Peer Mentor

MISSION STATEMENT:  The mission of Society of St. Vincent de Paul South Pinellas, Inc. is to alleviate pain and suffering, in a spirit of justice and charity, through person-to-person involvement.SUMMARY: The Peer Mentor provides direct outreach and pre-screening to potential individuals interested in enrolling in the Supportive Services for Veteran Families Program. Qualified candidate must possess a clear understanding of the service delivery system and the resources available for veterans and their families. Individual will provide peer support, mentoring, and coaching to SSVF program participants to help them access and navigate community and veteran resources. This individual will also serve as a quality assurance representative to veteran households accessing SSVF funds and participate as a member of the strengths based Case Management team.ESSENTIAL DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES: (These essential job functions are not to be construed as a complete statement of all duties performed.  Employees will be required to perform other job-related duties as required. Nothing in this job description restricts management’s rights to assign or reassign duties and responsibilities to this job at this time)Outreach

• Identify locations frequented by potential veteran applicants (including veteran family members)
• Provide direct outreach to veterans and their families in their naturally occurring environments (i.e. home visits and community visits)
• Engage and build rapport with target population
• Provide identification of and pre-screening for eligibility of potential applicants
• Coordinate initial screening and assessment with Case Management team
• Participate in Stand Downs and other VA/community outreach activities
• Provide client access to services and community resources as needed

Support

• Provide peer support, mentoring, and coaching to SSVF participants through assistance in navigating and accessing veteran and mainstream resources
• Accompany veterans to appointments, when appropriate
• Provide peer support and mentoring in securing permanent housing
• Facilitate discussion and training in peer groups, as determined by the Case Management team
• Monitor and document participation, progress, referrals, and services provided to participant
• Assist Case Management team in preparing discharge plans and follow-up contact with SSVF program participants
• Complete paperwork and data reports as requested by the Program Manager including use of HSMIS

Networking

• Attend agency, community, and supervisory meetings, as needed
• Maintain working relationships with community agencies to provide comprehensive services to participants
• Maintain working relationships with veteran serving organizations
• Attend in-service trainings and outside conferences/workshops, as requested by the Program Manager

OTHER RESPONSIBILITIES:

• Complies with all applicable training requirements
• Complies with all company safety, personnel and operational policies and procedures
• Complies with work schedule to ensure effective operations of Agency programs
• Contributes positively as a member of a productive and cooperative team
• Performs other duties as necessary to fulfill the Society of St. Vincent de Paul South Pinellas, Inc. Mission

REQUIRED KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS AND ABILITIES: (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, skills, and abilities necessary. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform these functions.)

• Able to speak, write and understand English
• Possess basic computer skills
• Must be sensitive to and respect cultural diversity amongst clients, staff and volunteers and able to work with diverse racial, ethnic and economic groups
• Flexible work schedule including evenings, nights, weekends and holidays
• Ability to set appropriate limits, work under deadlines and multi-task
• Ability to organize, prioritize, self-motivate, and deliver results
• Excellent communication and listening skills
• Possess strong work ethics
• Successfully pass Law Enforcement background screening
• Valid Florida driver’s license if driving an agency vehicle or a personal vehicle for company business
• Must have reliable transportation
• Participate in Agency Performance Quality Improvement (PQI) program and Accreditation/ Reaccreditation process
• Mission-driven attitude supplemented with integrity and passion
• Adherence to the highest ethical standards, personally and professionally
• A high level of openness and willingness to receive feedback/suggestions from superiors and others, and to learn new skills to improve job performance
• Evidence of deep alignment with the Society of St. Vincent de Paul South Pinellas, Inc. Mission and Values

ADDITIONAL KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS AND ABILITIES: (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, skills, and abilities necessary. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform these functions.) 

• Basic knowledge of the resources in the community available for the veteran population, especially services and programs offered by the VA
• Have basic knowledge of severe and persistent mental illness and substance abuse
• Ability to form partnerships in the community and seek out community resources
• Strong oral and written communications
• Strong organizational, time management, and data management skills
• Proven ability to work effectively both individually and as part of a team
• Ability to multi-task and problem solve under pressure
• Ability to provide positive customer service to difficult populations

EDUCATION AND EXPERIENCE:  (Pending on position and if prior to hire is approved by Chief Executive Officer, a comparable amount of training, education or experience may be substituted for the minimum education qualifications)

• This position is specific to an individual with prior military experience. Experience or education with human services, homelessness, and veteran resources is a plus
• Individual will be responsible for attending a peer support training prior to mentoring participants
• Must be able to comply with complex governmental regulations, policies and procedures and demonstrate thorough document compliance efforts and activities
• Must be proficient with data management and information systems and have basic knowledge of Excel, PowerPoint, and Outlook

GENERAL PHYSICAL DEMANDS:  These physical demands are representative of the physical requirements necessary for an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of the job. Reasonable accommodation can be made, if appropriate, to enable people with disabilities to perform the described essential functions of job. Working in an office/site requires prolonged sitting at the computer workstation; standing, bending, reaching, lifting up to 20 lbs. and some driving. Requires manual dexterity sufficient to operate standard office machines such as computers, fax machines, calculators, telephones, and other office equipment. It is also required to regularly sit, speak, and listen, the employee is also required to walk, use hands and fingers to type, operate equipment, and maintain records and notes. Specific vision abilities required include close vision, distance vision, peripheral vision, depth perception, and the ability to adjust focus.MENTAL DEMANDS:  Must handle new and diverse work problems on a daily basis. Personal maturity is an important attribute. Must be able to resolve problems, handle conflict, and make effective decisions under pressure. Must have the ability to listen objectively to people, perceive the real problem and assist in bringing issues to a successful conclusion. Must relate and interact with, volunteers, clients, contractors, visitors and employees at all levels within the Agency.WORK ENVIRONMENT:  Environment will occasionally become noisy due to equipment operations and interactions among clients and staff. There may be the possibility of being exposed to communicable disease, possible exposure to verbal abuse or similar behavior from residents/clients. On an as needed basis, employees may be called upon to work outside of the established work schedule, or work odd hours. All information associated with the Agency is confidential.The Society of St. Vincent de Paul South Pinellas, Inc. is an Equal Opportunity Employer.NOTE:  This job description does not constitute an employment contract, written, implied or otherwise, other than an “at will” and/or grant funded position. Any oral or written statements or promises to the contrary are hereby expressly disavowed and should not be relied upon by any prospective or existing employees. This job description is subject to change by the employer (Society of St. Vincent de Paul South Pinellas, Inc.) at the discretion of the employer, or as the needs of the employer and/or requirement of the job change. Changes can be done formally or informally, either verbally or in writing. The Society of St. Vincent de Paul South Pinellas, Inc. explicitly reserves the right to modify any of the provision of this job description at any time and without notice. This job description is not intended to be all-inclusive; the duties listed above are intended only as illustrations of the various types of work that may be performed. The omission of specific statements of duties or essential function does not exclude them from the position if the work is similar, related, or a logical assignment to the position.

About St. Vincent de Paul CARES:

SVdP CARES is a non-profit organization committed to ending homelessness: making it rare, brief, and one-time. With “Housing First” principles at the core, all SVdP CARES programs are built on the belief that everyone has the right to live in dignified and affordable housing with a healthy disregard for all community-perceived barriers to housing including employment history, criminal/credit background, mental health, addiction, or religious practices. SVdP CARES works to rapidly house those experiencing homelessness within 30 days and concurrently connect them to resources and stabilization support services to assist their needs. SVdP CARES serves 19 counties across 7,678+ square miles of Florida including Charlotte, Citrus, Collier, Desoto, Hardee, Hernando, Highlands, Hillsborough, Lake, Lee, Manatee, Orange, Osceola, Pasco, Pinellas, Polk, Sarasota, Seminole, and Sumter counties. Everyone is welcome through our doors, regardless of race, color, religion, sex, ancestry, age, national origin, citizenship, physical or mental disability, genetic information, veteran or military status, sexual orientation, and gender identity.

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