Crisis Response Peer Support Specialist

WE OFFER EXCELLENT BENEFITS:

• FREE Employee Medical Insurance
• FREE Employee Dental Insurance
• FREE Employee Vision Insurance
• Sick leave (8 hours per month)
• Vacation (Minimum of 2 weeks paid vacation)
• Discounted health memberships
• Retirement (Employer contribution - 3% contribution and an additional 3% employer match)
• FREE Long-Term Disability Insurance
• FREE Life Insurance
• 13 Paid Holidays

Mission of Catholic Charities

Feed the hungry, heal the hurting, welcome the stranger.

CCEW is an equal opportunity employer. All employees and potential employees will be recruited, selected, trained, promoted, compensated and, if necessary, disciplined or terminated without regard to sex, gender, race, ethnicity, national origin, citizenship, immigration status, religious affiliation, marital status, military veteran status, age, pregnancy, sexual orientation, gender expression or identity, disability, genetic information, or any other basis protected by law.

Job Summary

This position is responsible for providing peer support services for households and individuals interacting with the Catholic Charities Eastern Washington (CCEW) Community and Resident Safety Team (CAReS). The clients interacting with this team are current formerly homeless persons who may have behavioral health challenges as well as barriers to employment and recovery. As a member of the Onsite Supportive Housing Services team, the peer support specialist provides clients with de-escalation, behavioral health management techniques, support, education, and community resource navigation to promote client recovery and self-sufficiency.

 
Job Duties/Responsibilities

To perform this job successfully, an individual must be able to satisfactorily perform each of the essential duties/responsibilities listed below.  Reasonable accommodation may be provided to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential duties/responsibilities of this job. 

1. 
   Provide Peer Support services—per SAMSHA best practice guidelines--to assist persons interacting with the CAReS, in housing and unsheltered.
2. 
   Embed with and assist the CAReS in de-escalating, outreaching, and providing supportive services to individuals interacting with the CAReS, particularly individuals in crisis.
3. 
   Provide case management services for clients in unstable situations.
4. 
   Provide connection to client driven needs and goals.
5. 
   Follow up with clients and other service staff after incidents to help ensure individuals are supported after a crisis or incident.
6. 
   Identify and work closely with tenants in jeopardy of eviction to remove barriers and promote housing stability.
7. 
   Collaborate with community partners to provide connections to services.
8. 
   Assist with housing referrals and client identified housing goals.
9. 
   Empower clients to solve problems and find their own solutions.
10. 
    Collaborate with the Onsite Supportive Housing Services team to ensure the behavioral health and physical health needs of clients are addressed.
11. 
    Model personal responsibility, self-advocacy, and hopefulness.
12. 
    Maintain professional boundaries.
13. 
    Accurately account for time worked according to agency standards.
14. 
    Work with the Integrated Case Management team to ensure outcomes of grant agreements, contracts, MOU’s and other commitments of the program are met.
15. 
    Uses appropriate administrative, fiscal, physical, and technical safeguards to ensure the confidentiality, integrity, and security of CCEW client protected health information (PHI), per regulations outlined in the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996 (HIPAA).
16. 
    Regularly utilizes all forms of communication (email, text, phone, etc.) and database practices necessary for this position and as directed by supervisor.
17. 
    As a mandated reporter, follows all procedures outlined in agency policies and procedures to report to the proper agency when there is suspicion and/or confirmation that a child or adult has been a victim of abuse or neglect.
18. 
    Obtain Peer Certification from DBHR within 6 months of employment.
19. 
    Adheres to the tenants of Catholic Social Teaching.
20. 
    Performs related functions as assigned to support program success as well as the mission and core values of Catholic Charities.

Job Qualifications

To perform this job successfully, an individual must meet the minimum qualifications listed below.  These qualifications are representative of the knowledge, skill and/or ability required to perform this job.

Minimum Required Education/Experience:

• High school diploma or GED
• One year of successful work experience
• Lived experience that allows the successful candidate to understand and relate to program clients.

Certificates/Licenses:  To perform this job successfully, an individual must have a valid Driver’s License
must successfully pass background check applicable to position, and must obtain DBHR Peer Training certification within 6 months of start date.

Physical Abilities:  To perform this job successfully, an individual must be able to:

• Regularly sit, stand, climb, walk, talk, hear.
• Frequently lift up to 10 pounds, pull/push, carry, grasp, reach
• Occasionally crawl, stoop, kneel
• Clearly see 20+ feet, with or without corrective lenses, ability to focus

Mental & Other Skills/Abilities: To perform this job successfully, an individual must have the:

• Adaptability: ability to adapt to changes, delays or unexpected events in the work environment; ability to manage competing demands and prioritize tasks; ability to change approach or method to best fit the situation.
• Analytical Ability: ability to maintain focus for extended periods of time; ability to complete research projects with resourcefulness and persistence; ability to synthesize complex or diverse information; ability to use intuition and experience to complement existing data.
• Attendance: ability to consistently arrive and be able to work as scheduled.
• Computer/Technical Ability:
  proficient in the use of: Word Processing software, Spreadsheet software, Internet software, database software.
• Dependability: ability to follow instructions, both in written and verbal format; ability to respond to management direction; ability to complete tasks on time or notify the appropriate person with an alternate plan when necessary.
• Interpersonal Skills: ability to maintain satisfactory relationships with others, excellent customer service skills and a strong overall understanding of appropriate human relations. Practices cultural humility in interacting with clients, program partners, and colleagues.    
• Judgment:ability to make prudent and timely decisions; ability to exhibit sound and accurate judgment; ability to explain reasoning for decisions.
• Language Ability: ability to read and interpret documents such as safety rules, operating and maintenance instructions, and procedure manuals; ability to write routine reports and correspondence; ability to speak effectively before groups of customers or employees of organization.
• Mathematical Ability:ability to add, subtract, multiply, and divide in all units of measure, using whole numbers, common fractions, and decimals; ability to compute rate, ratio, and percent and to draw and interpret bar graphs.
• Motor Coordination: the ability to coordinate eyes, hands, fingers, and feet accurately and handle precise movements.
• Problem Solving Ability: ability to identify and/or prevent problems before they occur; ability to formulate alternative solutions to problems when necessary; ability to transfer learning from past experiences to new experiences of similar nature.
• Quality Management: ability to complete duties, on time and with absolute precision, at least 95% of the time; ability to edit the accuracy and thoroughness of one’s work as well as the work of others;  ability to constructively apply feedback to improve performance, ability to generate ideas to improve and promote quality in work.
• Reasoning Ability: ability to solve practical problems and deal with a variety of concrete variables in situations where only limited standardization exists; ability to interpret a variety of instructions furnished in written, oral, diagram, or schedule form.
• Supervisory Skills: this job has no direct supervisory responsibilities.

Workplace Environmental Conditions

While performing the essential duties/responsibilities of this job, the employee will be:

• Noise Conditions: exposed during a shift to constant or intermittent sounds at moderate to loud levels of sound dependent upon daily activities.
• Secondary Trauma: Employees of Catholic Charities Eastern Washington provide direct services to vulnerable community members including those who have behavioral health challenges and those who have experienced trauma.