Senior Certified Peer Support Specialist - Consumer (Hhope Programs)

The Riverside University Health System's Behavioral Health Department is seeking a Senior Certified Peer Support Specialist Consumer. This posting will be used to fill current and future vacancies for open positions in Riverside.

This position will be working to provide assistance with HHOPE programs.

HHOPE includes programs such as: homeless outreach, temp housing, permanent housing, enhanced care management programs and more.

Consumer: Has personal recovery experience from mental health.

In order to be considered, candidates must be able to share personal experiences with others.

HOW IT WORKS

• Applicants will answer questions about personal experience, work experience, and qualifications.

• The most competitive applicants (based on specialized skills) will be referred

         for interviews.

• Applicants will receive email notification once their application is no longer being

         considered due to Candidate Pool expiration.

Some positions may require a law enforcement background investigation which requires completion of an extensive questionnaire, meeting with a background investigator, and submitting several references.

Competitive candidates will possess current or previous experience as a consumer of mental health or substance recovery services.

Under direction, provides the highest level of information, support and assistance and advocacy for consumers of behavioral health and/or substance abuse services; provides feedback and perspective to the behavioral health system relative to the impact and effectiveness of the services provided; provides specialized training and work direction to other Certified Peer Support Specialists; performs other related duties as required.

The Senior Certified Peer Support Specialist is the advanced level classification performing the highest level of assignments in the Behavioral Health Certified Peer Support Specialist series, and reports directly to a Peer Services Program Manager; teams with behavioral health professionals in the provision of consumer treatment, directly assisting consumers, families and caregivers in the utilization of appropriate community resources; provides education and information to consumers and the community; provides a unique consumer perspective to the behavioral health team and may act in a leadership capacity.

Incumbents provide a full range of information, training, support, encouragement, advocacy, service effectiveness assessment, and related services in order to assist the consumer in coping with immediate situations. The consumer perspective is provided in the development of programs and services and in formulation of treatment strategies. Incumbents do not attempt to modify or change the consumer's personality structure. The Peer Support Specialist series differs from those in the Clinical Therapist series in that the latter, due to advanced education and experience, use independent judgment in making diagnoses, developing treatment plans and providing a wide range and variety of behavioral health services including psychotherapy. The Peer Support Specialist series differs from the Behavioral Health Specialist series in that the latter does not require the unique experience of having been the recipient or having been closely associated with the direct recipient of behavioral health services.

Medi-Cal Peer Support Certificate or out of state certificate must be uploaded with your resume.

Schedule: Schedules vary depending on clinic/department needs.

Driver's License Required

Salary pending on experience

"Applications will be reviewed in the order of when it was received"

• Provide meaningful self-disclosure of personal lived experience of behavioral health-related or substance abuse-related recovery and resiliency to the people served in the system of care and the peer employees train, support and mentor (required by State Certification)

• Act as a resource person for and assist in the training, work assignment and supervision of other peer specialists.

• Provide guidance and leadership in the solution of the most complex consumer service and case related situations.

• Inform, train, support, and empower consumers, families and caregivers who directly or indirectly receive behavioral health services.

• Communicate, represent and promote the consumer, families and caregivers' perspective within the behavioral health system.

• Develop and co-facilitate self-help groups for consumers, youth, family members, and caregivers.

• Attend, participate and take a leadership role in special events, conferences, workshops, and trainings within the behavioral health system and in the community.

• Develop and promote activities, programs and resources which support consumers, families and caregivers in achieving their goals.

• Support the appropriate recognition, acceptance and understanding of social and cultural factors in the provision of behavioral health services.

• Develop effective personal and departmental working relationships with agencies and organizations to advocate for consumer, family and caregiver empowerment.

• Help prepare and support consumers and families/caregivers at consumer progress consultation meetings and at a variety of formal and informal hearings.

• Help consumers and those who support them to articulate their needs.

• Focus on and is sensitive to consumer, family and caregiver satisfaction with the services received and general satisfaction with behavioral health services; investigate the most sensitive complaints.

• Assist and promote consumers and those who support them in support networks and activities.

• Document all activities as required.Education: Possession of a high school diploma, G.E.D. equivalency or high school proficiency certificate is required.

Experience: Depending on the assignment, current or previous recovery experience as a consumer of behavioral health and/or substance abuse services or as a family member/caregiver of a former or current behavioral health consumer.

AND

One year as a Medi-Cal Certified Peer Support Specialist, or an out of state peer support certification holder with two (2) years of direct full time peer support work experience, with the understanding that Medi-Cal Peer Support Specialist Certification is required within six (6) months of the employment start date.

Knowledge of: The basic principles and practices of leadership and training; the needs and difficulties faced by clients, caregivers and families of behavioral health and/or substance abuse consumers; the public and/or private agency services available for families, children and adults with serious behavioral health needs, such as schools, social services and other systems; the self-help and consumer oriented treatment models; methods to effectively communicate with consumers, families and caregivers, the community, and the behavioral health treatment team.

Ability to: Act in a lead capacity; understand the principles of the behavioral health system and effectively work within the system; effectively represent and advocate for the consumer perspective within the community and behavioral health system; understand and articulate the cultural and social factors affecting behavior patterns; effectively communicate the workings of the behavioral health system to service consumers, parents, family members, and caregivers; develop and maintain strong working relationships with a wide range of community agencies and organizations; obtain and record accurate information for case documentation and other reports.

For specific questions regarding this position, please contact Valeria Ramirez by e-mail at Varamirez@rivco.org