Peer Support Specialist - Mental Health Urgent Care

Community Care Network is looking for a Peer Support Specialist - Mental Health Urgent Care (MHUC) to join our team! Community Care Network is comprised of Rutland Mental Health Services and Rutland Community Programs. Our mission is to enhance the well-being of our communities, individuals and families through responsive, innovative and collaborative human service About This Role: The Mental Health Urgent Care Peer Support Specialist is an integral member of the Mental Health Urgent Care team, providing peer support services to clients through a seven-day-per-week Mental Health Urgent Care program. The Peer Support Specialist serves as a role model, consumer advocate, and source of support for child and adult clients. Drawing on relevant personal experiences, they provide individualized and intensive support, including peer support, group facilitation, coping-skills coaching, and emotional regulation strategies. This role encourages creativity and allows the Peer Support Specialist to develop and incorporate areas of personal interest into the delivery of services and supports. When appropriate and beneficial to the client, the Peer Support Specialist may share relevant lived experiences to promote hope, resilience, recovery, and empowerment while helping to reduce the stigma associated with mental health challenges. Responsibilities: Engage individuals in a welcoming, nonjudgmental and recovery-oriented manner. Use lived experience appropriately to build trust, hope and connection. Provide peer support to individuals experiencing emotional or behavioral health crises. Support individuals with identifying strengths, coping strategies, wellness goals and recovery supports. Assist individuals in identifying their preferences and choices regarding services and next steps. Help connect individuals to community resources, treatment providers, recovery supports, housing, transportation and other needed services. Advocate with or on behalf of participants expressed interests within the MHUC. Participate in safety planning and transition planning as directed by the clinical team and within the peer's scope of practice. Facilitate or co-facilitate recovery-oriented groups and activities. Provide support to individuals while they wait for clinical assessment or other services. Advocate for the individual's voice, preferences and self-determination within the care team. Assist with warm handoffs and follow-up connections to ongoing services. Collaborate closely with clinicians, nurses, Emergency Services staff and other MHUC team members. Document peer services and contacts in the EMR according to agency requirements. Attend and actively participate in required trainings, staff meetings, team meetings, and supervision. Participate in community networking, education, outreach, and support activities. Maintain appropriate professional boundaries and confidentiality. Recognize when an individual's needs exceed the peer role and seek assistance from the appropriate clinical staff. Maintain professional standards and promote the rights, dignity, autonomy, and self-determination of all clients. Demonstrate knowledge and adherence to confidentiality requirements, professional boundaries, ethical standards, mandated reporting requirements, and duty-to-warn procedures. Adhere to agency and program standards, philosophy, policies, procedures, and applicable regulatory requirements. Promote a recovery-oriented, person-centered, trauma-informed, and strengths-based approach in all interactions with clients, families, colleagues, and community partners. Qualifications: High School Diploma or GED required Maintain state certification as it evolves, completing all additional trainings and/or exam requirements in a timely fashion. Ability to work alternative work schedules, evenings and weekends as needed. Ability to navigate computers and necessary software to complete client documentation. Knowledge of maintaining and executing confidential information using HIPPA standards. Ability to work effectively with adults experiencing acute psychiatric symptoms as part of a team of professional care providers. Ability to provide recovery-oriented mentoring and support. Ability to work with clients and their families in a community-based setting. Excellent interpersonal, communication, problem solving, and conflict resolution skills. Able to work independently and as part of a team and exercise mature and professional judgment Able to participate in the creation of and adhere to a personal wellness plan which includes appropriate options for ongoing mental health care. Flexible, adaptable and have the capability to work in a fast paced, professional environment Excellent organizational skills Ability to appropriately utilize supervision Ability to enter a stressful situation calmly and professionally and make appropriate assessments Computer literacy - MS Outlook (email, calendar and tasks), MS-Word, MS Internet Explorer software. Must have a valid driver’s license, reliable transportation with personal automobile liability insurance coverage at or above the levels mandated by the State of Vermont. *Successful completion of a criminal history background check after hire. Benefits: Competitive Pay -$20.00 - $21.50 (compensation is typically dependent upon experience) Comprehensive Benefit Package for full time 401(k) 401(k) matching Dental insurance Employee assistance program Flexible schedule Flexible spending account Health insurance Health saving account Life insurance Paid time off Professional developmental assistance Retirement plan Tuition reimbursement Vision insurance Career Training and Development Collaborative and engaging team meetings with supervision. Our work is guided by our core values of Trust, Accountability, Respect, Cultural Competence, Person-Centered, and Continuous Learning and Growth. CCN is an Equal Opportunity Employer. #INDHP