Peer Advocate

Reports To: Unit Director

Trainings: Annual, CPI required within 90 days of hire or transfer, BLS Healthcare Provider required within 90 days of hire or transfer, First Aid required within 90 days of hire or transfer.

Career Development: Peer Advocate | Case Manager | Therapist

Position Summary:
This position will provide supportive services, including coaching in skills related to consumer's needs, to assist the consumer in maintaining community tenure. As part of the RIST, this position assists consumers with community integration, goal-setting and wellness planning.

Duties and Responsibilities:

• Engaging with program participants in a warm and empowering manner.
• Exhibiting a person-first approach in all interactions and interventions.
• Providing skills-building education.
• Assisting individuals in developing Wellness and Recovery Action Plans and Psychiatric Advanced Directives.
• Participating, with other team members and consumers/family/others as appropriate, in the completion and updating of treatment plans for each consumer within established time frames or as indicated by consumer need.
• Explaining to consumers their rights and procedures for removal/discharge from housing.
• Providing individual and family therapy and supportive counseling.
• Providing crisis mitigation interventions.
• Completing a comprehensive assessment.
• Initiating linkage with community services.
• Providing interventions to stabilize the community living situation.
• Performing outreach, engagement and assessment to enroll consumers into the program.
• As part of the team, assisting consumers in selecting housing.
• Providing 24/7 on-call support for consumers.
• Maintaining program compliance to DMHAS contract requirements.
• Meeting or exceeding contracted commitments including budgeted volume of service.
• Responding to consumer-defined crises 24 hours per day, 365 days per year, providing crisis intervention and consultation to consumers, their families and others.
• Maintaining a valid NJ driver's license.

Minimal Qualifications:

• Licensure/Certification: Current and valid NJ driver's license. CPI required within 90 days of hire or transfer. BLS Healthcare Provider required within 90 days of hire or transfer. First Aid required within 90 days of hire or transfer.
• Education: High school diploma or GED.
• Experience: Peer position that requires that the applicant self-declare past or current treatment for a mental illness. One year of experience in a community-based self-help service or behavioral health setting is required. Must have the appropriate Mental Health Association (MHA) training or would complete such training within one year of employment.

Equipment Use: Computer, copier, facsimile

The above statement reflects the general details considered necessary to describe the principal functions of the job as identified and shall not be considered as a detailed description of all work requirements that may be inherent in the position.