Peer Specialist

GENERAL PURPOSE

Under the direction of the allcove Supported Education and Employment Supervisor, the allcove Peer Specialist engages with allcove youth, provides peer-to-peer support services and supports outreach efforts to youth and the community, promoting visibility, access and encouraging participation in allcove.

ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS

The duties listed below are intended only as illustrations of the various types of work that may be performed. The omission of specific statements of duties does not exclude them from the position if the work is similar, related, or a logical assignment to the job.

• Performs initial orientation for youth (ranging in age from 12 years to 25) accessing allcove to include but not limited to: assisting with completion of forms, intake questionnaires and initial screening or assessments as needed; ensuring a welcoming, inclusive and youth-friendly experience.
• Provides support to the youth accessing allcove by acting as a coach and mentor. This includes but is not limited to: participating in goal-setting activities; identifying opportunities for youth to learn, grow and become more confident/improve self-esteem; providing encouragement and support to access resources; sharing and discussing common experiences to develop trust and rapport, encourage and maintain a positive and optimistic outlook; communicating, representing and promoting the peer perspective within the center. Works collaboratively with volunteer Peer Associates to provide a youth-centric experience for all young people accessing the center.
• Actively engages with Youth Advisory Group members by supporting the allcove Clinical Coordinator in the planning of Youth Advisory Group meetings and supporting events and outreach efforts.
• Develops effective working relationships with agencies and organizations to advocate for peer empowerment including wellness, outreach and collaboration in future events and activities.
• Assists supervisor with conducting outreach to educate community partners and peers about center services and resources available, including center tours, public presentations, or guest speaking engagements.
• Works with Communications and Marketing to provide outreach to peers in the community through presentations at schools, outreach/tabling events and activities. Collaborates with them to develop communication and marketing materials for program activities and ensures that youth and center resources are always available
• Provides support to supervisor by leading or co-facilitating workshops.
• Responsible for completing and maintaining related records and documentation by participating in data collection.
• Exhibits clear understanding of the history, mission, and vision and serves as an ambassador of Beach Cities Health District.
• Serves as a role model for the District’s core values of compassion, integrity, accountability and excellence in actions and work product.
• Performs assigned training, duties, and work schedule as a disaster service worker on behalf of BCHD.
• Completes other projects as assigned.

COMPETENCIES

This position requires the following competencies (e.g., knowledge, skills and abilities) in order to perform all functions of the job.

LEADERSHIP COMPETENCIES:

Adaptability/Flexibility. Responds positively to change, embracing and using new practices or values to accomplish goals and solve problems. Recovers quickly from setbacks and finds alternative ways to reach goals or targets. Copes well and helps others deal with the ongoing demands of change; sees and shows others the benefits of change.

Analysis & Reasoning/Problem Solving. Sees underlying principles, patterns, or themes in an array of related information. Goes beyond analyzing factual information to develop a conceptual understanding of the meaning of a range of information. Breaks down problems and identifies all of their facets, including hidden or tricky aspects. Generates a range of solutions and courses of action with benefits, costs and risks associated with each. Thinks ‘outside the box’ to find options.

Communication. Effectively transfers thoughts and expresses ideas verbally in individual or group situations. Exhibits strong writing, editing, and proofreading skills. Checks for understanding of the communication by asking open-ended questions that draw out the intended audience’s understanding.

Customer Focus. Exhibits a polished and professional demeanor at all times. Describes customers’ business and expectations. Shows interest in, anticipates, and responds timely to customer needs. Goes beyond basic service expectations. Seeks ways to improve service delivery. Recognizes adverse customer reactions and develops better alternatives.

JOB COMPETENCIES:

Advocacy. Advocate effectively with others so that clients receive needed care in a timely fashion, while understanding reasonable limits. Provide information and support for individuals and communities to advocate for their own needs. Build and maintain networks of community resources and referrals. Build and maintain networks with relevant community and issue advocacy groups.

Relationship Building. Maintains an open, approachable manner and treats others fairly and respectfully. Preserves others’ dignity and shows regard for their opinions. Anticipates and recognizes the concerns of others, even if not openly expressed. Seeks to resolve confrontations and disagreements constructively. Builds rapport with external partners for mutual benefit to fulfill needs. Demonstrates a balance between building rapport and getting the work done.

Self-Management. Prioritizes tasks by importance and deadline. Adjusts priorities as situations change. Focuses time and effort on key tasks. Easily transitions between tasks and picks up where left off when interrupted. Makes reasonable estimates of resource needs to achieve goals or complete projects. Uses sound methods to plan and track work, appointments, and commitments. Completes high volumes of work, keeping a rapid pace without sacrificing accuracy. Meets and exceeds deadlines efficiently.

Valuing Diversity/Cultural Awareness. Sees the value of cultural, ethnic, gender, and other individual differences in people. Creates an environment of learning about, valuing, encouraging, and supporting differences. Supports fair treatment and equal opportunity for all. Listens to and objectively considers the ideas/input of others. Strives to eliminate barriers to diversity; ensures that new barriers to diversity are not built.

QUALIFICATIONS GUIDELINES

Any combination equivalent to experience, education, and training that would provide the required knowledge, skills, and abilities would be qualifying. A typical way to obtain the knowledge, skills, and abilities would be:

EDUCATION:

Bachelor’s Degree in social work, health promotion, public health or relevant health-related field. Master’s degree preferred. Will consider relevant work experience in lieu of formal education.

EXPERIENCE:

Minimum of two years of experience in public health and health promotion, program development and working with young people, community partners and parents in a school-based setting in a professional or leadership role.

KNOWLEDGE:

Familiarity with school-based requirements (FERPA (Family Education Rights Privacy Act), all school records for students under the age of 18 are accessible by parents) due to the duality of the population being served.

Requires excellent organizational, project and program management and written/oral communication skills. Community outreach or success in actively engaging organizations in a program/project is required.

Knowledge of law as related to mandated reporting, consumer protection (California Board of Behavioral Science policies) and the Tarasoff Law. Knowledge of ethically based practice and limits of scope of practice and BCHD’s guidelines, polices, and procedures. Broad knowledge of the range of services available to young people in the local community, health, education, employment and youth sectors.

ABILITIES/SKILLS:

Excellent working knowledge of the computer, including Microsoft Office programs (e.g., Word, Excel, Outlook, PowerPoint), and ability to learn software programs and databases. Bilingual Spanish-English skills are highly desirable.

SPECIAL REQUIREMENTS:

First Aid and Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation (CPR) methods; appropriate safety precautions and procedures; simple record keeping procedures. Must be able to successfully pass background check, tuberculosis test and drug screen. Must have a valid Class C California driver’s license and ability to maintain insurability under the District’s Employee Use of Automobiles Policy

Must have completed certification for Mental Health First Aid or demonstrate a willingness to complete training upon hiring.

Ability to work some evenings and weekends.

PHYSICAL STANDARDS

Management reserves the right to add, modify, change or rescind the work assignments of different positions and to make reasonable accommodations so that qualified employees can perform the essential functions of the job.

PHYSICAL AND SENSORY ELEMENTS:

This position requires hearing, talking, and seeing. Specific vision abilities required by this job include close vision and the ability to adjust focus. While performing the duties of this job, the employee is regularly required to use hands to finger, handle, feel or operate objects, tools, or controls and reach with hands and arms. The employee uses finger dexterity in order to operate computer hardware for extended periods of time. The employee is required to constantly sit and occasionally walk and stand to access counters, work areas and files; stoop, kneel, or crouch to access or place records or files; lift and carry records and documents, typically weighing less than 20 pounds.

ENVIRONMENTAL ELEMENTS:

Employee works in an integrated youth health center for young people ages 12-25 and at community locations throughout the greater South Bay. Some evening and weekend work may be required.