Supported Employment Specialist - IPS (Peer Specialist)

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The Individual Placement and Support (IPS) Certified Peer Specialist serves as an ambassador for the evidence-based practice of IPS Supported Employment and provides employment support to IPS program participants. The IPS Certified Peer Specialist offers encouragement and motivation by drawing from their own lived experiences of mental illness and success in employment. This is an individual involved in their own recovery experience who is able to assist others in that process by providing recovery strategies, sharing like experiences, instilling hope, demonstrating empathy, offering community resources and serving as a role model. The position is responsible for delivering elements of IPS Supported Employment to interested adult outpatient consumers working or contemplating work rather than to a specific IPS caseload assignment.

The IPS Supported Employment Certified Peer Specialists are responsible for supporting consumers in their goals of obtaining employment by attending meetings with consumers, promoting self-determination and recovery, and modeling self-advocacy skills.

Essential Functions

• Promoting self-determination, recovery, self-advocacy, and self-direction; assisting individuals in identifying strengths; wellness goals; setting objectives, and identifying barriers
• Attending treatment team meetings with the individual to promote the individual's use of self-directed advocacy tools; assisting the individual in goal planning and participating with the individual and the Employment Specialist in the development of PCP/Career Profile; assisting the individual in learning how to ask for appropriate services in community
• Assisting individuals in obtaining information about their benefits (SSI, SSDI, Medicaid, etc.)
• Engaging individuals in other programs and services to encourage employment
• Modeling self-advocacy skills for addressing disclosure issues or requesting job accommodations
• Teaching wellness management strategies and helping individuals develop their own self-management plans/tools to use in the workplace and in their personal lives; using manualized strategies such as IMR/WMR, WRAP, and others
• Connecting to support groups in the community to learn from other peers, to promote hope, to problem-solve through work situations, and to decrease social isolation
• Providing education to other members of the IPS Supported Employment and Treatment Teams to increase their understanding of self-advocacy and peer support roles, and to promote a culture in which an individuals’ points of view and preferences are recognized, understood, respected, and integrated into service delivery
• Providing resources and teaching transportation skills (teaching bus routes, etc.) for work
• Sharing his or her own personal story of lived experience to model how to choose, obtain, and keep employment
• Supporting individuals in making informed decisions about supported employment and building community connections
• Supporting the individuals in the vocational choices they make and supporting them in overcoming job-related concerns
• Building social skills in the community that will enhance job acquisition and tenure
• Assisting in overcoming barriers to employment and addressing workplace challenges
• Assisting in obtaining the proper documentation necessary for employment
• Researching with the individual businesses and/or industries in which the person is interested
• Assisting the individual in completing applications, resumes, cover letters, etc.
• Exploring career and educational aspirations with the individual
• Assisting in teaching skills related to job-seeking, such as using the computer
• Attending recovery support groups and NA/AA meetings with the job seeker if appropriate
• Assisting with financial wellness using tools for money management and asset development
• Providing outreach services as necessary to individuals when they appear to disengage from the IPS Supported Employment Program
• Spending 65% or more of scheduled work hours in the community meeting with the individuals seeking employment, mental health treatment teams, VRS, etc.
  
  
  

Supervision and Consultation

• Seeks supervision and consultation as needed
• Accepts and employs suggestions for improvement
  
  
  

Record Keeping

• Maintains confidential files containing required information for each supported employment client
• Maintains documentation for those individuals receiving services
• Provides timely documentation that meets requirements of various funding sources including Vocational Rehabilitation, Medicaid, and others.
  
  
  

Courteous and respectful towards consumers, visitors and co-workers

• Treats consumers with care, dignity, and compassion
• Respects consumer’s privacy and confidentiality
• Is pleasant and cooperative with others
• Assists consumers and visitors as needed
• Personal values don’t inhibit ability to relate and care for others
• Is sensitive to the consumer’s needs, expectations and individual differences
• Is gentle and calm with consumers and families
  
  
  

Administrative and Other Related Duties as Assigned

• Actively participates in Performance Improvement activities.
• Actively participates in AltaPointe committees as required.
• Completes assigned tasks in a timely manner.
• Follows AltaPointe policies and procedures.
• Attends to required in-service training and other workshops.
  
  
  

High School Diploma or GED required.

Must be in recovery from a mental illness, be willing to share recovery story, and have an understanding of the mental health system.

Must have and maintain a valid Alabama driver license, have vehicle insurance, and be 23 and over.

Will require the completion of the ADMH Peer Certification course.