ACT Peer Support Specialist – Marion County

May 10, 2023

PUBLIC SERVICE LOAN FORGIVENESS
Marion County is a qualifying public employer for the Public Service Loan Forgiveness Program.  Through the Public Service Loan Forgiveness Program, full-time employees working at the County may qualify for forgiveness of the remaining balance on Direct Loans after 120 qualifying monthly payments under a qualifying repayment plan.  Questions about your loan eligibility should be directed to your loan servicer or the US Department of Education.
Do you enjoy working with individuals to promote mental health recovery and wellness?

Marion County Adult Behavioral Health is hiring a Peer Support Specialist for their Assertive Community Treatment (ACT) team.  ACT is a multi-disciplinary treatment team that provides intensive, highly integrated, and community-based treatment services to individuals who are diagnosed with serious mental illnesses, many of whom have co-occurring substance use disorders.  ACT aims to maximize individuals’ independence, encourage community integration, and promote mental health and addictions recovery.  ACT provides services to individuals wherever they might be: their homes, shelters, sidewalks, etc.  To learn more about ACT, you can visit this website: OCEAT Oregon Center of Excellence for Assertive Community Treatment (oceact.org)

An ACT Peer Support Specialist is someone who has a mental health diagnosis for which they have received treatment, has similar lived experience as ACT participants, and uses their lived experience to support individuals’ recovery.

Marion County offers great benefits, excellent training, and is a qualifying site for Public Service Loan Forgiveness.

GENERAL STATEMENT OF DUTIES
The Peer Support Specialist provides support, encouragement, and assistance to mental health consumers. The specialist will promote those activities that foster recovery and empowerment by sharing their personal experiences when appropriate, modeling self-help and wellness activities. A consumer advocate who facilitates and connects individuals to services and activities. As a member of the treatment team the incumbent provides expertise, experience, and consultation to the team to promote a culture in which each individual’s point of view and preferences are recognized, respected, and integrated into treatment.

SUPERVISION RECEIVED
Works under the close supervision of a qualified clinical supervisor who assigns work, establishes goals, and reviews the results obtained for overall effectiveness.

SUPERVISION EXERCISED
Supervision of other employees is not a responsibility of positions in this class.

 

Typical Duties – Duties include, but are not limited to the following
Provide support, encouragement, and assistance to mental health consumers enrolled in Marion County Adult Behavioral Health (ABH)-Assertive Community Treatment Team, with the majority of services provided in the community (i.e., individual’s homes, hospitals, jails, licensed care, shelters, etc.). Services include:

Coaching and Consultation to participate to promote recovery and self-direction.

  • Working with participants one on one on the goal development progress.  Provide outreach to engage participants and assist them in overcoming barriers to participating in services.
  • Offer support to develop personal recovery and wellness goals, explore self-help strategies, review dimensions of wellness, engage in wellness strategies, act as a peer advocate.  Providing skills training in daily living skills or other areas as indicated by the participant.
  • Promote activities that foster recovery and empowerment by sharing personal experiences when appropriate, modeling self-help and wellness activities.

Facilitating wellness management and Recovery Strategies

  • Facilitate and connect individuals to services and activities with a focus on building self-efficacy.
  • Assist to link with peer and community resources to build natural support.
  • Promote skills building activities in the local community to support personal wellness and ongoing recovery.
  • Provide supportive navigation, information, and coaching during acquiring services related to medical, social, educational, transportation, housing, education, employment, and other applicable services.

Modeling skills for and providing consultation to fellow ACT Team members.

  • Provide expertise, experience, and consultation to the team to promote a culture where individual points of view are recognized, respected, and integrated into treatment.
  • Provide cross training to other ACT Team members in recovery principles and strategies.

Documentation

  • Maintain accurate and timely documentation of clinical records in accordance with Federal, State, County, and treatment program requirements under the direction of the clinical supervisor. Meet performance expectations for time and billing standards.

Miscellaneous

  • Participate fully as a member of the Marion County ABH-ACT team as a supportive, reliable, positive, collaborative, and professional team member during the development of individual treatment planning, team meetings, and crisis intervention.
  • Work with a team and supervisor for clinical supervision, treatment planning, staff and departmental meetings, and training.
  • Other duties as assigned by your supervisor.
  • Response Level 2: In the event of an emergency, employee makes a reasonable effort to report to work. Employee may be required to perform duties outside of their regularly assigned duties. Employee may be requested to work an extended or flexible schedule. Staff at this response level must complete Incident Command System 100 and 700 on-line or in-person training.

 

Requirements for the Position
EXPERIENCE AND TRAINING
As defined by OAR 309-019-0105 (81) “Peer Support Specialist” means an individual providing peer delivered services to an individual or family member with similar life experience under the supervision of a qualified clinical supervisor and a qualified peer delivered services supervisor as resources are made available.

  1. A self-identified person currently or formerly receiving mental health services; OR,
  2. A self-identified person in recovery from an addiction disorder, who meets the abstinence requirements for recovering staff in alcohol and drug treatment programs; OR
  3. A self-identified individual in recovery from problem gambling; OR
  4. The family member of an individual currently or formerly receiving addictions or mental health services.

SPECIAL REQUIREMENTS

  • Applicants will be asked to discuss recovering experiences during the interview process.
  • Must successfully complete a Mental Health approved peer support training program within six (6) months of hire.
  • Must possess a current driver’s license in the applicant’s state of residence and an acceptable driving history.  Marion County will obtain a copy of the driving record for all qualified applicants from Driver and Motor Vehicle Services and review the driving record according to the Marion County policy and procedure for Driving on County Business. The policy can be found at:  http://apps.co.marion.or.us/APAP/.
  • This position may be subject to the following: Must not be excluded from participation in the federal health care programs (Medicaid, Medicare and other federally funded programs that provide health benefits); AND must not be excluded from participating in federal procurement (Federal Acquisition Regulation) and non-procurement activities (Executive Order No. 12549).
  • The finalist for this position will be required to pass a criminal history background check; however, conviction of a crime may not necessarily disqualify an individual for this position.
  • This is a safety sensitive/special needs position. Final candidates selected for this position will be required to pass a pre-employment drug screen, including testing for marijuana. The Marion County Drug and Alcohol Use and Testing Policy can be found at: http://apps.co.marion.or.us/APAP/policy.aspx?p=policy&pid=518.
  • This position is represented by a union.
  • A wage enhancement of $1.00 will be added to the hourly wage as compensation for hours worked between 6:00 PM and 6:00 AM.
  • This assignment is represented by a union.
  • This is a Full-time position, which is eligible for overtime.
  • Typical Work Schedule: Monday-Friday 8:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m., with flexibility depending upon the needs of the department and program

KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS, AND ABILITIES

Knowledge of: approaches to support others in recovery and resiliency and demonstrates efforts at self-directed recovery; community resources and how to connect individuals to those resources.

Ability to: understand and carry out directions and instructions; maintain confidentiality; interest and skill in providing services to adult consumers; speak, read and write English; provide documentation consistent with department standards for quality and timeliness, willingness to work hours conducive to reaching the identified population; ability to establish and maintain cooperative working relationships with consumers, coworkers, and other agencies; asked to discuss recovering experiences during interview process.

PHYSICAL REQUIREMENTS
Operates a motor vehicle; sees using depth perception; stands; sits; moves about the work area; bends forward; reaches overhead; climbs 1 floor of stairs; lifts, pushes, pulls, moves carts and carries items weighing up to 5 lbs.; operates a keyboard; speaks with a clear and audible voice; reads a 12 pt. font; hears a normal speech level; on rare occasion, may work in client homes or other areas exposed to dust or second-hand smoke; may work in uneven areas.

VETERANS’ PREFERENCE
Applicants are eligible to use Veterans’ Preference when applying with Marion County in accordance with ORS 408.225, 408.230, and 408.235 and OAR 105-040-0010 and 105-040-0015.  Preference will be awarded only if the applicant meets the minimum requirements of the position and attaches the required documentation at the time of application.

DOCUMENTS REQUIRED FOR VETERANS’ PREFERENCE

  • One of the following:
    • MEMBER COPY 4 of the Certificate of Release or Discharge from Active Duty (DD Form 214 or 215); OR
    • Letter from the US Department of Veterans Affairs indicating receipt of a non-service connected pension; OR
    • Certification that discharge or release from active duty under honorable conditions will take place not later than 120 days after the submission of the certificate.
  • In addition to one of the above documents, Disabled Veterans must also submit one of the following:
    • A copy of their Veterans disability preference letter from the Department of Veterans Affairs; OR
    • Certification that medical separation from active duty under honorable conditions will take place not later than 120 days after the submission of the certificate.

You can request copies of your military service record through the National Archives website at http://www.archives.gov/veterans/military-service-records/

APPLY HERE:

Job Opportunities (marion.or.us)