Peer Support Specialist

Description

Easterseals Blake Foundation started as the Cerebral Palsy Foundation of Southern Arizona. Since then, we have expanded our services to better serve our community members. We are now one of Arizona's top providers of comprehensive behavioral health services, child welfare, and services for individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities. We serve more than 40,000 individuals and families across 10 counties and support more than 3,700 children in Foster Care throughout Southern Arizona. Are you ready to make profound, positive differences in people's lives every day?

We offer our full-time employees the following benefits:

• Medical, Dental and Vision
• Flexible Spending Account and Dependent Flexible Spending Account 
• Health Savings Account
• Voluntary Life insurance
• Voluntary Short-term Disability insurance
• Critical Illness insurance
• Accident insurance
• Employer paid life insurance, long-term disability insurance, and Employee Assistance Program

Promotes a recovery-based approach to member care that emphasizes hope, respect, self-direction and empowerment by providing peer support, personal assistance, education on community resources, supportive services, advocacy and other support primarily in-home and/or in the community to aid in the recovery of the members from mental illness and/or addiction disorders.

Essential Duties and Responsibilities:

Provides supportive assistance to the member to help him/her research and access needed and desired community resources. Assists in the scheduling of follow-up appointments for members.

Assists members in choosing, obtaining and keeping wellness related goals. Assists in the development and coordination of activities, programs, and resources which directly support members or family members/caregivers of consumers in achieving wellness and recovery goals. 

Provides structure and support to promote personal progress and accountability.

Ensures safety of member’s living environment (personal safety, food supply, utilities and appliances working, adequacy of furnishings, and lack of fire hazards).

Provides instruction in activities of daily living (nutrition, meal planning, shopping, meal preparation, budgeting, home cleaning, organization, personal grooming, and laundry).

Communicates with clinical team regarding the members’ level of independent functioning and current levels of support provided.

Travels to the members’ residence to provide peer support, personal assistance, and other supportive in-home services. May transport members to and from appointments, as appropriate.

Relates own recovery process in a positive and supportive manner through coaching, role modeling and mentoring in order to assist members in developing skills to achieve their goals.

Advocates for members, as needed, to ensure delivery of necessary services.

Provides assistance during and after an acute behavioral health event, as needed, and notifies Supervisor all assigned and treatment team members.

Participates in the process of ongoing professional development and meetings. Maintains comprehensive communication among all contacts within the agency, members, and external agencies. Models professional standards and ethics in accordance with EBF Code of Conduct, Strategic Plan, Mission, and Vision. 

Performs other duties as assigned.

Requirements

Minimum Requirements: Certified Peer Support Specialist or Certified Recovery Support Specialist and 2 years of experience providing direct care in healthcare required. Bilingual (Spanish) preferred. 

Regulatory 

• Must be at least 21 years of age. 
• Current, unrestricted AZ driver’s license with no more than two (2) minor moving violations or one (1) accident within the past three (3 years). Three (3) years of driving experience required.
• Must be able to pass a criminal background check.
• Ability to obtain and maintain an AZ DPS Level 1 fingerprint clearance card (employer provides).
• CPR and First Aid certification (Employer provides).
• Crisis Prevention Certification (Employer provides).

Skills/Job Knowledge/Abilities: Able to establish and maintain a team atmosphere of communication and collaboration for all that reach out to the Department. Must be self-directed and be sensitive to cultural and linguistic diversity. Excellent customer service in stressful situations. Maintains a professional in appearance, communications, and actions. Excellent interpersonal communication skills. Possess a high level of computer proficiency. 

Working Conditions/Physical Requirements (with or without accommodation): Will work outside and inside environments, as needed. Daily travel to member homes and other locations. Interacts with employees and members of the public on a daily basis. Able to lift up to 50lbs to support member care. Visual acuity to read information from computer screens, forms and to assess the wellbeing of members. Able to speak clearly in conversations, general communications and to communicate verbally with members and emergency personnel as needed for daily operations. Hearing ability for communication in persona, phone, and/or other electronic methods. Manual dexterity to assist members with paperwork and daily functions. Able to stoop, squat, reach, pull, push, stretch, ascend and descend stairs, stand and sit for long periods of time.  May be required to work additional hours or days depending on circumstances. 

Easterseals Blake Foundation and Aviva are an Equal Employment Opportunity and Affirmative action employer that promotes a work environment of inclusion and diversity. We are committed to provide employment opportunities to all candidates based on their qualifications free of discrimination based on race, color, religion, national origin, sex (including pregnancy, sexual orientation or gender identity), age, disability, veteran status, genetic information, mental or physical disability, or any other characteristic protected by law.

If you have any questions, require assistance or reasonable accommodations while seeking employment, please contact the Human Resource Department at HR@blake.easterseals.com or call 520-327-1529.