Peer Support Specialist – Posting #20-081

Agency Background:

Lifeline Connections is a not-for-profit agency that is recognized as a leading behavioral health treatment provider in Washington State, offering a full continuum of care for individuals who have a behavioral health condition. Lifeline Connections' patients receive an unprecedented level of care by highly skilled professionals who know how to help people find and sustain long-term recovery. For over fifty years Lifeline Connections has provided hope, help and healing to thousands of individuals in Washington State and within the Portland, Oregon metro area.

Peer Support Specialist – Posting #20-081

Major Duties:

The Peer Support Specialist works under the supervision of the Program Manager. This position provides community based mental health services to agency clients. In fulfilling these duties, the incumbent performs the following duties independently:

Provide peer counseling and support, drawing on common experiences as a peer, to validate clients’ experiences and to provide guidance and encouragement to clients to take responsibility and actively participate in their own recovery.
Serve as a mentor to clients to promote hope and empowerment.
Act as an interpreter to help non-mental health consumer team members better understand and empathize with each client’s unique and subjective experience and perceptions.
Provide expertise and consultation from a mental health consumer perspective to the entire team concerning clients’ experiences on symptoms of mental illness, the effects and side-effects of medications, clients’ responses to and opinions of treatment, and clients’ experiences of recovery.
Collaborate with the team to promote a team culture in which each client’s point of view, experiences, and preferences are recognized, understood, and respected, and in which client self-determination and decision-making in treatment planning are maximized and supported.
Help clients identify, understand, and combat stigma and discrimination associated with mental illness and develop strategies to reduce self-stigma.
Help other team members identify and understand culture-wide stigma and discrimination against people with mental illness and develop strategies to eliminate stigma within the team.
Collaborate with the team to ensure the protection of clients’ rights in order to help clients to improve their knowledge of client rights and grievance or complaint procedures.
Collaborate with the team to help clients learn about pertinent grievance procedures and support clients with filing, mediating, and resolving complaints.
Increase awareness of and support client participation in consumer self-help programs and consumer advocacy organizations that promote recovery.
Serve as the liaison between the team and consumer-run programs such as self-help groups and drop-in centers.
Shared duties in the provision of treatment and substance abuse services.

Position Requirements:

High school diploma or equivalent required; College degree in a social science preferred;
Possess certification as a Certified Peer Support Specialist consistent with WAC 388-865-0107, or ability and willingness to obtain certification within 60 days of employment, and disclose self to be a consumer of mental health services;
Current Washington State Department of Health counselor credentials required;
Familiarity with Washington State regulations related to the provision of mental health services (RCW 71.05) and chemical dependency services (WAC 388-877);
Current unencumbered driver license and proof of current car insurance required;
Good verbal and written communication skills;
Great attendance; and
Ability to work well with others.
Salary: DOE

Application Process:
Submit a cover letter and resume to Human Resources. We will only accept resumes with a cover letter specifying the position title and posting number of the position you are applying for. For more information on this and other positions, please visit our website at www.lifelineconnections.org

The Benefits:

Lifeline Connections is striving to be your employer of choice by offering our regular/full time employees a generous benefits package. The plan covers over 75% of medical, dental, and vision costs for the employee and all dependents. There are no out-of-pocket costs for co-pays, prescriptions, or deductible under the medical plan. We also have employer paid Short Term Disability, Long Term Disability, Life Insurance and a 401(K) plan that matches dollar for dollar up to 4%. On top of all that, our employees receive approximately 4 weeks of paid time off during their first year of employment (accrual rates increase with years of service), as well as 3 personal holidays and 10 paid holidays per year!

Send us your resume and let's talk about you joining our team!