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New Progressions LLC, is currently reopening our Georgia offices. New Progressions is currently seeking a CERTIFIED PEER SUPPORT SPECIALIST to work in Fulton County Georgia and surrounding areas. This individual must be certified by the state of Georgia to provide Peer Support Services.

MAJOR DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES: The Peer Specialist (PS) is an active

member of the CORE (Program/Team) and provides peer support services to clients

with serious mental illnesses Under supervision of the Clinical Director and Operations Director

the Peer Specialist will function as a role model to peers; exhibiting competency in

personal recovery and use of coping skills; serve as a consumer advocate, providing

consumer information and peer support for clients in outpatient and inpatient settings. The

PS performs a wide range of tasks to assist peers of all ages, from young adult to old age,

in regaining independence within the community and mastery over their own recovery

process. Recovery resources such as booklets, tapes, pamphlets and other written

materials will be utilized by the Peer Specialist in the provision of services.

Using a formal goal setting process, the PS will:

•

Assist clients in articulating personal goals for recovery through the use of one-tone

and group sessions. During these sessions the PS will support clients in

identifying and creating goals and developing recovery plans with the skills,

strengths, supports and resources to aid them in achieving those goals

•

Assist clients in working with their Case Manager or treatment team in determining

the steps he/she needs to take in order to achieve these goals and self-directed

recovery.

•

Assist clients in setting up and sustaining self-help (mutual support) groups, as

well as means of locating and joining existing groups.

•

Utilize tools such as the Wellness Recovery Action Plan (WRAP) to assist clients

in creating their own individual wellness and recovery plans.

•

Independently or with periodic assistance of higher graded treatment team

members, utilize and teach problem solving techniques with individuals and

groups; discussions will be utilized where clients will share common problems in

daily living and methods they have employed to manage and cope with these

problems. As one who has availed themselves to mental health services, the PS

will share their own experiences and what skills, strengths, supports and

resources they use. As much as possible, the PS will share their own recovery

story and as the facilitator of these sessions, will demonstrate how they have

directed their own recovery.

•

Use ongoing individual and group sessions to teach clients how to identify and

combat negative self-talk and how to identify and overcome fears by providing a

forum which allows group members and PS to share their experiences.

•

Support clients’ vocational choices and assist them in choosing a job that

matches their strengths, overcoming job-related anxiety by reviewing job

applications, and providing interview tips.

•

Assist clients in building social skills in the community that will enhance job

acquisition and tenure.

Utilizing their recovery experience, the PS will:

•

Teach and role model the value of every individual’s recovery experience.

•

Assist the client in obtaining decent and affordable housing of his/her choice in the

most integrated, independent , and least intrusive or restrictive environment by

taking them out to view housing, either driving them or riding with them on public

transportation.

•

The PS models effective coping techniques and self-help strategies.

•

Serve as a recovery agent by providing and advocating for any effective recovery

based services that will aid the client in daily living.

•

Assist in obtaining services that suit that individual’s recovery needs by providing

names of staff, community resources and groups that may be useful. Inform

clients about community and natural supports and how to use these in the

recovery process. Community resources may include but not limited to: social

security office, Department of Family and Children services, local YMCA, Library,

restaurants, clients’ service organizations, apartment complexes and other types

of housing, etc.

•

Assist clients in developing empowerment skills and combating stigma through

self-advocacy. This will be accomplished through regular meetings, individual or

group sessions. Through the use of role playing/modeling techniques the PS

provides opportunities for others to show/demonstrate how they have handled

similar problems, how to present themselves in certain situations, or how to handle

problems that may arise in interactions with others.

•

With assistance from the Program Coordinator/Team Leader, the Peer Specialist

will work with the clients and other treatment team staff to develop a

treatment/recovery plan based on each client’s identified goals.

Treatment/Recovery Plans will be reviewed and signed by the Coordinator/Team

Leader and other participating treatment team staff. The PS will document the

following on the client’s treatment/recovery plan:

a.

identified person-centered strengths, needs, abilities, and recovery goals

b.

interventions to assist the client with reaching their goals for recovery

c.

progress made toward goals

Adapted from Peer Support Technician VACO Classified (Veteran's Administration)

The PS will maintain a working knowledge of current trends and developments in the

mental health field by reading books, journals, and other relevant materials. The PS will

continue to share recovery materials with others at continuing education seminars and

other venues to be developed to support recovery-oriented services; and attend continuing

education seminars and other in-service training when offered.

Knowledge Required by the Position

a. Knowledge of the Recovery process and the ability to facilitate recovery using

established standardized mental health processes.

b. Knowledge and skill to teach and engage in basic problem solving strategies to

support individual clients in self-directed recovery.

c. Knowledge of the signs and symptoms of mental illness (i.e. auditory and visual

hallucinations, aggressive talk and behavior, thoughts of self-harm or harm towards

others, isolation) and the ability to assist the client to address symptoms using strategies

such as positive self-talk.

d. Knowledge and skill sufficient to use community resources necessary for independent

living and ability to teach those skills to other individuals with severe mental illness.

Community resources may include but are not limited to: social security office,

Department of Family and Children services, local YMCA, Library, restaurants, clients’

service organizations, housing providers, etc. The PS may accompany clients to

community resources to assist them in accessing these resources.

e. Knowledge of how to establish and sustain self-help (mutual support) and educational

groups by soliciting input from the mental health consumers on their strengths and

interests.

f. A valid driver’s license is required as some driving and/or transportation may be

required to take clients to medical appointments, job sites, social activities and other

community resources.

G. Knowledge in proper documentation in the BIRP FORMAT.

SUPERVISORY CONTROLS:

The Peer Specialist is administratively assigned to the

CORE with New Progressions LLC and will receive supervision from the Coordinator/Team Leader of the program. The supervisor provides continuing assignments and indicates generally what is to be done, i.e., setting up group or individual meetings, reviewing job applications, etc The incumbent is expected to handle routine duties independently and is expected to establish common priorities for his/her assignments. Group teaching and facilitation work may be performed with the assistance of the supervisor or other mental health treatment team members. Work is reviewed by supervisor to ensure that it is technically correct and that it conforms to established policies and previously given instructions. Assignments that are routine and repetitive are not reviewed by the

supervisor unless there are problems.

GUIDELINES:

Established procedures and specific guidelines are available to the incumbent to cover the

work assignment. Guidelines are applicable and specific to most situations. Incumbent

will use judgment in determining the appropriate guide or instruction to fit the

circumstances and in determining what information is required. In situations where the

guidelines are not applicable; do not exist or are unclear the incumbent refers the problem

to the coordinator. Administration has provided and will continue to update a

Bibliography of Recovery literature and the program will select appropriate literature that

focuses on Recovery and how to teach clients in their recovery process.

COMPLEXITY:

The work involves providing support services for the client that requires assisting them in

establishing goals and mechanisms to reach those goals. Decisions on establishing goals

and formal action plans will always be made in conjunction with the client and case

manager/treatment team and reviewed with the supervisor. Decisions regarding what

needs to be done involve choices that require a simple analysis such as organizing facts in

narrative or logical order and comparing them to past solutions in similar cases or to

applicable criteria. Actions to be taken or responses to be made, such as advice to the

client differs depending on the facts of the situation.

SCOPE AND EFFECT:

The Peer Specialist assists and guides clients toward the identification and achievement of

specific goals defined by the client and specified in the Individual Treatment Plan (ITP).

The work involves a variety of routine, standardized tasks that facilitate work performed by

higher level providers. Work performed by the incumbent will promote community

socialization, recovery, self-advocacy, self-help, and development of natural supports.

PHYSICAL DEMANDS:

The work is primarily sedentary. Typically, the employee will sit to do the work. However,

there may be some walking; standing; bending; carrying of light items such as books,

papers, etc; accessing transportation from one's on vehicle.

WORK ENVIRONMENT:

Work will be performed in a wide range of settings, including the medical center; in client,

group or family homes; in community-based outpatient settings, community agencies; or in

transport vehicles (public or government). Work areas are often noisy, irregular and

unpredictable and can be stressful at times. Clients demonstrate varying levels of

recovery and symptoms.

Job Type: Full-time

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