Bilingual Mental Health Peer Specialist

Must have lived experience of mental health challenges. Provides non‐clinical, peer‐based activities that engage, educate, and support an individual successfully to make life changes necessary to recover from mental health/or substance use disorder conditions. It is not the right job for everyone. Individuals need to be sure they want continued employment as a peer specialist before investing their time and resources in attending the certification training. Individuals are strongly encouraged to work or volunteer as a peer specialist for at least a few months prior to applying to attend the certification training. Certified Peer Specialist provide support services to: Adults with serious mental illness and/or a chronic substance use disorder; Peer Specialist services is a set of non‐clinical, peer‐based activities that engage, educate and support an individual successfully to make life changes necessary to recover from mental health/alcohol and other drug use disorder conditions.

Minimum Requirements:

1. 2 years of lived experience and/or recovery

2. High School Diploma or GED

3. 46-hour Recovery Coach Training

4. 500-hour OJC Training (On the Job Companion)

5. Willing to disclose lived experience with peers, professionals and public

6. Willing to advance in career and expand academic development

7. Background check and/or references (depending on site location)

8. Be age 18 or older

9. Self-identify as a person who has direct personal experience living in recovery from mental health challenges.

10. Have a lived experience of a mental health condition or dual (mental health/substance use disorder)

11. Have significant experience working on their own recovery and an ability to manage their own wellness.

12. Have a desire to use their experiences to support others with their recovery; and

13. Be willing to publicly identify as a person living well and in recovery.

14. modeling and providing hope to others about the reality of recovery.

Job Duties Include:

1. Arrive for work each morning on time or call in at least 1 hour prior to scheduled time to report for work

2. Track, monitor and document progress and success of peers referred for additional support services such as housing and jobs by assisting them to navigate through the community system

3. Assist peers in their recovery by actively listening to them and through motivational interviewing

4. Complete Capital (strengths)assessment to develop a recovery plan

5. Document contacts with peers on appropriate forms and make additional referrals for recovery support

6. Follow APAA’s designated curriculums responsibility to ensure completion of all paperwork

7. Learn APAA mission, goals and Core Values of Recovery.

8. Perform Recovery Check Ups three per week through phone contact and document peer’s interaction on designated form.

9. Ongoing training, supervision and evaluations of core competencies

10. Role model self-care with lived experience and/or recovery practice

11. Directly initiate the individual to recovery community environments, and

12. Linking the individual to needed services and assist in navigating systems and addressing barriers to independence and recovery

13. Directly accompanying the individual and “walking them through new environments, services, and systems, when appropriate and necessary

14. Be a Traveling Companion toward whole health.