ACT Peer Support Advocate

HCRS (Health Care & Rehabilitation Services of Southeastern Vermont); Brattleboro (VT); On-site; USD 30,000 - 33,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Paid vacation (3 weeks pro-rated)

Health/dental/vision coverage

9 paid holidays and 1 week personal時間

Job summary

Healthworks ACT program in Vermont seeks a Peer Support Advocate to provide one-on-one and group support, using the Intentional Peer Support model. You will help develop and maintain ACT services, promote participant autonomy, and advocate for individuals’ interests within the team and community.

Healthworks ACT emphasizes outreach to participants in Windham County, collaboration with the ACT team, and a commitment to equity and justice in access to mental health and housing support services.

Qualifications

• Lived experience that supports connecting with people served by this program.
• Experience in peer support, harm reduction, community organizing, or related work.
• Ability to provide honest and compassionate feedback and accountability.

Responsibilities

• Participates in daily and weekly treatment meetings as indicated by shift.
• Collaborates with ACT staff to provide comprehensive services and supports.
• Provides rotating coverage of holidays and on-call overnight shifts.
• Provide ongoing one-on-one or group peer support as part of ACT.
• Advocate with or on behalf of individuals for their expressed interests.

Skills

Lived experience

Peer support

Crisis support

Community organizing

Honest feedback

Education

No formal education required

Job description

The pay for this position is $22-24 per hour.

• 3 weeks (pro-rated) paid vacation to start & excellent health/dental/vision coverage!
• 9 paid holidays and 1 week of personal time

Program Summary

Healthworks Assertive Community Treatment (ACT) is a participant-led approach to improving care and outcomes for people who are experiencing homelessness or housing insecurity in Windham County. ACT is an intensive, integrated services and support model designed for people whose basic needs are not being met by existing housing, medical, and mental health services. The Healthworks ACT team is designed to deliver integrated services of the participants' choice, assist in making progress towards goals, and adjust services over time to meet participants' changing needs. The staff-to-participant ratio is small, and services are provided 24-hours a day, seven days a week, for services as they are needed.

The Healthworks team will be adaptable, promote access and have strong communication skills, not only with participants but with the team and community (ex. shelter milieu, tent sites,hotels). Healthworks ACT team members are expected to provide outreach to community members, who are enrolled in the ACT program and/or who are served by Groundworks. The team will value and advocate for physical and mental health access and autonomy, through an equity and justice lens, for all participants.

Healthworks Act Team Responsibilities

• Participates in daily and weekly treatment meetings as indicated by shift.
• Collaborates with ACT staff and in smaller teams to provide comprehensive services and supports.
• Provides rotating coverage of holidays and on-call overnight shifts.
• Participate and complete mandatory trainings (ie. ACT 101 and Intentional Peer Support (IPS)
• Ensure participants are able to participate in any and all discussions and decisions regarding their life and care, to the highest extent that they desire.

Position Responsibilities

• Provide ongoing one on one and/or group support to program participants who want peer support services. Peer Support Advocates use the Intentional Peer Support model which is a framework for thinking about mutual relationships where the focus is on connection and learning together.
• Assist in the development, implementation, and maintenance of ACT team services.
• Facilitate the establishment of peer support networks, natural supports, and social support systems.
• Together with other team members, ensure that participants are able to participate in any and all discussions and decisions regarding their life and care, to the greatest extent that they desire.
• Advocate with or on behalf of individuals for their expressed interests, both within the ACT team and in other settings as relevant.

Qualifications

• Education
  • No minimum formal education requirements
• Experience/Skill Set:
  • Lived experience that supports the ability to connect and relate to people served by this program, such as experiences of homelessness, institutionalization, incarceration, mental health services, and substance use/addiction.
  • Personal or professional experience supporting people in crisis.
  • Experience in peer support, harm reduction, community organizing, or other related work
  • Ability to provide honest and compassionate feedback and accountability to people in a wide variety of roles
• Licensure/Certifications:
  • N/A