Peer Recovery Supporter

JOB PURPOSE: The Peer Recovery Supporter (PRS) serves a role model to persons with a mental health and/or substance use disorder to facilitate and promote recovery. Peer support services consist of activities that promote resiliency and recovery, self-determination, advocacy, well-being, and skill development. Peer support services are individualized, resiliency and recovery focused, and based on increasing knowledge and skills through a peer relationship that supports an individuals or family’s ability to address needs, navigate systems and promote recovery, resiliency, and wellness. They promote family driven, youth guided, trauma informed care and cultural humility, encourage partnership with individuals and families, and advocate for informed choice.

ESSENTIAL DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES:

• Modeling personal responsibility for resiliency, recovery and wellness.
• Check in with shift prior for resident report and receive any added assignment.
• Coordinating or assisting in crisis interventions and stabilization: Oversee individual resident concerns and alert treatment team members.
• Developing and working toward achievement of individualized recovery, resiliency, and wellness goals.
• Promoting coordination and linkage among providers: Attend treatment team and supervisee meetings.
• Maintain residents' schedule for your shift.
• Addressing skills or behaviors, through processes that assist an individual, caregiver, or family in eliminating barriers to achieving or maintaining recovery, resiliency, and wellness: Observe and assure adherence to facility rules.
• Complete daily room checks.
• Attending and participating in team decision making or specific treatment team: Complete daily attendance, progress reports and record.
• Assist with room searches when requested by the supervisor, or any other safety reasons that should warrant suspicion.
• Teaching and coaching skills to effectively navigate systems to effectively and efficiently utilize services: Assisting with accessing and developing outside support systems for aftercare. 
• Meet and greet new patients.
• Assist with getting a food tray or drinks.
• Assist security with belongings/bag search upon new admit and sanitizing.
• Review patient handbook and orient patient to the program, answering questions concerning policy and rules.
• Supporting individuals and their caregivers and families in achieving goals through increased knowledge, skills and connection as identified by the individual or family: Sit with resident for conference call with children, or other approved phone call.
• Responsible for monitoring some phone time and adhere to facility cell phone policy.
• Encouraging hope:  Providing small support groups for patients.
• Ongoing exploration of recovery, resiliency, and wellness needs: Assist in restocking resident supply closet, clothing closet. Assist residents in obtaining needed supplies.
• Addressing skills or behaviors, through processes that assist an individual, caregiver, or family in eliminating barriers to achieving or maintaining recovery, resiliency, and wellness: Assist in overseeing visitors and proper documentation for visits.
• Supporting the development of life skills: Monitor all chores and work projects.
• Assisting with accessing and developing natural support systems: Assist in overseeing in house residents with AA/NA meetings when applicable.
• Assisting individuals, caregivers, or families in the development of empowerment skills through advocacy and activities that mitigate discrimination and inspire hope: Assist residents with recreational activities and other projects, doing whatever possible to promote comfort, security, and rehabilitation.
• Conducting outreach and community education
• Other duties as assigned.

Please note that individuals may not be certified as a PRS while on probation, parole or any type of court sanction. Individuals may complete training while on probation/parole/court sanction, but you will need to wait until after your probation/parole/court sanction has ended to apply for certification as a PRS.

REQUIRED QUALIFICATIONS/EDUCATION/EXPERIENCE:

• You must have directly lived experience of mental health and/or substance use issues. “Direct lived experience” means that you are personally in recovery from a mental health and/or substance use issue (having a friend or family member in recovery does not qualify you for PRS certification). 
• Active OHIO (Peer Recovery Support Certification).
• Compliance to the Ohio Peer Support Code of Ethics
• High School Diploma or G.E.D.
• CPR Certified required.

Preferred Education and Experience
At least one year of certified peer support experience preferred.

OTHER MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS:

Having some flexibility in hours in order to meet the needs of the patients.  Must be available for work second, third and overnight shifts as needed. Monday thru Sunday and must work 32 hours each week to maintain full-time status. Must be patient driven and able to speak up as an advocate and encourager.  Have good organizational, communication, and interpersonal skills. Knowledge of Microsoft software applications preferred (Word, Excel). Ability to multi-task essential.

PHYSICAL DEMANDS:

Physical demands described are representative of those that must be routinely met by and employee to successfully perform the essential duties of this position.  Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable qualified individuals with disabilities to perform the essentials duties.

• Ability to lift minimum 25 pounds.
• Ability to perform job responsibilities in a facility with multiple levels and without elevator or mechanical transportation.
• Operates a computer and keyboard.

WORK ENVIRONMENT:

This job operates in an inpatient facility environment. May be exposed to infections and contagious diseases, occasional exposure to unpleasant patient interactions, Subject to many interruptions, occasionally subjected to irregular hours, Occasional pressure due to multiple calls and inquiries, may be exposed to the risk of blood-borne diseases. This role may work in an OVP Health and/or OVP Health Care location.

EEO STATEMENT

OVP Health provides equal employment opportunities (EEO) to all employees and applicants for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, disability, or genetics.  In addition to federal law requirements, OVP Health complies with applicable state and local laws governing nondiscrimination in employment in every location in which the company has facilities.  This policy applies to all terms and conditions of employment, including recruiting, hiring, placement, promotion, termination, layoff, recall, transfers, leaves of absence, compensation, and training.

OVP Health expressly prohibits any form of workplace harassment based on race, color, religion, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, national origin, age, genetic information, disability, or veteran status.  Improper inference with the ability of OVP Health employees to perform their job duties may result in discipline up to and including discharge.