Certified Youth Peer Specialist

WellStone is North Alabama's most comprehensive behavioral healthcare provider serving over 13,000 persons a year throughout Northern Alabama, with offices in Huntsville and Cullman. We are a non-profit community organization that offers a wide range of services for every phase of life, from children to older adults.

Nova provides treatment for individuals ages 15-25 who are experiencing a first episode of psychosis. Youth Peer Specialists will be expected to work with the Nova team to address the critical domains of functioning for youth/young adults, to include working, learning, living, belonging and healing through a strengths-based individualized team process that facilitates progress and strengthens resiliency. This position is part-time, 1st shift with occasional nights and weekends. 20 hours a week.

What We're Looking For:

• High School Diploma or GED.
• Training and experience leading to acquiring the necessary knowledge, skills and abilities.
• Must become certified as a Certified Peer Specialist by completing Department of Mental Health (DMH) approved training(s).
• Must understand and endorse a recovery-oriented approach to providing services.
• First hand knowledge, lived through experience with a mental illness is a plus.

What You'll Be Doing:

• Participate in one-on-one meetings with supervisor to discuss ideas, difficulties, suggestions, and expectations.
• Participate as an equal and active member of the multi-disciplinary team
• Attend treatment team meetings with the youth/young adult to promote the individual’s use of self-directed advocacy goals.
• Promote self-determination, recovery, resilience, self-advocacy, and self-direction. Assist the youth and young adults in identifying their strengths, wellness goals, setting objectives, goal planning and identifying barriers.
• Facilitate small groups. Groups to be made of 3-5 individuals and focus on topics related to recovery: Coping Techniques, Health Teaching, Spirituality, and Social Interaction.
• Plan and research for small groups and interest activities.
• Facilitate interest activities. Activities should be centered on the interest of the group of individuals. Activities should be voluntary and can be used as a reward. The activities must be done in the wards and can be on any topic.
• Participate in one-one-one relationship building with youth/young adults. Activities to be done in the community.
• Provide intensive support through a personalized balance of social, recreational, skill teaching and linkage development services for individual relationships with youth and young adults.
• Facilitate understanding between client and clinician.
• Give alternate, experienced based points of view.
• Provide accurate documentation as stipulated by program demands
• Other tasks assigned by supervisor.

We care for those impacted by behavioral health disorders, are committed to one another through collaboration, and are optimistic problem solvers who do what it takes to get the job done. We look forward to having you on the WellStone team.