Peer Specialist

**Primary Duties and Responsibilities**:

- Attends and participates in community forums dealing with substance abuse and mental health issues and concerns.
- Speaks to individuals regarding services received and provides feedback to both the department and providers.
- Assist providers in developing role recovery objectives that meet individual progress towards their goals.
- Will discuss with individual's areas within the provider's service delivery that needs to the targeted for improvement.
- Engages individuals to talk about their experiences to promote understanding of life experiences and its effects on functioning and to promote hope for recovery.
- Is able to develop rapport with persons involved in the criminal justice system, who have alcohol, addiction, mental health issues or who have other behavioral/emotional difficulties.
- Assists with enrollment for services provided by community behavioral health providers.
- Assist provider staff in identifying program environments that are conducive to recovery; lend their unique insight into mental illness and what makes recovery possible.
- Assists in peer group support utilizing the Illness Management and Recovery model to facilitate problem solving, communication skills development and personal growth.
- Provides services with area/s of competency, i.e. life experience, training, certification, education or other background in the service area. Seeks direction from clinicians when needs fall outside areas of competency.
- Assists in completing and maintaining a personal recovery plan which includes identified person-centered strengths, needs, abilities, and goals, interventions to assist the person served in reaching these goals and progress made toward these goals.
- Attend treatment teams meeting as requested to promote and support consumer's insight to recovery as directed.
- Provides specific community liaison services as assigned by supervisor.
- Performs other reasonable and related duties as assigned.

**Minimum Training and Experience**:

- Requires a high school diploma or G.E.D. and at least one (1) year of full-time experience in a mental health or addictions treatment setting.
- Obtain certification as a Certified Peer Specialist by the Florida Certification Board.