Peer Support Specialist

Position Description

Job Title:         SCU Mobile Peer Support Specialist

Reports to:      Program Manager

Classification: Regular, Full-Time,

Pay Range:     $23.85 - $28.85 per hour DOE

Location:        Berkeley, CA 94709

About Us:  Bonita House, Inc. (BHI) is a nonprofit mental health agency with multiple sites in Alameda County and an operating budget of $14.5 million. Founded in 1971, BHI provides social rehabilitation including a full range of Medi-Cal services to adults with co-occurring serious mental health and substance use disorders.

Our Mission: Building community, dignity, hope and wellness through services that support recovery and self-sufficiency with people who are living with serious mental health challenges.

Our Values: Compassion: Committed to caring, dignity and kindness.  Respect: Honor each individual and provide highly ethical services.  Progress: Leading the way in creating opportunities to change for the better.  Resilience: Channeling hope, building strengths to successfully recover, adapt and grow.  Embracing Differences: Honor and celebrate our diverse communities and individual uniqueness.

Position Summary: 

Working collaboratively with the EMT and Clinician as a team, the Peer Support Specialist will respond to the call, assist with evaluation of the person in need and facilitate the process. The Peer Support Specialist will utilize a variety of resources in consultation up to and including law enforcement, psychiatric prescribers, and hospital staff, to effectively provide rapid quality mental health care. 

Peer Support Specialist is required to maintain fidelity to Pro-Act Crisis Intervention Model, other evidence-based practices, other crisis management interventions, and the use of screening tools to help inform the decision-making process. Peer Support Specialist will collaborate with client in connecting to resources to support hospital diversions. The Peer Support Specialist needs to have the skills, knowledge, and ability to shape an effective working alliance, foster hope, build motivation, assess pressing needs, identify barriers to treatment, and link clients to resources to meet their basic needs. The Peer Support Specialist must demonstrate the knowledge and clinical expertise to teach clients the skills that will enable them to successfully pursue their goals. Must have a strong knowledge and be able to provide practical application of Motivational Interviewing, trauma-informed care, culturally specific mental health needs, and provide linkage to local community resources. 

This position requires 10-hour shifts working 4 days a week, including one weekend day. There are Day and Swing, shifts available.

Primary Responsibilities

• Direct crisis intervention and crisis management services
• Timely documentation including consistency with Agency and Accreditation standards
• Attend clinical meetings and trainings
• Billing- Medi-Cal and Medicare
• Assists with tracking program outcome data and ensure all consumers a provided with after-care follow-up
• Community Outreach- internal and external stakeholders
• Perform other clinical duties assigned by the Director of Crisis Services

Essential Functions/Skills: 

• Direct crisis intervention and crisis management services
• Timely documentation including consistency with Agency and Accreditation standards
• Attend clinical meetings and trainings
• Billing- Medi-Cal and Medicare
• Assists with tracking program outcome data and ensure all consumers a provided with after-care follow-up
• Community Outreach- internal and external stakeholders
• Perform other clinical duties assigned by the Director of Crisis Services

Qualifications and Requirements: 

The ideal candidate will be experienced in the field of crisis management; committed to the practices and principles of Crisis Intervention and experienced in working with a highly diverse community. 

• Lived personal experience with mental illness, homelessness, and/or co-occurring disorders required.
• Minimum of 1 year relevant experience serving clients experiencing a mental health crisis
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills. Strong time management skills. Must be able to juggle multiple priorities at once.
• Ability to build supportive and respectful working relationships with clients.
• Ability to effectively intervene in crisis situations using de-escalation techniques.
• Basic Life Support certified within 30 days of employment (training provided by program).
• Must complete and earn Peer Support Specialist certificate through State of California within first 6 months.
• Must be able/willing to work outside during most of shifts, travel in vehicle with others between crises, and physically move frequently during shift.
• Ability to work with and honor a highly diverse community served, as well as team members, while showing humility and openness.
• Willingly open to learn and understand different perspectives, as well as show self-awareness around race, gender, class, sexual orientation, lived experience, and other important attributes.
• Must comply with all legal and ethical mandates including child and elder abuse reporting, HIPPA, PHI and PII.
• Must be able to meet the Immigration Reform Act of 1986 requirements.
• Must have valid California Driver’s License and a driving record acceptable by the Agency’s insurance company.

Physical Demands: 

The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions. Physical demands. Must be able to lift 50 pounds. 

Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions. 

Additional demands include:  

• Occasionally: Exposure to infectious organisms and agents, exposure to toxic chemicals.  
• Frequently: Physical and emotional stamina, remain in scene and present for client  
• Constantly: Ability to work as a team member with staff members and other agencies, legible documentation, sensory skills to differentiate clinical findings, visual and auditory acuity

Equal Employment Opportunity Statement

Bonita House, Inc. is committed to providing equal opportunity to all qualified persons regardless of race, color, citizenship status, national origin, ancestry, gender, pregnancy, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, genetic information, age, religion, creed, physical or mental disability, marital status, veteran status or any other characteristic protected by law.