Peer Support Specialist

Peer Support Specialist Success Profile

As a Peer Support Specialist at FolkTime, the role involves initiating and maintaining lasting relationships with individuals navigating mental health and substance use systems. Employing the Intentional Peer Support model, they prioritize peer-centered relationships, emphasizing strengths and trust-building. Their responsibilities include guiding peers toward their goals, enhancing community support networks, and refining problem-solving abilities.

They provide comprehensive support, establish crucial service connections, and advocate persistently, fostering a secure and supportive environment. Through genuine connections and personalized care, they make a meaningful impact on the lives of those they support.

Why You'll Love It Here:

• Exciting Challenges: Every day brings new challenges and opportunities to make a real impact in the professional landscape of mental health.
• Innovation Galore: Get ready to be part of a team that thrives on innovation – we're not just thinking outside the box; we're redesigning the entire experience!
• Collaborative Energy: Join a passionate team where collaboration is key. We value diverse perspectives, and your ideas will always find a welcome home here.
• Continuous Growth: We're not just about training others; we're invested in your growth too. Your professional development is as important as the programs you'll be working.

Compensation: $21.00-23.50 per hour, based on experience

Hours: 40 hours/week.

Benefits: This position qualifies for FolkTime’s benefits package which includes health, vision, and dental insurance, 20 days paid time off (25 year 2-3, 26 after year 3), short- and long-term disability, and holidays.

Department: Clinical Programs

Work location: FolkTime Clinical Programs, Clackamas County Behavioral Health | Clackamas Health Centers

Application Requirements:

• One-page cover-letter
• Resume

Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Commitment:

At FolkTime, diversity, equity, and inclusion aren't just buzzwords – they're the heartbeat of our vibrant community. We're on a mission to build a team that mirrors the rich diversity of backgrounds, cultures, abilities, and identities that make up our world. Why? Because we believe that embracing different perspectives fuels the innovation and empathy needed to support mental health and wellness. Our commitment is crystal clear. Be a part of co-creating our inclusive workplace where respect and empowerment are the norms. Join the FolkTime family and let's create a future where everyone's unique story is not just valued but celebrated.

Core Accountabilities:

We're not just outlining accountabilities; we're diving headfirst into a thrilling adventure of lived-experience relationships, curiosity-driven conversations, and dynamic collaborative decision-making. Rooted in diverse experiences, your contribution is more than a checklist – it's the rocket fuel propelling our success story. Our outcomes aren't just milestones; they're a vibrant reflection of our continuous journey towards creating empowering, inclusive environments for wellness. At FolkTime, we're not just shaping the future; we're rewriting the narrative with boundless enthusiasm and unparalleled energy!

1. Building Supportive Relationships

• Talking and Sharing: Engaging in heartfelt conversations about personal experiences and actively listening to others' stories with compassion.
• Respecting Differences: Cultivating openness to diverse opinions and experiences without passing judgment, creating an atmosphere of acceptance.
• Forming Relationships: Fostering connections grounded in genuine care and understanding, acknowledging and empathizing with others' experiences.

Outcomes

• Learning Together: Promoting mutual learning experiences, contributing to a collective understanding of new perspectives and ideas.
• Feeling Stronger Together: Cultivating strength and confidence through meaningful and supportive relationships within the community.

2. Creating Brave Spaces

• Being Curious: Demonstrating genuine interest in others' thoughts and feelings, asking questions to deepen understanding.
• Supporting Bravery: Establishing safe environments where individuals feel comfortable sharing worries and problems without fear.
• Talking about Different Ideas: Initiating conversations that explore various facets of a situation, encouraging diverse viewpoints and promoting critical thinking.

Outcomes

• Understanding More: Enhancing comprehension of different points of view, making conversations more engaging and thought-provoking.
• Feeling Stronger Together: Building strength through meaningful discussions about significant matters that benefit everyone involved.

3. Understanding Yourself and Others Better

• Checking Your Bias: Reflecting on personal beliefs and understanding their impact on oneself and others.
• Respecting Everyone: Valuing everyone's background and experiences, recognizing and celebrating diversity.
• Being Kind and Listening: Practicing kindness and active listening without judgment, creating an environment of empathy.

Outcomes

• Feeling More Connected: Fostering a sense of closeness to others and deepening mutual understanding.
• Making Everyone Comfortable: Creating an environment where everyone feels safe and positive when sharing thoughts and feelings.

4. Working Together

• Making Plans Together: Collaborating with others to develop plans and strategies that contribute to individual wellness.
• Shared Decisions: Sharing thoughts with others and empowering them to make choices aligned with their best interests.
• Supporting Each Other: Offering support and finding the right resources to help others succeed.

Outcomes

• Feeling Stronger Together: Cultivating strength through collaborative efforts, fostering personal and collective growth.
• Making Choices Together: Making decisions collectively to ensure everyone feels satisfied and supported in the process.

5. Creating Community

• Making Trust: Building a foundation of trust to encourage open discussions about worries and feelings.
• Being Open: Maintaining openness to diverse ideas and ensuring everyone feels included in the community.
• Supporting Each Other Grow: Creating spaces where everyone can learn, support one another, and thrive.

Outcomes

• Feeling Brave: Promoting a sense of bravery to share and learn without fear.
• Making Supportive Connections: Establishing a supportive community that understands and aids each other through both good and challenging times.

6. Always Learning and Trying New Things

• Self-Reflection: Engaging in self-reflection to understand actions and strive for improvement.
• Learning: Actively seeking knowledge from diverse sources and applying it to personal and collective growth.
• Trying Hard: Investing effort in learning and understanding to benefit oneself and others.

Outcomes

• Constantly Growing: Fostering continuous personal and collective growth through learning and improvement.
• Growing Together: Nurturing a culture of shared growth and learning, enhancing the job's interest and value for everyone.

7. Ensuring Quality Assurance

• Completing Necessary Reports: Timely and accurate completion of required reports to document program activities. Providing detailed information in reports to contribute to comprehensive program evaluation.
• Detailed Notes and Documentation: Maintaining thorough and accurate notes documenting interactions and interventions. Ensuring all documentation aligns with organizational standards and program requirements.
• Efficient Paperwork Management: Organizing and managing paperwork efficiently to ensure accessibility and compliance. Reviewing and updating paperwork as necessary to reflect current program activities.

Outcomes

• Enhanced Program Evaluation: Ensuring that reports contribute to meaningful program evaluation, leading to continuous improvement.
• Accurate Record-Keeping: Records are detailed and documentation is flawless to facilitate accurate record-keeping.
• Compliance: Recordkeeping uphold scompliance and promotes transparency within the program.

Qualifications: The things that make you awesome! At FolkTime, we welcome applicants with diverse backgrounds and perspectives. If you're passionate about our mission, apply, even if you don't meet every qualification. Your unique skills could be the missing piece we need to make a significant impact on mental health and wellness. We don’t want to miss out on seeing your application just because a few boxes aren’t checked.

• Lived Experience: Understanding mental health or substance use systems based on personal experiences.
• Training and Certification: Certification in Intentional Peer Support, or willingness to attend the 40-hour Intentional Peer Support training and maintain certification with the Oregon Health Authority Traditional Health Worker’s Commission as a Peer Support Specialist. This includes maintaining Continuing Education Units (CEUs) required to keep certification, with assistance from FolkTime leadership.
• Good Communication: Being good at talking and listening to others.
• Working with Others: Work well with different groups and support anyone.
• Keeping Things Private: Knowing how to keep personal information private and safe.
• Handling Many Things: Being good at doing many things at once, setting goals, and doing tasks in order of importance.
• Listening Skills: Great at listening and making friends with different kinds of people.
• Getting Around: Having a car, a license, insurance, and pass a vehicle background check.
• Building Trust: Making professional relationships and being trusted by others easily.
• Working with Different Families: Being respectful and open-minded when working with families from different backgrounds.
• Knowing Different Languages: It's good if you can speak both English and Spanish.

FolkTime's Journey:

Picture this: 1986 - FolkTime bursts onto the scene, not just as one of the first mental health Peer Support organizations but as a revolutionary powerhouse with a bold vision to reshape the entire care landscape. Fueled by the magic of peer-centered approaches, we kicked off a mission to provide not just care, but genuine relational support to those navigating the twists and turns of mental health and substance use systems.

Fast forward, FolkTime isn't just a support hub; it's a beacon of community-based mental health empowerment. Our full embrace of the Intentional Peer Support model has sparked a revolution, giving individuals the keys to reclaim their narrative in the grand tapestry of recovery. Forget one-size-fits-all; we thrive on strength-based relationships, fostering resilience and celebrating the unique lived experiences of every single soul who walks through our doors.

In the entrepreneurial spirit, we're not just pioneers; we're trailblazers, redefining the world views of healthcare. Our commitment is more than steadfast; it's a blazing fire to create inclusive spaces where everyone's voice is not just heard but echoes with respect and empowerment on their epic journey to wellness. The FolkTime saga continues, and you're invited to be part of the journey!

Job Types: Full-time, Part-time

Pay: $21.00 - $23.50 per hour

Expected hours: 32 – 40 per week

Benefits:

• Dental insurance
• Employee assistance program
• Flexible schedule
• Health insurance
• Paid time off
• Parental leave
• Professional development assistance
• Vision insurance

Schedule:

• 8 hour shift
• Day shift
• Monday to Friday
• No nights
• No weekends

Application Question(s):

• Will you be able to have reliable transportation to travel to clients homes or in the community?

Ability to Relocate:

• Oregon City, OR 97045: Relocate before starting work (Required)

Work Location: In person