Certified Peer Support Specialist

Yakima Valley Farm Workers Clinic; Yakima (WA); On-site; USD 42,000 - 46,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

100% employer-paid health insurance (m

Profit sharing & 403(b) retirement

Generous PTO and holidays

Job summary

Yakima Valley Farm Workers Clinic’s Behavioral Health Services in Yakima, WA seeks a Certified Peer Support Specialist to provide peer counseling, crisis support, and family engagement across home, school, court, and community settings.

You will complete assessments, support care planning with families, participate in team meetings, and share lived experience to empower youth and their families, while enjoying generous health coverage, retirement plans, and paid time off.

Qualifications

• High school/GED.
• Must self-identify as person with lived experience.
• CPSS credential or proof of supervised experience and 80-hour training.
• BLS certification within 45 days of hire.
• Valid Driver’s License and proof of automobile liability insurance.
• Bilingual differential compensation available with ALTA score 9.
• Knowledge of Trauma Informed Care.
• Knowledge of Yakima County services.
• Knowledge of cultural differences and impact on support.
• Knowledge of Mental Health First Aid.
• Conflict resolution skills.
• Effective verbal, written and listening communication skills.
• Maintain a non-judgmental attitude towards youth, families and professionals.
• Ability to travel and transport clients.

Responsibilities

• Provide peer counseling to youth and families in home, meetings, courtrooms, hospitals, schools, etc.
• Assesses and identifies lagging skills, interests, or motivators to ensure engagement in WISe model.
• Establishes and maintains rapport to encourage participation and retention in treatment program.
• Works individually and as part of a team.
• Completes CANS Assessment and screens individuals for WISe eligibility.
• Completes required written narrative and updates throughout the program.
• Provide peer consultation and share lived experience with families/youth.
• Utilizes lived experience to support crisis stabilization and recovery efforts.
• Be a role model for recovery and coping skills, and encourage through personal experience.
• Ensure youth/families are present in decision-making and care planning.
• Provide 24-hour crisis support by phone or in home/hospital/community settings.
• Assists individuals with completing plan steps; services often in home, schools, or community settings.
• Provides feedback on family interactions, cultural norms, and goals.
• Offers skill training, encouragement, and feedback; models appropriate behaviors.
• Educates agency staff on family voice; facilitates meetings when necessary.
• Assists families in identifying natural supports through networks.
• Completes documentation per YVFWC standards.
• Meets productivity and service-specific requirements.
• Participates in program meetings; purchases food/supplies as needed.
• Performs duties aligned with Joint Commission, HRSA, and YVFWC requirements.
• Performs other duties as assigned.

Skills

Lived experience

Communication

Teamwork

Bilingual communication

Conflict resolution

Education

High school/GED

CPSS credential or lived-experience verification

BLS certification

Tools

Microsoft Outlook

Microsoft Word

Microsoft Excel

Job description

Job Brief

Certified Peer Support Specialist Yakima, WA

Employment duration: Full time

Exempt Status: Non-exempt

Offer Relocation?: No

ID: 16985

Join our team as a Certified Peer Support Specialist at Behavioral Health Services in Yakima, WA! Be part of a healthcare organization that believes in making a difference beyond medical care! We've transformed into a leading community health center in the Pacific Northwest with 40+ clinics across Washington and Oregon. We offer a wide range of services such as medical, dental, pharmacy, orthodontia, nutritional counseling, autism screening, and behavioral health. Our holistic model also extends assistance to shelter, energy, weatherization, HIV and AIDS counseling, home visits, and mobile medical/dental clinics.

We invite you to explore our short clips, " are Yakima - WE are Family " and " ,", for a glimpse into our dedication to our communities, health, and families!

Position Highlights

• $20.39-$22.24/hour DOE with the ability to go higher for highly experienced candidates
• Additional pay for your bilingual skills, paid on hours worked
• 100% employer-paid health insurance, including medical, dental, vision, Rx, 24/7 telemedicine
• Profit sharing & 403(b) retirement plan available
• Generous PTO, 8 paid holidays, and much more!

What You’ll Do

• Provides peer counseling to youth and their families, individually and in group engagements. Services may be provided in the home, during meetings, courtrooms, hospitals, schools, etc.
• Assesses and identifies lagging skills, interests, or motivators to ensure successful engagement in the WISe model
• Establishes and maintains rapport with individuals through community and in-home engagements to encourage participation and retention in the treatment program
• Works individually and as part of a team
• Completes CANS Assessment and screens individuals to determine eligibility for the WISe program using state-mandated criteria, as requested
• Completes required written narrative, Strengths, Needs, Cultural Discovery, with family input, and update throughout the program
• Provide peer consultation and share personal lived experience to family members or youth as the family learns new skills to support the youth’s treatment
• Utilizes lived experience to provide peer counseling in areas such as crisis stabilization, recovery, self-advocacy, health and wellness, and the development and maintenance of community living skills. Amplifies family voice and choice as part of planning and service provision
• Be a role model for competency in recovery (in mental health, addictions etc.) and use of ongoing coping skills. Shares personal experiences to develop trust and provide encouragement to program participants
• Ensure youth/families are present when decisions about them are made and encourage them to take an active role in their care planning
• Provide 24-hour crisis support to clients enrolled in WISe by phone or responding to the home, hospital or community setting. Participates in crisis response on-call rotation, including after-hours coverage
• Assists individuals with completing action steps according to the plan of care. Services often provided in the home, schools, or community-based settings
• Provides feedback to the team regarding family interactions, cultural norms, and preferences in goal setting and care planning
• Provides skill training, encouragement, emotional support, and feedback to program participants and redirects individual behavior when necessary. Instructs and models appropriate behaviors
• Communicates and educates agency staff on the importance of family voice and choice and other key aspects of family driven care. In the absence of the Care Coordinator, facilitates Child and Family Team meetings and meeting agenda
• Assists the family in identifying and recruiting “natural supports” by strengthening and repairing interpersonal relationships and utilizing other resources that are available in the family’s network of social and community relationships
• Completes all needed documentation, including individual records of activities, concerns and behaviors, according to YVFWC and all applicable standards
• Meets all productivity and service-specific requirements
• Participates in program meetings as required or assigned
• Purchases food and supplies as needed following all policies and procedures
• Performs responsibilities in alignment with The Joint Commission (TJC), Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA), and YVFWC requirements
• Perform other duties as assigned

Qualifications

• High school/GED.
• The candidate must self-identify as a person with lived experience, defined as having one or more years in recovery from a mental health condition, substance use disorder, or both, OR be a parent or legal guardian of a youth who is receiving or has received behavioral health services.
• Certified Peer Support Specialist (CPSS) credential OR meets the following requirements of a CPSS: 1) lived experience (as defined above), and 2) verification of meeting the supervised experience requirements under WAC 246-929-150, with required 80-hour training course completed and application for Certified Peer Support Specialist submitted within 45 days of hire.
• Basic Life Support (BLS) certification within 45 days of hire.
• Valid Driver’s License and proof of automobile liability insurance coverage.
• This position is eligible for Bilingual Differential Compensation when an ALTA score of 9 is achieved.
• Knowledge of Trauma Informed Care.
• Knowledge of Yakima County services and resources for youth and families.
• Knowledge of cultural differences and impact on support provided to clients.
• Knowledge of Mental Health First Aid.
• Conflict resolution skills and ability to diffuse stressful situations.
• Effective verbal, written and listening communication skills.
• Maintain a non-judgmental attitude towards youth, families and professionals. Ability to maintain a stance of appreciation and acceptance of parents, including their choices.
• Ability to exercise independent judgment and solid decision making.
• Ability to apply coping skills when exposed to vicarious trauma.
• Knowledge of the Children’s Behavioral Health/WISe principles.
• Ability to work in a team-oriented, collaborative environment.
• Ability to establish rapport with youth, and/or families, participate in physical activities, and redirect negative behavior.
• Basic proficiency with a variety of computer programs including Microsoft Outlook, Word and Excel.
• This position may involve exposure to secondary trauma while providing direct services to community members including those who have behavioral health challenges and those who have been exposed to trauma.
• Client Population may include persons involved in gangs, with substance abuse concerns, mental health diagnoses, homelessness and/or tendencies towards violent behavior.
• This position may require active participation in activities with clients in order to ensure supervision and therapeutic engagement.
• Ability to work flexible hours, including evenings and weekends.
• This position requires the ability to travel, have reliable transportation, and transport clients.

Our Mission Statement

“Together we transform our communities through compassionate, individualized care, eliminating barriers to health and well-being.”

Our mission celebrates inclusivity. We are committed to equal-opportunity employment.

Visit our website at to learn more about our organization!