OUD/SUD Peer Support Specialist

WE OFFER EXCELLENT BENEFITS: * FREE Employee Medical Insurance * FREE Employee Dental Insurance * FREE Employee Vision Insurance * Sick leave (8 hours per month) * Vacation (Minimum of 2 weeks paid vacation) * Retirement (Employer contribution - 3% contribution and an additional 3% employer match) * FREE Long-Term Disability Insurance * FREE Life Insurance * 13 Paid Holidays   CCEW Mission Feed the hungry, heal the hurting, welcome the stranger.  CCEW is an equal opportunity employer. All employees and potential employees will be recruited, selected, trained, promoted, compensated and, if necessary, disciplined or terminated without regard to sex, gender, race, ethnicity, national origin, citizenship, immigration status, religious affiliation, marital status, military veteran status, age, pregnancy, sexual orientation, gender expression or identity, disability, genetic information, or any other basis protected by law. Program Summary The Pathfinder Peer Project will build on the already established DBHR Projects for Assistance in Transition from Homelessness (PATH) program to provide Opioid Use Disorder (OUD) and/or Stimulant Use Disorder (SUD) peer recovery support in two environments—emergency rooms and homeless encampments. The project will link the individuals to needed MAT services and assist in navigating systems and addressing barriers to independence and recovery.    Job Summary The Pathfinder Peer will provide outreach, medical and Opioid Use Disorder (OUD) and/or Stimulant Use Disorder (SUD). care coordination and connect households to housing and employment resources to stabilize homeless households.  Job Duties/Responsibilities To perform this job successfully, an individual must be able to satisfactorily perform each of the essential duties/responsibilities listed below. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential duties/responsibilities of this job.  1. Provide Peer Support services—per SAMSHA best practice guidelines--to assist individuals struggling with Opioid Use Disorder (OUD) and/or Stimulant Use Disorder (SUD).  2. Providing highly supportive--rather than directive—advocacy and resource triaging.  3. Coordinate with local hospitals and homeless outreach teams to identify homeless individuals struggling with OUD/SUD. 4. Connect individuals experiencing OUD/SUD with health care, housing, Medication Assisted Treatment (MAT) programs and employment opportunities. 5. Expedite connections to various treatment options based on client choice and identified need (including / especially MAT). 6. Develop and maintain partnerships with outreach teams from other agencies in the community. 7. Participate and represent Catholic Charities regularly in community outreach meetings. 8. Assist peers with setting recovery goals, developing recovery action plans, and solving problems directly related to recovery, including finding sober housing, making new friends, finding new uses of spare time, and improving one’s job skills.  9. Provide assistance with issues that arise in connection with collateral problems such as having a criminal justice record or coexisting physical or mental challenges.  10. Partner with local CoC Coordinated Assessment systems to connect households with homeless housing resources.  11. Obtain “Volunteer Assistor” training within the first month of employment; enroll uninsured households in Apple Health.  12. Work in direct partnership with local hospitals to develop an MOU to embed an OUD/SUD Peer in the local ER. 13. Obtain Peer Training Certification from DBHR within 6 months of employment. 14. Enter data into our local Homeless Management Information System (HMIS). 15. Prepare monthly and quarterly reporting per Pathfinder grant requirements. 16. Uses appropriate administrative, fiscal, physical, and technical safeguards to ensure the confidentiality, integrity, and security of CCEW client protected health information (PHI), per regulations outlined in the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996 (HIPAA). 17. Will regularly utilize all forms of communication (email, text, phone, etc.) and database practices necessary for this position and as directed by supervisor. 18. As a mandated reporter, follows all procedures outlined in agency policies and procedures to report to the proper agency when there is suspicion and/or confirmation that a child or adult has been a victim of abuse or neglect. 19. Adhere to the tenets of Catholic Social Teaching and Catholic Doctrine. 20. Perform related functions necessary to support the mission and core values of Catholic Charities.   Job Qualifications To perform this job successfully, an individual must meet the minimum qualifications listed below. These qualifications are representative of the knowledge, skill and/or ability required to perform this job.  Education/Experience: to perform this job successfully, an individual must have lived experience of recovery from substance abuse (opioids and/or stimulants) and have formal training that promotes mind-body recovery and resilience. Health care Volunteer Assistor training/certification and DBHR Peer Certification preferred, but not required.   Required Skills: * Significant life experience that will allow the successful candidate to understand and relate to our families when providing a supportive presence. * Ability to separate their own experiences from the families they serve.  * Ability to stay calm and work effectively to resolve crisis situations. * High-energy, self-motivated, and self-disciplined team –player. * Ability to easily adapt to change. Preferred Skills: * Experience working with issues of homelessness, substance abuse/addiction, mental health and/or poverty * Personal significant experience involving addiction and recovery, homelessness, mental health issues, and/or poverty   Physical Abilities: To perform this job successfully, an individual must be able to: * Frequently sit, stand, climb, walk, lift, pull/push, carry, grasp, reach, talk, hear, taste, or smell.    Mental & Other Skills/Abilities: To perform this job successfully, an individual must have the:  * Adaptability: ability to adapt to changes, delays or unexpected events in the work environment; ability to manage competing demands and prioritize tasks; ability to change approach or method to best fit the situation. * Attendance: ability to consistently arrive and be able to work as scheduled.  * Computer/Technical Ability:  working knowledge of: Word Processing software,Internet software. * Dependability: ability to follow instructions, both in written and verbal format; ability to respond to management direction; ability to complete tasks on time or notify the appropriate person with an alternate plan when necessary. * Interpersonal Skills: ability to maintain satisfactory relationships with others, excellent customer service skills and a good overall understanding of appropriate human relations. Awareness of and sensitivity to the service population’s culture and socioeconomic characteristics.  * Judgment: ability to make prudent and timely decisions; ability to exhibit sound and accurate judgment; ability to explain reasoning for decisions. * Language Ability: ability to read and interpret documents such as safety rules, operating and maintenance instructions, and procedure manuals; ability to write routine reports and correspondence; ability to speak effectively before groups of customers or employees of organization. * Mathematical Ability:  ability to add, subtract, multiply, and divide in all units of measure, using whole numbers, common fractions, and decimals; ability to compute rate, ratio, and percent and to draw and interpret bar graphs. * Problem Solving Ability: ability to identify and/or prevent problems before they occur; ability to formulate alternative solutions to problems when necessary; ability to transfer learning from past experiences to new experiences of similar nature. * Reasoning Ability: ability to apply common sense understanding to carry out detailed but uninvolved written or oral instructions; ability to deal with problems involving a few concrete variables in standardized situations. * Supervisory Skills: this job does not have any direct supervisory responsibilities.  Workplace Environmental Conditions While performing the essential duties/responsibilities of this job, the employee will be:  * Working with client population that may include persons involved in gangs, substance abuse, chronic homelessness, mental health disorders and/or tendencies towards violent behavior.  * Exposure to Trauma: Employees of Catholic Charities Eastern Washington provide direct services to vulnerable community members including those who have behavioral health challenges and those who have been exposed to trauma.