Parent/Caregiver Peer Support Specialist

PROGRAM: Community mental Health Center/Private Provider

REPORTS TO: Director of Peer Support Services; Clinical Manager

SUPERVISED BY: Director of Peer Support Services; Clinical Manager; Behavioral Health Supervisor; Psychiatrist

RESPONSIBILITIES:

• Providers individual Peer Support Specialist (PSS) services in the community.
• Assists clients in developing goals for treatment within the first 30 days of service.
• Assists clients in restoring, rehabilitating, and developing social and interpersonal skills.
• Identify, enhance, and establish support networks, community awareness, coping strategies, and improve functioning in the individual's social environments (home, work, school).
• Help restore, rehabilitate, and support the development of daily living skills.
• Help improve each client's self-management of the negative effects of psychiatric or emotional symptoms.
• Assists clients in identifying, effectively responding to or avoiding identified precursors ("triggers") that lead to functional impairments.
• Help implement Peer Support Plan on an ongoing basis.
• Participate in collaborative meetings with Mississippi Behavioral Health Services staff, other agencies or community in natural supports as needed.
• Communicate client's status on a regular basis, including, but no limited to changes in mood or functioning, medical issues and all crisis and health and safety issues.
• Be knowledgeable of and adept at producing effective, clinical documentation of every contact with recipient.
• Turning in notes on time according to policy. Document all "no shows," and communicate all difficulties contacting clients with appropriate office staff.
• Be able, or willing to learn, to use computer interface to complete documentation for billing or other purposes as needed.
• Attend all office trainings as well as regular clinical supervision sessions with Clinical Manager and/or Care Manager.
• Document services provided regularly, concisely, and completely in accordance with clinical standards by office deadline.
• Return phone calls promptly
• Follow all safety rules

MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS:

• Has at least a high school diploma or GED equivalent; and
• Must self-identify as a current or former consumer of mental health services; and
• Must demonstrate a minimum of 6 months in self-directed recovery within the last year; or 
• Self-identify as a first degree family member
• Must receive DMH approved Certification as a Peer Support Specialist within 30 days of employment

Applicants must be the parent or legal guardian of a child who is, or has, received behavioral health services.  Applicants must have a high school diploma or GED.  Applicants must have a valid drivers license.