IPS Supported Employment Program Peer Specialist - 3231

Supported Employment Program

• Certified Peer Specialist (CPS)

Pathway & Community

Part-Time (Monday

• Thursday, 7:30am

• 5:00pm & 8:00am

• 12:00pm)

• Tuscaloosa, AL -

Competencies:

Must be able to effectively communicate verbally and in writing.
Must possess knowledge and skills sufficient for establishing effective
relationships with consumers who have mental illness.
Must be knowledgeable about mental illnesses, the recovery model, and
components of psychosocial rehabilitation.
Must work within the Organization to serve the needs of consumers.
Must understand treatment methods and services provided by the agency.
Must be able to work effectively in crisis situations.
Must be able to establish priorities and handle routine administrative and
rehabilitation duties independently.

Essential Functions/Job Responsibilities:

Support recipients of IPS-SEP in their goals of obtaining employment.
Attending meetings with recipients, promoting self-determination and
recovery, and modeling self-advocacy skills.
Attend treatment team meetings with the individual to promote the
individual's use of self-directed advocacy tools.
Assist the recipient in goal planning and assist in the development of
career profiles.
Assist the recipient in learning how to ask for and access appropriate
services in the community.
Assist the recipient in obtaining information about their benefits
(SSI/Supplemental Security Income, SSDI/Social Security Disability Income,
Medicaid, etc.).
Engage recipients in other programs and services to encourage employment.
Model self-advocacy skills for addressing disclosure issues or requesting
job accommodations.
Educate on wellness management strategies and help recipients develop their
own self-management plans/tools to use in the workplace and in their personal
lives.
Provide education to other team providers to increase their understanding of
self-advocacy and peer support roles, and to promote a culture in which a
recipient's points of view and preferences are recognized, understood, and
integrated into service delivery.
Provide resources and teach transportation skills (teaching bus routes,
etc.) for work.
Share your personal story to model how to choose, obtain, and keep
employment.
Support recipients in making informed decisions about supported employment
and building community connections.
Build social skills in the community that will enhance job acquisition and
tenure.
Assist in overcoming barriers to employment ands addressing workplace
challenges.
Assist in obtaining the proper documentation necessary to obtain employment.
Research, with the recipient, businesses and/or industries in which the
person may be interested.
Assist the recipients in completing applications, resumes, cover letters,
etc.
Explore career and educational aspirations with the recipients.
Assist in teaching skills related to job-seeking, such as using the
computer.
Attending recovery support groups and (NA/Narcotic Anonymous and
AA/Alcoholic Anonymous) meeting with the job seeker, if appropriate.
Assist with financial wellness tools for money management and asset
development.
Provide outreach services as necessary to individuals when they appear to
disengage from the IPS Supported Employment Program.
Seek supervision and consultation as needed.
Treat recipients with care, dignity, and compassion.
Accept and employ suggestions for improvement.
Educate new recipients regarding the services available to them as well as
the recovery process.
Utilize and teach problem solving techniques with recipients.
Assist recipients in maintaining self-care needs.
Develop and maintain a therapeutic relationship with recipients so that they
can identify emotional, psychiatric or behavioral changes which may require
further intervention or treatment. The CPS will help the recipient resolve the
problem, and/or refer the recipient to the appropriate clinical staff.
Teach recipients how to identify and combat negative self-talk and overcome
fears.
Attend and provide input in staff meetings and interdisciplinary treatment
planning.
Document appropriate information in recipient's records promptly and
accurately.
Model for recipients, good communication skills, recovery-oriented living
skills, effective coping techniques, and self-help strategies.
Maintain a working knowledge of current trends and developments in the
mental health field by reading books, journals, and other relevant materials.
Continue to develop and share recovery-oriented material with other CPSs at
the continuing education assemblies and via email.
Attend continuing education assemblies when offered by the state.
Serve as a recovery agent by providing and advocating for effective recovery
based services.
Ensure that all assigned duties are implemented according to IRBH policies,
procedures and DMH Standards.
Ensure all safety, fire prevention, and health measures are followed while
on duty.
Maintain communication and awareness of current events by reading memos,
e-mails, bulletin boards, and communication logs.
Work independently and/or with teams to complete assigned tasks accurately
and in a timely manner with minimum supervision.
Support Organizational Code of Conduct, Standards Compliance, HIPAA and
Security Programs by ensuring job tasks are performed in a legal and ethical
manner, assessing the work area for non-compliance and notifying the supervisor,
manager, Clinical Director, Executive Director or designee as appropriate, and
maintaining training requirements and understanding that training is a required
condition of employment.
Adhere to attendance and punctuality policy by allowing adequate time to
arrive, clock-in and assume responsibilities at designated time, adhering to
meal and break times and making timely requests for annual leave (if
applicable).
Comply with all standards related to safety and health by maintaining
current TB Test, CPR/First Aid, CPI, and by reporting infections and on-the-job
injuries in accordance with policy.
Identify opportunities for improving the quality of services provided by the
department and the organization.
All other duties and responsibilities as assigned by the Supervisor or
Executive Director.

Minimum Qualifications:

Must be a present or past consumer of mental health services.
Willingness to obtain Peer Specialist Certification from Alabama Department
of Mental Health required.
High school diploma or equivalent required.
Must be able to read, write legibly, speak, and comprehend English.

Working Conditions, HIPAA and Other Guidelines

Job Specifications: To perform this job successfully, an individual must be
able to perform each primary duty satisfactorily. The requirements listed
below are representative of the knowledge, skill, and/or ability required.
Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities as
defined by ADA, who are otherwise qualified, to perform the essential functions.

HIPAA: Must be knowledgeable of and abide by HIPAA regulations with regard to
protected health information as defined by HIPAA and IRMHC. Minimally accesses
verbal, written, and /or electronic PHI, usually incidentally to an approved use
and /or disclosure as pertains to consumer's financial, demographic, and/or
clinical data.

Working Conditions: Works in wide range of settings, including the main
outpatient center, in the consumer's home, community-based settings, residential
programs, or in transport vehicles. Areas may be noisy, irregular and
unpredictable and can be stressful at times. Consumers can present with active
psychiatric symptoms, mixed responses to interventions, and unstable living and
relationship situations; may require long hours. Must have the use of sensory
skills in order to effectively communicate and interact with other employees,
consumers and the public through the use of the telephone and personal contact.
Physical capability to effectively use and operate various items of office
related equipment, such as, but not limited to, computer, copier, multi-line
phone and fax machine. Must be able to lift fifty (50) pounds and negotiate
several sets of stairs in an eight (8) hour shift. Some risk involved in the
event of aggressive/out-of-control consumers.

Physical Requirements: The Physical Requirements described herein are
representative of those which must be met by an employee to successfully perform
the primary functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to
enable individuals with disabilities as defined by ADA, who are otherwise
qualified, to perform essential functions.

Physical presence onsite is essential. Hearing and vision must be normal or
corrected to within normal range. Able to perform the duties with or without
reasonable accommodation.

Indian Rivers is an Equal Opportunity Employer
This Employer participates in E-Verify