Peer Specialist

SCOPE OF ROLE:

• Outreach/Engagement:
Helping to facilitate engagement with tenants, undertake outreach activities designed to promote community awareness of S:

US services, encouraging help-seeking, and at times advocate for population served to maximum their full potential.

• Embracing Creative Narratives:
Peer Specialists need to be able to understand, share and discuss multiple frameworks for understanding life experiences such as psychosis with participants and the rest of the S:

US team. Peer Specialists intentionally use language in the service of listening to understand and making space for complex personal stories of recovery and resilience.

• Advocacy:
Peer Specialists advocate with and for program participants both in the larger community and on the team.

• Co-Creating Support and Wellness Tools:
Collaborate with participants to clarify their personal visions and develop their wellness toolkit. Along with other team members, Peer Specialists support participants in strengthening their self-awareness, building life skills, and connecting to resources and community outside of the S:

US team.

• Influencing Team Culture:
Whenever possible, positively influencing the team culture by advocating for clients, promoting a friendly approach and encouraging the use of recovery-oriented language. S:

US Peer Specialists also work actively within the team itself to help build an environment that operates from a belief in the human potential to grow and an understanding of human diversity.

• Team Communication:
Peer Specialists maintain open and frequent communication with the team. This includes reporting safety and other concerns to the team. Peer Specialists will also keep notes on visits with program participants as required by the provider agency. In the spirit of peer support, co-collaborating on reporting with the program participant is encouraged.

Engagement:

• Create a sense of community through the mutual sharing of lived experiences.
• Create professional boundaries when working with participants.
• Facilitate engagement with teams by forging strong connections with participants and families.
• Undertake outreach activities designed to promote community awareness of S:
  
  US services.
• Encourage help-seeking, and at times serving as a bridge between team members and participants when they experience ambivalence about treatment or other services.
• Develop authentic, meaningful relationships with individuals and families through empathy, listening and collaborating with genuine curiosity and interest.
• Understand, share and discuss multiple frameworks for understanding life experiences with participants and the rest of the S:
  
  US team. Peer Specialists intentionally use language in the service of listening to understand and making space for complex personal stories of recovery and resilience.

Advocacy and Support:

• Advocates for and facilitate access to needed health care services, proactively addressing potential barriers such as missed appointments, transportation, fear and stigma, and communication with professional staff.
• Advocate with and for program participants both in the larger community and on the team.
• Facilitate individual and group-based educational, recovery, wellness and skill building opportunities including: wellness self-management; WRAP; peer support; harm reduction; and other social or leisure activities.
• Collaborate with participants to clarify their personal visions and develop their wellness toolkit.
• Support participants in strengthening their self-awareness, building life skills, and connecting to resources and community outside of the S:
  
  US team.
• Work actively within the team itself to help build an environment that operates from a belief in the human potential to grow and an understanding of human diversity.
• Accompany individuals to appointments and community/leisure activities.
• Carry a small caseload, as needed.

Communication:

• Peer Specialists maintain open and frequent communication with the team. This includes reporting safety and other concerns to team members.
• Responsible for timely and accurate documentation including…