Certified Peer Specialist (Central Intake) - Full-time

Description

Apalachee Center, Inc. is best known for helping individuals and families of North Florida succeed in recovering from emotional, psychiatric, and substance abuse crises. Apalachee Center, Inc. provides comprehensive behavioral health services across 8 counties (Franklin, Gadsden, Jefferson, Leon, Liberty, Madison, Taylor, and Wakulla Counties).

Apalachee Center, Inc. offers competitive benefits for our full-time positions to include health, dental, vision, basic life insurance, long term disability, paid time off, and more.

Overview:

POSITION SUMMARY:

A peer specialist uses his or her lived experience to serve as a mentor to provide support for persons with severe persistent mental illness and or substance use disorder.  This role will promote hope and set person-centered recovery-oriented goals.  The role is non-clinical and does not include treatment, assessment and/or clinical evaluations of peers. It involves developing a relationship of trust that builds peers’ resilience, hope, recovery skills, and connects them to treatment services.

ESSENTIAL/CORE JOB-SPECIFIC DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES  

1. Demonstrates recovery, resiliency, and wellness strategies by sharing aspects of one’s own recovery journey to encourage hope and motivation. Models appropriate self-advocacy skills to empower peers in sustaining long-term recovery and actively collaborates with team members to promote a recovery-oriented environment.
2. Conducts outreach to all peers discharged from the Crisis Stabilization Unit to complete 7-day follow-ups via video or in-person during Same-Day Access hours. Provides support and encouragement for peers to engage in routine outpatient care and sustain recovery progress. Collaborates with the Central Intake team for new peers to come in for same-day access for an intake and ensures that currently enrolled outpatient peers without a follow-up appointment are scheduled for Case Management, Therapy, or Psychiatry as appropriate to reduce the risk of future hospitalizations.
3. Organizes and facilitates weekly engagement groups for peers who have missed or canceled multiple appointments, helping them identify and address barriers to care. Notifies support staff and program supervisors upon a peer’s completion of the engagement group and provides a warm handoff to ensure timely scheduling of appropriate follow-up services.
4. Develops a strong understanding of available outpatient programs and services to effectively support peers in their recovery journey. Conducts follow-up to ensure peers have successfully accessed and maintain engagement with recommended services from their intake.

Qualifications

1. Openly identifies as a person who has lived experience of using/have used mental health services and/or substance use disorder services or programs.
2. Actively engages in self-care program that promotes recovery.
3. Minimum of 1 (one) year in recovery required.

Education/Experience: 

• A high school diploma or its equivalent. 
• Certified as a Peer Specialist.
• Experience with mental illnesses and/or substance use disorder.

Licensure or Certification:

• Recognized as a Certified Recovery Peer Specialist by the Florida Certification Board and in good standing.
• Must possess a current and valid driver’s license with no more than six (6) points and maintain Apalachee Designated Auto Driver’s status if transporting consumers is part of the job assignment.