Peer Specialist I, Family

POSITION: Peer Specialist I, Family & Adult Services

DEPARTMENT: Community Wellness Department

REPORTS TO: Program Manager I, Family & Adult Services

LOCATIONS: Native American Health Center, Inc. (NAHC)

WORK HOURS: Full Time, 40 hours per week, 100% FTE

STATUS: Union, Non-Exempt

Community Wellness Department Overview

The Community Wellness Department (CWD) works to maximize member experience and improve clinical outcomes through an integrated, team-based, and strengths-focused approach to holistic healthcare. CWD emphasizes prevention, community engagement, cultural competence, and the integration of behavioral health services, with a particular focus on the local urban Native American community. This approach supports both client well-being and staff/trainee professional growth, fostering intercultural proficiency and a collaborative environment.

POSITION SUMMARY

The Peer Specialist I, Family & Adult Services supports the day-to-day operations of prevention, family, and adult programs within the Community Wellness Department. This role includes facilitating and co-facilitating activities that serve adults, elders, families, and youth, with an emphasis on prevention and culturally based programming. The Peer Specialist provides direct services rooted in a holistic model of care that integrates prevention, community engagement, cultural competence, and behavioral health support.

The Native American Health Center is an accredited institution and adheres to the standards of excellence set forth by the Accreditation Association of Ambulatory Health Care (AAAHC) and the Commission of Dental Accreditation (CODA).

ESSENTIAL DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES

Program Administration

1. Provide support for Youth Services and Adult & Family programs by coordinating and assisting with culturally and age-appropriate activities.

2. Organizing monthly programming, preparing and co-facilitating activities, supervising participants, and supporting agency-wide communication of activities available to youth and families.

3. Submit timely and accurate reports to supervisor in alignment with CWD processes to ensure compliance with funder reporting requirements and adherence to NAHC policies and procedures.

4. Identify and respond to unmet community service needs through curriculum design, new project development, and service expansion—particularly in Alameda County.

5. Communicate and Engage regularly with the CWD Program Manager I to ensure services are aligned with overall growth.

6. Assist in outreach to engage elders, and families with a strengths-based approach and utilizing NAHC's wrap around services.

7. Collaborate with team members to identify and develop procedures to increase program retention.

8. Provide back-up administrative support for the CWD including; Greet all patients in a courteous and professional manner, facilitate patient flow in the CWD by answering telephone calls; preparing encounter forms; notifying clinical staff of patient arrivals in a timely manner, and register patients into the practice management system (Smartsheets) in a manner that ensures accuracy and thoroughness.

9. Support the planning process and implementation of the Gathering of Native Americans (GONA) annual youth program and annual Elder events.

10. Facilitate groups and services for elders, youth, and families

11. Work in concert with the Communications Team to ensure the social media and outreach strategy objectives are met. Develop compelling campaigns to further expand and promote services and visibility.

12. Provide peer-to-peer social, emotional, and practical support to individuals to improve their prevention health related needs.

13. Provide direct services to community members, including program coverage for member facing staff

14. Identify and ensure the incorporation of culturally appropriate evidence-based practices.

15. Actively participate in staff meetings, workshops, and trainings; as well as coordinate activities with collaborating agencies.

General Duties

16. Member Care: Demonstrate understanding and apply working knowledge of safety policies and ensuring safe member practices.

17. Quality Improvement: Actively participate in internal quality improvement teams and work with members proactively to drive quality improvement initiatives in accordance with the mission and strategic goals of the organization, federal and state laws and regulations, and accreditation standards, when assigned.

18. Safety: Responsible for ensuring that all duties, responsibilities and operations are performed with the utmost regard for the safety and health of all personnel involved, including themselves.

19. Safety: Take appropriate corrective actions to address matters pertaining to employee health and safety that have been brought to their attention.

20. HIPAA: Keep all protected health information (PHI) confidential and abide by HIPAA guidelines for the release and disclosure of any PHI. Will report unauthorized use of disclosure of PHI immediately, to Site Director and HIPAA security officer.

21. Must Maintain compliance with ergonomic safety standards; be mindful of posture and regularly practice ergonomic stretches

22. HIPAA: Ensure the protection of all PHI and compliance of HIPAA guidelines amongst staff under your supervision. Take appropriate steps to address HIPAA concerns with staff as necessary.

23. Works extremely well under pressure, meet multiple and often competing deadlines.

24. At all times demonstrate cooperative behavior with supervisors, subordinates, colleagues, clients and the community.

25. Other duties as assigned by Supervisor or CWD Site Director.

MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS

1. Must have a high school diploma or its equivalent.

2. Strong organizational skills, with experience organizing collaboratively in youth family, and adult led organizing efforts, campaigns, meetings and events.

3. Willing and able to have a flexible schedule; and to be able to work effectively in changing environment.

4. Understanding of positive family and adult development principles and experience applying them to family and adult serving organizations.

5. Understanding of family and adult systems, including an understanding of these

6. systems from the perspectives of families, youth and adults being served.

7. Experience working with youth, families, adults involved in multiple systems, especially community-based mental health, juvenile justice, foster care and/or child welfare systems.

8. Familiarity with local resources available to adult, youth and families facing mental health challenges.

9. Possession of front country safety or ability to attain within six months of hire.

10. Ability to connect with families, adult and youth, respect their respective cultures, and share power to foster an adult, family, youth processes.

11. Familiarity with the San Francisco Bay Area American Indian Community and

12. Native-serving organizations.

13. Excellent social, writing and interpersonal skills.

14. Expertise with Windows 2000, Microsoft Office, Excel and Word.

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 sit and use hands to finger, handle, or feel. The employee is frequently required to talk or hear. The employee is frequently required to stand; walk; reach with hands and arms and stoop, bend at waist, kneel, crouch, or crawl. The employee must occasionally lift and/or move up to 15 pounds. Specific vision abilities required by this job include close vision and ability to adjust focus.

WORKING CONDITIONS AND 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. While performing the duties of this job, the employee is regularly exposed to both an inside/outside environment and may be exposed to the burning of traditional medicines.

Note to Applicants: Please be advised a post job offer, pre-employment Physical, TB test and Vaccination Clearance are required as a condition of employment. Vaccination Levels: 0 – Limited - require only TB, Physical & Seasonal Flu; 1 – Full Panel with exposure of Blood Borne Pathogens – requires, Measles, Mumps, Rubella, TDAP, Varicella, Hepatitis B, TB, Physical & Season Flu; 2 – Full panel no exposure of Blood Borne Pathogens – requires Measles, Mumps, Rubella, TDAP, Varicella, TB, Physical & Seasonal Flu. Additionally, you may be asked to get a Department of Justice Fingerprinting and/or Federal, State, County criminal background check clearance as a contingency for an offer of employment. Criminal clearances are obtained to protect the welfare and safety of clients receiving services at NAHC.

EQUAL OPPORTUNITY EMPLOYER: Within the scope of Indian Preference, all candidates will receive equal consideration without regard to race, color, gender, religion, national origin or other non-merit factors.

Age Discrimination in Employment Act (ADEA): Native American Health Center abides by the mandates of the ADEA (protecting individuals 40 years and older) and considers age a non-merit factor in all employment decisions and considerations.

Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA): Native American Health Center abides by the mandates of the ADA and considers disability a non-merit factor in all employment decisions and considerations. Furthermore, NAHC will make any practical, feasible, and reasonable arrangements to accommodate qualified applicants and employees with disabilities.