Peer Support Specialist - SUD Residential

Zepf Center; Toledo, Northern (OH, KY); Hybrid; USD 35,000 - 52,000; Full time

Job summary

Zepf Center in Toledo, Ohio is seeking a Peer Support Specialist to help individuals in recovery from mental illness and/or substance use disorders. The role emphasizes serving as a mentor, advocate, and motivator to promote long-term recovery and peer-to-peer relationships.

Hours are Monday through Friday, 8:30am–5:00pm. The Peer will work within an integrated care framework, coordinating with teams and community resources to support clients in home, work, school, and community settings.

Qualifications

• Lived experience of mental health and/or substance use disorder.

Responsibilities

• Provide recovery education to individuals across all phases of the recovery journey.
• Co-facilitate groups and assist with recovery and skill-building activities.
• Model recovery to individuals, families, staff, and peers to promote hope.
• Assist individuals in identifying goals and developing their own recovery plans.

Job description

Description

Zepf Center has been serving the Lucas County community for over 50 years. We are the leading provider of behavioral health and substance use disorder services in Northwest Ohio. Services include adult and child psychiatric, substance abuse, case management, residential, Crisis Care, and therapy programs, as well as career development and wellness services. Zepf Center also offers primary care medical services to our patients to contribute to their continuum of care. Zepf Center is a trauma-informed agency and environment for both patients and staff.

General Summary:

The Peer’s role is to support others in recovery from mental illness and/or substance use disorders. They will serve as a role model, mentor, advocate, and motivator to recovering individuals to help prevent relapse and promote long-term recovery. The Peer must demonstrate an ability to share personal recovery experiences and to develop authentic peer-to-peer relationships.

Hours: Monday - Friday; 8:30am - 5:00pm

Essential Duties and Responsibilities:

• Provide recovery education to individuals for every phase of the recovery journey from engagement, recovery planning, recovery treatment, recovery stabilization, and sustained recovery maintenance.
• May co-facilitate groups which may include but are not limited to groups which focus on recovery and skill building activities (AA, WMR, WHAM, etc.), and assist with Recognition of Rewards component of group.
• Provide a model for both people in recovery, family members/friends/supporters of people in recovery, and staff by demonstrating that recovery is possible.
• Assist individuals to identify their personal interests, goals, strengths, and weaknesses regarding the recovery process, thus providing information for treatment plan development through the integrated service team.
• Assist individuals in recovery in developing their own plan for advancing their recovery and improving functioning in the home, community, workplace and/or school environments.
• Promote self-advocacy by assisting individuals in expressing their voice, needs, goals, and objectives.
• Actively identify and support linkages to community resources and organizations that support the individual’s goals and interests with focus on all eight dimensions of wellness.
• Support connections to community-based, mutual self-help groups.
• Identify barriers to successful participation in community resources and develop strategies to overcome those barriers.
• Maintain a professional approach and understand the importance of clear boundaries between self, staff, and fellow peers.
• Assures timely and accurate electronic/written documentation of services provided as required by designated program.
• Regularly monitor and update the client safety/recovery plans.
• Maintains effective working relationships and communication with integrated care teams to assure successful integrated care is carried out.

Specific/Individual Competencies:

• Lived experience of mental health and/or substance used disorder.
• Working knowledge of the recovery process and the ability to facilitate recovery using established standardized mental health processes.
• Ability to assist individuals in addressing symptoms using strategies such as positive self-talk and other techniques.
• They must be able to demonstrate knowledge of how to establish and sustain self-help (mutual support) and educational groups by soliciting input from individuals on their strengths and interests.

Organizational Competencies:

• Demonstrate knowledge of the agency mission, vision, goals and philosophy as well as the policies and procedures.
• Strives for high client satisfaction by providing leadership and/or assistance to coworkers and clients through the integrated care process.
• Demonstrate consistent professionalism.
• Demonstrate teamwork.
• Abide by the agencies and/or professional code of ethics.