Peer Support Specialist

Radius-Community-Health-; Edmonton; On-site; CAD 34,000 - 46,000; Full time

Job summary

Radius Community Health & Healing in Edmonton is seeking a Peer Support Specialist to join a multi-disciplinary ACT team providing wrap-around treatment and recovery services. You will work with clients to provide emotional, social and practical supports using your lived experience with mental illness, addictions, and homelessness, while participating in team case management and care planning.

The role emphasizes housing support, life skills coaching and collaboration with clients to promote

Qualifications

• Personal lived experience with sustained recovery regarding mental illness, addictions, and/or homelessness/poverty, is a requirement of this position.
• Experience in community mental health services or inter-disciplinary teamwork (ACT).
• Knowledge of Housing First, harm reduction, and client-centered recovery practices.
• Strong written and verbal communication, organizational, and computer skills.
• Valid driver's license and use of a personal car.
• Commitment to continuous learning and cultural responsiveness.

Responsibilities

• Provide emotional, social and practical supports to clients using personal lived experience as a reference.
• Participate in team case management and care planning with the ACT team.
• Assist with housing, life skills and tasks of daily living for clients.
• Collaborate with clients to build rapport and support recovery goals.

Skills

Lived experience

Interdisciplinary teamwork

Communication skills

Housing First knowledge

Outreach experience

Continuous learner

Driver's license

Job description

Salary Range: CA$24.98 To CA$33.48 Hourly

About Radius Community Health & Healing (formerly Boyle McCauley Health Centre)

Radius Community Health & Healing provides interdisciplinary, team based, integrated, comprehensive, and person-centered primary health care for vulnerable Edmontonians with complex needs. Through primary care and health promotion, Radius improves the quality of life and well-being of populations and individuals who face multiple barriers to accessing health services. Radius achieves this by providing the highest standard of evidence-informed and client-focused inter-professional care. We collaborate with our clients to address the broad determinants of health.

About Pathways to Housing Program

Radius’ Pathways to Housing Program is designed with the goal of ending homelessness for people who suffer from complex psychiatric illnesses, usually co-occurring with substance use issues, along with significant medical and social challenges. The program aims to:

• Provide immediate access to permanent independent housing without requiring treatment or sobriety as a precondition for housing.
• Offer community-based outreach support and treatment, founded on harm reduction principles and client choice.
• Deliver services based on evidence-informed best practices and contributing to such evidence

Job Summary

The Peer Support Specialist is part of an inter-disciplinary Assertive Community Treatment (ACT) team that:

• Provides comprehensive wrap-around treatment, support and recovery services.
• Uses a team case management model - all team members are required to remain current with all clients, their situation, recovery program and goals, and all treatment/recovery plans are developed as a team, with clients directing their care.
• Spends approximately half of their time providing generalized supports that may not be part of their professional discipline, such as providing assistance with housing, life skills and tasks of daily living.

The belief that recovery is possible for all who experience psychiatric, traumatic and/or substance use challenges is fundamental to the practice of peer support. In addition to the team case management role shared by all members of the ACT Team, as the Peer Support Specialist you will:

• Work with Clients to provide emotional, social and practical supports, using your own personal lived experience with mental illness, addictions and/or homelessness/poverty as a reference.
• Willing to share your relevant personal experience with Clients, in a manner tailored to build rapport and relationships, further Clients’ treatment plans, and to demonstrate that there is hope for recovery.

Qualification Requirements

• Personal lived experience with sustained recovery regarding mental illness, addictions, and/or homelessness/poverty, is a requirement of this position
• Experience in one of more of following areas:
  • Mental health services in a community treatment setting.
  • Assertive Community Treatment or other inter-disciplinary teamwork.
  • Working in addictions, concurrent disorders and/or Housing First; and/or
  • Providing outreach services in a 'street/inner city/chronic homelessness' environment or equivalent.
• Knowledge of best practices in:
  • Working with people with complex co-occurring serious mental illness, addiction and medical issues.
  • Client centered, strength-based recovery treatments/rehabilitation strategies.
  • Housing First/Pathway to Housing models.
  • Harm Reduction philosophy; and
• Knowledge and practice in integrating cultural contexts into practice and service delivery.
• Responsible, organized and efficient; solid communication/literacy skills (written, oral, computer/technology)
• A continuous learner
• Valid driver's license and use of personal car are a must for this position.

At Radius, we’re committed to enhancing our employees' well-being with a comprehensive benefits package designed to support both personal and professional growth. Radius offers:

• Employee Assistance Plan (EAP): All employees have access to confidential counseling and access to a wide range of resources for personal and professional challenges. Our EAP is here to support your overall well-being.
• Benefits available to all permanent, full-time employees after a defined waiting period:
• Comprehensive medical, dental and vision benefits: Premiums are fully covered by Radius
• Long-Term Disability, Life Insurance, Accidental Death and Dismemberment, and Critical Illness Coverage: Mandatory enrollment, employees are responsible to pay premiums.
• Lifestyle Spending Account: Wide variety of options available to spend an annual allowance
• Group Retirement Savings Plan

Equal Opportunity Employer

Radius Community Health and Healing is an Equal Opportunity Employer. We are committed to creating a diverse and inclusive work environment where all employees are respected and valued. We do not discriminate on the basis of race, color, ethnicity, national origin, gender, gender identity, sexual orientation, age, disability, religion, marital status, veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by applicable law. We encourage individuals from all backgrounds to apply and join our team, and we are committed to providing equal opportunities for all qualified applicants. Accommodations for applicants with disabilities will be provided upon request.

Land Acknowledgement

Radius respectfully acknowledge that we are located within Treaty 6 territory, and Metis Nation of Alberta Region 4. We acknowledge this land as the traditional home for many Indigenous Peoples including the Cree, Blackfoot, Metis, Nakota Sioux, Dene, Saulteaux, Anishinaabe, Inuit, and many others whose history, languages, and cultures continue to influence our vibrant community.