Certified Peer Counselor - Youth Mobile Crisis Intervention

Position Summary:

Certified Peer Counselors are individuals with personal history as a youth or as a parent of a youth who has been a recipient of behavioral health, child welfare, complex medical coordination or juvenile justice services who use that personal experience to collaborate, provide support and help facilitate services for youth and their families. Working as a member of a team, the Peer Counselor helps a youth or parent voice their own perspective and assure that other team members are able to understand their perspective and use that perspective in treatment planning. Applicants must have first person experience in accessing system services and be prepared to disclose their personal experiences with youth, parents and others.

Responsibilities:

Primary Responsibilities

• Provide direct support to the treatment team assessing and engaging the child/youth and family in safety planning and prevention activities.
• Working with the treatment team for high-risk, clinically complex circumstances, team will determine the most appropriate safety crisis and treatment responses and utilize a Peer to support youth and family engagement in service planning to address those safety, crisis and treatment needs.
• Participate in child and family teams and in the assessment process with referred youth and parents. Relate personal experience to assist in building trust with the family and increasing hopeful engagement in services.
• Assess and review the youth and parent's ability to communicate their position, preferences, strengths and needs. Find ways to relate personal experience to the experience of the youth or parent
• Review personal history receiving services and disclose common elements to youth and parent being served. Reassure and communicate the recovery process to youth and parents, that "they are not in this alone."
• Reach agreement with youth and parents about their functional strengths, passions and activities that will contribute to their healing and support. Assist in communicating that clinical information to the treatment team and through session documentation to Medicaid funders.
• As an active participant in the clinical treatment team, review and analyze the safety/crisis and treatment plan, make suggestions for improvement/ modifications that would improve youth and parent participation.
• Work in partnership with and under the direction of the Clinician to provide peer support for youth and their families identified in crisis.
• Demonstrate the ability to work in partnership with members of a clinical Team, establishing a strong working relationship to support coordination of care between team members.
• Provide community support by identifying and connecting youth and their families to primary care, behavioral health, community and natural resources that benefit the consumer and family.
• Provide care coordination and case management services including:
  
  
  
  • Coach in self-management and stabilization techniques under the direction of the Clinician.
  • Identify natural supports, community resources, support groups and engage the youth and their family with those supports.
  • Encourage engagement of community resources and natural supports.
  
  
  
  
• Attend all required individual supervision, group supervision, all staff meetings, clinical training, community meetings, and other trainings asked to attend by management and supervisor
• Promote Catholic Charities programs while meeting with other resources while in the community
• Attendance and completion of Mental Health Peer Certified Counselor Training

HIPAA

• Responsible for upholding a culture of privacy and security in highly confidential work environment (HIPAA covered entity service area).
• Complies with all Catholic Charities policies and procedures that involve access to and safeguarding of client Protected Health Information (all forms).

Perform other duties as assigned

Job Requirements:

The following requirements are those that are normally required for performance of this position. Any disabled applicant or incumbent who does not meet one or more of the physical requirements, but who can perform the essential function of the job (with or without reasonable accommodations) shall be deemed to meet these requirements.

Physical Requirements:

This position normally requires that physical demands of standing, walking, bending, lifting or performing other work requiring low physical exertion, talking and hearing on a regular basis to perform the job requirements. These physical demands are required up to 80% of the time. Position also requires ability to drive with adequate vision and skill.

Job Conditions:

Working conditions include working in an office environment, in family homes, in and about the community. Regular working hours may occur any day of the week or time of the day.

Non-Physical Requirements:

Education

• Must be a self-identified consumer of Behavioral Health Services and successfully complete Peer Counselor training and pass an examination provided by the Mental Health Division (MHD)

Experience

• Preferred: At least two years' experience providing peer services

Special Skills

• Bilingual (English/Spanish) preferred, but not required
• Strong family and individual clinical case management skills
• Possess and utilize effective verbal and written communication skills
• Ability to be self-motivated, work independently, and as a team member
• Ability to represent the agency in a professional manner within the community

Licensure, Registration, Certification

• Valid Washington State driver's license and required minimum liability insurance for WA State
• Must be deemed insurable as determined by Catholic Charities' liability insurance provider
• Agency Affiliated Counselor Registration
• Peer Certification Training or Certificate required
• Completion of HCA sponsored Peer Crisis Training, and Trauma Informed Care, De-escalation Techniques and Harm Reduction

Employment is conditional upon:

• Being cleared by criminal background check and fingerprinting when required