/F/V/Disability

If job posting references any sign-on bonus internal applicants and applicants employed with Telecare in the previous 12 months would not be eligible.