Peer Support Specialist

AlohaCare; Honolulu (HI); On-site; USD 50,000 - 54,000; Full time

Job summary

AlohaCare is a local, non-profit health plan serving Hawai`i’s low-income residents with free Medicaid and dual Medicare health insurance coverage. The Peer Support Specialist plays an important role in AlohaCare’s care team, supporting and encouraging peer members in recovery and resiliency, developing coping skills and self-monitoring techniques.

This role helps members access services and supports self-reliance in the community.

Qualifications

• High school diploma or equivalent.
• Hawaii Certified Peer Specialist (HCPS) certification through AMHD or the ability to obtain within 12 months of hiring.
• Minimum 5 years of work experience.
• Cultural diversity and experience.
• Achieves results, builds trust, communicate effectively, customer and quality focused.
• Strong, effective, and precise written and oral communication skills; speak clearly and persuasively in positive or negative situations.
• Strong listening skills.
• Professional telephonic etiquette skills.
• Ability to solve problems, analyze, think critically, and make good judgments.
• Strong customer service skills and be able to work in a diverse, demanding and evolving environment with strong conflict and problem resolution skills.
• Able to work independently with minimal supervision.
• Able to effectively work in a fast-paced and changing environment, manage multiple projects and priorities across multiple teams/projects and in a matrixed environment.
• Possesses excellent time management and organizational skills; dependable, enthusiastic, self-starting, and self-motivated. Uses time effectively, reacts professionally under pressure.
• Quick learner with the ability to absorb and retain detailed information
• Working knowledge of Microsoft programs: Word, Excel, Outlook and PowerPoint.
• Experience in the operation of general office equipment to include PC, fax/copy machine and phone system.
• Possession of a current valid Hawaii driver’s license and access to an insured automobile.
• TB Clearance
• First Aid and CPR Certification

Responsibilities

• Performing initial outreach to conduct education and welcome call as needed.
• Schedule and attend member home visits and provider visits, if needed. Coordinate with the RN or SW Health Coordinators to complete required Initial and annual member reassessments. The Peer Support Specialists will execute planned non-clinical intervention(s) directed by the licensed clinician, which include but are not limited to facilitating timely access to services, ensuring there are no barriers to care and medications, identifying and providing transportation assistance, if needed, etc., on behalf of the member and provider.
• Providing needed member education and assisting with coordinating referrals to appropriate services.
• Documenting in an electronic database assessment information and health coordination activities
• Monitoring assessments and claims to identify any signs of health status changes
• Coordinating and collaborating with interdisciplinary care team members including providers, family members, caregivers and community agencies to support members in maintaining or improving their current health status
• Participating in internal interdisciplinary care team meetings
• Coordinating with appropriate operational departments as required by the members’ needs (e.g., Medical Management, Transition of Care, disease Management, Care Coordination, Service Coordination, Travel, etc.) and network physicians/providers to facilitate timely access to available and authorized services
• Assisting the member with maintaining eligibility and connections with other programs the member may quality for
• Performing member outreach calls in collaboration with Quality Improvement projects and Care Coordination activities related to HEDIS and STAR ratings
• Assisting the member with accessing translation services when needed and requested
• Performing other duties as assigned by supervisor and/or manager
• All other duties assigned
• Adhere to regulatory compliance and quality guidelines as well as AlohaCare policies and procedures.
• Responsible for maintaining AlohaCare’s confidential information in accordance with AlohaCare policies, state and federal laws, rules and regulations regarding confidentiality. Employees have access to AlohaCare data based on the data classification assigned to this job title.

Skills

Communication skills

Problem solving

Time management

Multitasking

Customer service

Independent worker

Cultural sensitivity

Telephonic etiquette

Listening skills

Education

HCPS Certification

Tools

Microsoft Word

Microsoft Excel

Microsoft Outlook

PowerPoint

Job description

AlohaCare is a local, non-profit health plan serving Hawai`i’s low-income residents with free Medicaid and dual Medicare health insurance coverage. Our members include children, seniors, and adults residing on all islands. We provide comprehensive benefits and managed care services with an emphasis on healthy living habits and preventive primary health care. Our approach is to meet the whole-person health and social needs of members. Through our community partnerships we offer innovative services such as connection to social service agencies, Native Hawaiian healing services and in-home primary care for qualified members. Our mission is to serve in the true spirit of aloha by ensuring and advocating for access to quality health care for all. We are Hawaii’s third-largest health plan and offer a wide network of quality primary care, specialists, hospitals, pharmacies and among many other providers across the state.

The Culture

AlohaCare employees have a passion for helping Hawai`i’s most underserved communities. Our caring culture is fundamental to our company-wide team approach to providing high quality services. We support our employees with a supportive and positive work environment, healthy work-life balance, continuous communication, and a generous benefits package.

AlohaCare’s leadership empowers and engages its employees by recognizing outstanding job performance and collaboration. We share organization-wide updates during quarterly All Staff meetings. We encourage participation in volunteer and educational opportunities. We put a high value on honesty, respect, and trust-building. We encourage open-door, two-way, and frequent communication.

AlohaCare’s comprehensive benefits package includes low-cost medical, dental, drug and vision insurance, paid time-off, 401k employer contribution, referral bonus and pretax transportation and parking program.

The Opportunity

The Peer Support Specialist plays an important role in AlohaCare’s care team, supporting and encouraging peer members in the development of goal setting for recovery and resiliency and working towards new coping skill development, learning self-monitoring techniques, and practicing ways to problem solve. As a role model, the Peer Support Specialist supports members during their recovery, bringing them together into self-help groups and encouraging them toward self-reliance in the community.

Primary Duties And Responsibilities

• Performing initial outreach to conduct education and welcome call as needed
• Schedule and attend member home visits and provider visits, if needed. Coordinate with the RN or SW Health Coordinators to complete required Initial and annual member reassessments. The Peer Support Specialists will execute planned non-clinical intervention(s) directed by the licensed clinician, which include but are not limited to facilitating timely access to services, ensuring there are no barriers to care and medications, identifying and providing transportation assistance, if needed, etc., on behalf of the member and provider.
• Providing needed member education and assisting with coordinating referrals to appropriate services.
• Documenting in an electronic database assessment information and health coordination activities
• Monitoring assessments and claims to identify any signs of health status changes
• Coordinating and collaborating with interdisciplinary care team members including providers, family members, caregivers and community agencies to support members in maintaining or improving their current health status
• Participating in internal interdisciplinary care team meetings
• Coordinating with appropriate operational departments as required by the members’ needs (e.g., Medical Management, Transition of Care, disease Management, Care Coordination, Service Coordination, Travel, etc.) and network physicians/providers to facilitate timely access to available and authorized services
• Assisting the member with maintaining eligibility and connections with other programs the member may quality for
• Performing member outreach calls in collaboration with Quality Improvement projects and Care Coordination activities related to HEDIS and STAR ratings
• Assisting the member with accessing translation services when needed and requested
• Performing other duties as assigned by supervisor and/or manager
• All other duties assigned
• Adhere to regulatory compliance and quality guidelines as well as AlohaCare policies and procedures.
• Responsible for maintaining AlohaCare’s confidential information in accordance with AlohaCare policies, state and federal laws, rules and regulations regarding confidentiality. Employees have access to AlohaCare data based on the data classification assigned to this job title.

Requirements

• High school diploma or equivalent
• Hawaii Certified Peer Specialist (HCPS) certification through AMHD or the ability to obtain within 12 months of hiring.
• Minimum 5 years of work experience.
• Cultural diversity and experience.
• Achieves results, builds trust, communicate effectively, customer and quality focused.
• Strong, effective, and precise written and oral communication skills; speak clearly and persuasively in positive or negative situations.
• Strong listening skills.
• Professional telephonic etiquette skills.
• Ability to solve problems, analyze, think critically, and make good judgments.
• Strong customer service skills and be able to work in a diverse, demanding and evolving environment with strong conflict and problem resolution skills.
• Able to work independently with minimal supervision.
• Able to effectively work in a fast-paced and changing environment, manage multiple projects and priorities across multiple teams/projects and in a matrixed environment.
• Possesses excellent time management and organizational skills; dependable, enthusiastic, self-starting, and self-motivated. Uses time effectively, reacts professionally under pressure.
• Quick learner with the ability to absorb and retain detailed information
• Working knowledge of Microsoft programs: Word, Excel, Outlook and PowerPoint.
• Experience in the operation of general office equipment to include PC, fax/copy machine and phone system.
• Possession of a current valid Hawaii driver’s license and access to an insured automobile.
• TB Clearance
• First Aid and CPR Certification

Preferred Requirements

• Bilingual in Ilocano, Tagalog and/or Korean preferred
• Ability to complete multiple tasks to ensure timeliness standards are met
• Ability to work independently with minimal direction

Mental, Physical And Environmental Demands

• Sedentary Work: Exerting up to 20 pounds of force occasionally and/or a negligible amount of force frequently or constantly lift, carry, push, pull, or otherwise move objects. Sedentary work involves sitting most of the time but may involve walking or standing for brief periods of time. Jobs are sedentary if walking and standing are required only occasionally, and all other sedentary criteria are met.
• Field working environment.
• May require prolonged sitting- up to 4 hours.
• Requires prolonged operation of a computer workstation, including the ability to type for extended periods of time on a keyboard during the scheduled workday.

Salary Range: $50,000 – $54,000 annually

AlohaCare is committed to providing equal employment opportunities to all applicants in accordance with sound practices and federal and state laws. Our policy prohibits discrimination and harassment because of race, color, religion, sex (including gender identity or expression), pregnancy, age, national origin, ancestry, marital status, arrest and court record, disability, genetic information, sexual orientation, domestic or sexual violence victim status, credit history, citizenship status, military/veteran status, or other characteristics protected under applicable state and federal laws, regulations, and/or executive orders.