Certified Peer Specialist- Youth

This is a responsible, professional position as a certified peer who utilizes strategic sharing of their own personal experience within child serving systems (e.g. mental health, co-occurring substance use, special education, juvenile justice, or child welfare).In addition, skills learned in formal training will be used to promote socialization, recovery, self-advocacy, development of natural supports, and maintenance of community living skills of youth aged 10-21 who experience serious emotional disturbance, and/or serious mental illness, and are involved in multiple child serving systems.

Youth Peer Support services provide structured, scheduled activities that promote socialization, recovery, self-advocacy, development of natural supports, and maintenance of community living skills by Youth Certified Peer Specialists (CPS-Y). Youth Peer Support services actively engage and empower an individual and his/her identified supports in leading and directing the design of the service plan and thereby ensures that the plan reflects the needs and preferences of the individual (and family when appropriate) with the goal of active participation in this process. Additionally, this service provides support and coaching interventions to individuals (and family when appropriate) to promote recovery, resiliency, and healthy lifestyles to reduce identifiable mental health and physical health risks and increase healthy behaviors intended to prevent the onset of disease or lessen the impact of existing chronic health conditions. Peer supports provide effective techniques that focus on the individual's self-management and decision making about healthy choices which ultimately extend the members' lifespan.

Youth Peer Support Specialists assist children and youth participatingin the wraparound planning process, access services, and navigate complicated child-serving agencies.

This may be either a full time or part time position.

DESCRIPTION OF DUTIES:

• Provide peer support to youth aged 10-21 by strategically sharing lived experiences and building trusting relationships. As a part of this service intervention, a CPS-Y will articulate points in their own recovery stories that are relevant to overcoming obstacles faced by the youth-recipient of mental health services and promote personal responsibility for recovery as the youth/family define recovery.
• Promote a service culture of respect, wellness, dignity, and strength, by changing the labels which have emerged in the system and viewing young people as individuals who can achieve full, rich lives on their own terms.
• Facilitate the process for the youth in his/her exploration of strengths and supports of wellness/resiliency/recovery and ultimately supporting the youth/family voice and choice in such activities as self-advocating for needs/preferences, assuming the lead roles in treatment team meetings, holding accountability for his/her own health/wellness/recovery, etc.
• Assist the youth in identifying the tools of wellness/resiliency/recovery available in everyday life.
• Create the opportunities and dialogues used to explore mental health and what wellness is for the specific youth and his/her family, so that the individual can define and articulate wellness and create plans which strengthen their recovery and resilience.
• Listen to the youth and family's needs from a peer perspective and offer suggestions and alternatives for youth engagement in planning and self-direction process.
• Assist the youth and family with the acquisition of skills and knowledge necessary to sustain an awareness of the youth's needs as well as his/her strengths and the development and enhancement of the family's unique problem-solving skills, coping mechanisms, and strategies for the youth's illness/symptom/behavior management; and relapse prevention;
• Build the youth's and family's skills, knowledge, and tools related to the identified condition/related symptoms/triggers, so that the family/youth can assume the role of self-monitoring and self-management.
• Through positive collaboration and relationships, promote access and quality services for the youth/family by assisting with accessing strength-based mental health/health services, social services, educational services and other supports and resources required to assist the family unit to attain its vision/goals/objectives including:
  • Creating early access to the messages of recovery and wellness;
  • Helping the family identify natural supports that exist for the youth;
  • Working with youth/young adults to access supports which maintain youth in the least restrictive setting possible;
  • Working with the youth/young adult to ensure that they have choices in life aspects, sustained access to an ownership of their IRP and resources developed;
  • Working with youth/young adult to provide adequate information to make healthier choices about their use of alcohol and/or other drugs;
  • Working with the provider community and other practitioners, the CPS-Y promotes the youth to self-advocate to:
    • Develop responsive and flexible resources that facilitate community-based interventions;
    • Create a person-centered, recovery-oriented treatment plan that correspond with the needs of the youth/family;
    • Acknowledge the importance of Self Care, addressing the need to maintain whole health and wellness. This should include support in building "recovery capital" (formal and informal community supports);
  • Assisting with identifying community and individual supports (including friends, relatives, schools, religious affiliations, etc.) that can be used by the youth to achieve his/her goals and objectives;
  • Assisting the youth and family participants as needed in coordinating with other youth-serving systems (or at a certain age, collaboration and engagement with adult-serving systems) to achieve the family/youth goals;
• Provide resources and educational materials to help assist youth with understanding services, options, and treatment expectations, as well assistance with developing wellness tools and coping skills, including:
  • Understanding various system processes, how these relate to the youth's recovery process, and their valued role;
  • Understanding what a mental health diagnosis means and what a journey to recovery may look like;
  • The role of services/prescribed medication in diminishing/managing the symptoms of that condition and increasing resilience and functioning in living with that condition;
• Facilitate and create advocacy, balance, and cohesion between the youth/family served, professionals (including CPS-Ps who may be supporting the family), and other supporting partners.
• Document all interventions provided in Electronic Health Record in accordance with agency, Medicaid, and Alabama Department of Mental Health standards
• Attend staff and agency meetings, trainings, and other events as scheduled and approve by supervisor.
• Complete reports and other paperwork as assigned by supervisor
• Perform other related duties as assigned by supervisor.

REQUIREMENTS:

Basic proficiency in the use of computer for the purposes of documenting interventions provided; willingness and ability to learn effective use of Electronic Health Record.

Ability to connect with youth receiving services in the children's mental health system.

An understanding of recovery from serious mental illness (SMI) and serious emotional disturbance (SED).

Demonstrated resilience developed by personal lived experience.

Basic understanding of mental health conditions and the treatment services and/or recovery support services that are available to youth and families.

Basic knowledge of empowerment and the goals and objectives of the Youth and Consumer movements.

Ability to work with individuals or groups.

Basic knowledge of consumer rights and advocacy.

Ability to communicate effectively both written and orally.

Ability to work a set schedule and be flexible to the needs of the youth/families served.

Ability to understand the unique experience of mental illness.

Ability to serve as a role model, showing by example that recovery and resiliency is possible.

Ability to relay coping skills, positive attitude skills, and self-esteem.

Ability to assist in establishing support systems and interface with agencies, organizations, and groups.

Ability to facilitate peer support/self-help groups.

QUALIFICATIONS:

Must have High School Diploma or GED

Must hold a valid driver's license and maintain a driving record that is acceptable to Carastar Health's insurance carrier.

Must maintain at least liability coverage on personal vehicles.

Must successfully complete Certified Peer Specialist Youth training and pass exam that has been sponsored and approved by the Alabama Department of Mental Health, prior to or within 90 days of hire.

ADMH Qualifications for this required certification are listed below:

• Must be at least 18 years old,
• Must have personal experience with children's mental health (systems) through either a serious emotional disturbance (SED) or a serious mental illness (SMI). This experience must have occurred prior to your 21st birthday,
• Must understand recovery,
• Must be willing to assist other individuals in their recovery process,
• Must be open minded,
• Must be willing to share personal experiences with mental illness publicly