Certified Peer Support Specialist - CST

Summary:  

The Peer Support Specialist is responsible for providing coaching, mentoring, and consultation to the beneficiary to promote recovery, self-advocacy, and self-direction. As a Peer Support Specialist, you will be responsible for providing essential expertise and consultation to the entire interdisciplinary healthcare team to promote a culture in which each individual’s point of view and preferences are recognized, understood, respected, and integrated into treatment, rehabilitation, and community self-help activities while serving as an advocate for clients. Peer Support services are structured and scheduled activities for adults aged 18 and older with MH/SA disability. Peer Support Staff provide Peer Supports. Peer Support service is an individualized, recovery focused approach that promotes the development of wellness self-management, personal recovery, natural supports, coping skills, and self-advocacy skills and development of independent living skills for housing, employment, and full community inclusion. 

 Essential Duties and Responsibilities: 

• Provide services based on the principles of wellness self-management, personal recovery, natural supports, coping skills, and self-advocacy skills, and development of independent living skills for housing, employment, and full community inclusion.
• Assist clients with self-determination and decision-making.
• Teach functional skills (managing meds, finances, health care, resources, daily living, etc.).
• Model recovery values, attitudes, beliefs, and personal action to encourage wellness.
• Teach and promote self-advocacy and empower clients to use their legal rights.
• Assist the consumer with development, modification, and use of the crisis plan, advanced directives, and provide relapse prevention support.
• Supports the consumer to maintain stable housing, improve housing situation, and enhance independent living skills.
• Assists the client in gaining information about going back to school or job training.
• Develop and implement a Mental Health Wellness Recovery Action Plan.
• Provide linkage to community resources.
• Provide case management services.
• Utilize her or his personal recovery experience to instill a sense of hope and optimism for people in recovery. 
• Demonstrate a personal belief in recovery, supported employment best practices, and sincere interest in the welfare of persons in recovery. 
• Demonstrate the ability to engage and serve the consumers enrolled, contribute to the overall success of the rehabilitative process and perform duties with flexibility and an individual focus. 
• Promote and contribute to the development of a culture of recovery and empowerment within and outside of the CSEUC and will uphold the integrity of program goals. 
• Report directly to the Qualified Professional on all matters pertinent to the successful obtainment of program goals and standards.
• Ensure timely completion of documentation of PSS services in accordance with Clinical Coverage Policy NC 8A and 8G and other related regulatory requirements set forth by the LME.
• Maintain client confidentiality in adherence to HIPPA regulations.
• Complete in a timely manner, accurate clinical documentation of all services, interventions, and client-related activities. Maintain this documentation in accordance with the standards of CSEUC.
• Cooperatively and actively participate in all assigned staff and supervisory meetings as well as in service training and staff development activities.
• Participates in a first responder on-call system available to consumers and/or his/her natural support network on a 24/7/365 basis; coordinates “first response” resources according to consumer needs and the PCP. 
• Represent the company in a positive manner, reflective of the company’s mission, at all times.
• Ensures confidentiality regarding sensitive and protected information in accordance with HIPAA and CFR-42C
• Maintain required records such as documentation of progress notes and ensure timely and accurate compliance of the medical records according to the record service manual.
• Accurately document all billable encounters into Southeastern Integrated Care’s EMR (electronic medical record) system within 24 hours. Any corrections will be entered within 24 hours of being notified.
• In addition, the employee must participate in all required training and education as mandated by the specific service line and clinical coverage policy. 
• Collaborate with supervisor to self-identify training and supervision needs, and ensure services to clients are provided only within the scope of current expertise and abilities.
• Cooperatively performs other job duties as assigned to support the provision of quality services to consumers, remain available to team members in crisis situations; and support the CSEUC’s mission.

Supervisory Responsibilities:

This position does not oversee staff.

Qualifications:

To perform this job successfully, an individual must be able to perform each essential 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 to perform the essential functions.

Education/Experience

•  Must possess at a minimum High School Diploma/GED

Required Skills/Abilities

•           Be available to collaborate with enrolled members at least 5 days per week. 

•           Document direct service delivery according to Medicaid and CSEUC standards to include: purpose of contact, describes the provider’s interventions, the time spent performing the intervention, the effectiveness of the interventions, the signature (degree, credentials or position) of the person providing the service in a weekly service note.

•           Ability to read a medical record and find pertinent information quickly. 

•           Ability to write complete service notes. 

•           Ability to effectively present information and respond to questions from consumers, and/or the public.

Certificates, Licenses, Registrations

• NC Certified Peer Support Specialist 
• Valid driver's license.
• Must have North Carolina Peer Support Certification, current certification must be maintained.

Work Environment:

The work environment characteristics described here are representative of those an employee encounters while performing the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

Work is performed primarily in the client’s living environment and in the community and may involve exposure to cigarette smoke, domestic animals/pets, household pests, uncomfortable heating/cooling, and other issues related to the domestic location in which service is delivered. 

Physical Demands:

The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions. 

While performing the duties of this job, the employee is regularly required to stand, walk; use hands to finger, handle, or feel objects, tools, or controls; talk and hear; and taste and smell. The employee frequently is required to reach with hands and arms and stoop, kneel, crouch, or crawl. The employee is occasionally required to sit and climb or balance. The employee must be able to lift and/or move up to 20 pounds and occasionally lift and/or move up to 50 pounds. Specific vision abilities required by this job include close vision, distance vision, color vision, peripheral vision, depth perception, and the ability to adjust focus. Must be able to drive and operate a personal vehicle safely and adhere to all applicable state and traffic laws.