Peer Specialist

Pittsfield, MA

Weekdays, full-time, 1st shift! Weekends, part-time, 1st and 2nd shift!

Essential Job Functions

Direct Care

  • Provide safe, intensely supervised, supportive therapeutic environment for children/adolescents needing acute crisis stabilization
  • Implement individualized treatment plans for each consumer
  • Coordinate/collaborate with network of providers identified for each consumer as directed by clinician
  • Interact with family members in an empathic respectful manner that supports their relationship and role with their child
  • Assist consumers with Activities of Daily Living (ADLS)
  • Actively engage with and encourage participation of consumers in esteem building, recreational and therapeutic activities throughout their admission that are appropriate to individual consumer’s unique stabilization needs
  • Make careful observations regarding consumer’s behavior and emotional status and communicate this clearly and completely to the appropriate staff and in written materials
  • Supervise consumer in other OFY program or in another community site, i.e., school, when directed by clinical staff
  • Provide transportation when necessary to facilitate treatment plan
  • Become directly involved in household management needs, i.e., laundry, meal preparation, household cleaning, grocery shopping.  Supervise consumer participation in such activities when appropriate for age and level of stabilization needs
  • Provide service/staff coverage to other OFY programs, i.e., day treatment and tracking services if no children in crisis house or when directed by supervisor

Administrative Duties

  • Complete all paperwork in a timely and professional manner.
  • Participate in all relevant staff meetings, supervision and required trainings, i.e., OSHA, CPR, First Aid, Passive Restraint, etc.
  • Keep supervisor(s) well informed and update all treatment team members on a regular basis.
  • Complete all tasks assigned which impact on the organized functioning of the program.

Youth Mobile Team:

  • Assist the Youth Mobile Crisis Team with mobile outreach to youth under the age of twenty-one and their families
  • Assist youth and families with navigating the mental health system, as directed by the Master Level clinician
  • Provide brief interventions for crisis management, behavior management and safety issues, as directed by the Master Level clinician
  • Assist the Master level clinician with de-escalation of the crisis
  • Assist with education and follow up with youth and families after a crisis intervention has occurred, under the direction of the Master level clinician
  • Must demonstrate competency and understanding of the Systems of Care philosophy and Wraparound process

Other Responsibilities

  • Provide an atmosphere conductive to enhancing mental health and recovery in keeping with human rights of consumers
  • Must provide services in a caring, compassionate manner that supports empowerment of the youth and family
  • Provide services in an energetic, enthusiastic manner
  • Pay careful attention to working as a team member with other house staff, members of the clinical team and other providers
  • Represent the agency in a professional manner at all times in keeping with the quality of care expected by the Brien Center
  • Flexibly respond to program scheduling needs and assist other programs when assigned.
  • Report any incident regarding the use of physical restraint, accidents, injuries and unusual events to program supervisor
  • Follow all program/agency policies and procedures
  • Other duties as assigned by supervisor

Qualifications

  • High School Diploma or equivalent required; Bachelor’s Degree preferred
  • Must complete Peer Specialist Training post-hire; Certification at time of hire preferred.
  • Two years experience working with youth under the age of twenty-one and families preferred.. “Lived” experience preferred.
  • Must complete all trainings and competencies of the Brien Center for the Youth Mobile Team

Skills

  • Knowledge of community resources
  • Working knowledge of computers
  • Must have excellent telephone and interpersonal skills

Working Conditions

  • Ability to work in a variety of settings including but not limited to: community based location; consumer home, schools, community agencies
  • Facilitate groups in other community locations

Physical Conditions

  • Manual & visual dexterity; correctable
  • Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable qualified individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions