Vocational Certified Peer Support Specialist

Chrysalis promotes mental health and substance use recovery in our Dane County, WI community by supporting work opportunities that encourage hope, healing, and wellness. Chrysalis practices the following recovery principles:

• Participants determine their own path.
• Participants can and do overcome obstacles.
• Recovery focuses on people’s entire lives, including mind, body, spirit and community.
• Peer Support or mutual support plays an important role in recovery.
• There are multiple pathways to recovery based on participant’s unique strengths, preferences, experiences and cultural backgrounds.
• Recovery isn’t a step-by-step process, but one based on continual growth, occasional setbacks and learning from experience.

Chrysalis works to address inequities and oppression in our community by promoting the following values;

• Celebrating the strengths that come from diverse experiences and preferences.
• Welcoming anyone at any stage in their mental health recovery journey.
• Recognizing people have the power to reach their individual goals and grow in various aspects of their life.
• Promoting inclusivity in the community by supporting meaningful work opportunities, and partnerships.
• Utilizing cultural humility to provide appropriate interventions that support the recovery and healing of those we serve.

In the role of Vocational Certified Peer Support Specialist you are responsible for providing direct support services to participants living with persistent mental health and/or substance use challenges within the community. A Certified Peer Specialist provides individual coaching and encouragement to their peers who are working on their vocational goals. Peer Specialists function as role models demonstrating techniques in recovery and ongoing coping skills through the following examples:

• Lend their unique insight into mental health and/or substance use and what makes recovery possible.
• Cultivate empowering and supportive relationships with peers that promote self-advocacy and stigma busting activities.
• Supporting the peer on problem solving techniques when barriers come up around goals.
• Support peers with how to identify and work through negative self-talk.
• Support and encourage increased social skills in the community and encouraging various skills to support success within the workplace and in the community.
• Support peers in obtaining services and information that suit that individual’s recovery needs upon request.
• Attend Recovery Team meetings to promote self-determination as a guiding ethical principle and to educate about the Peer Support movement.
• Supportive with completing job applications, building resumes, and exploring finding a connection with something bigger than yourself.
• Seek to understand the role culture, community, and identity play in peers’ lives.

Vocational Peer Support Specialists are responsible for keeping all service documentation accurate and submitted within established timeframes, this includes: Progress notes, hour logs, monthly reports, and participant release of information.

Essential Qualifications:

1. Currently a Wisconsin Certified Peer Support Specialist
2. Strong commitment to principles of recovery and person-centered services.
3. Knowledge of federal and state laws governing the handling of confidential information
4. Highly computer literate (i.e., in Google or Microsoft Word, Excel, & PowerPoint)
5. Ability to evaluate and problem solve about mental health and job-related concerns
6. Creative, organized, efficient, flexible/adaptable, takes initiative, with the ability to work independently and part of a team
7. Ability to create and maintain professional boundaries
8. Valid driver’s license, access to a car to use for work, and automobile insurance.

Work Conditions: Staff provide 65% of time delivering services out in the community, including also in homes, treatment centers and participant’s places of employment. Staff are expected to travel throughout Dane County and transport participants when appropriate. We also have a shared office setting in Downtown Madison promoting opportunities for team communication, collaboration and development. The regular work week is Monday through Friday mainly during business hours. There is scheduling flexibility to meet both staff and program needs. Staff create their own schedule with the participants they work with and will attend a weekly supervision, team and monthly all-staff meeting. Each day may look different based on specific job responsibilities and participant’s needs. Accommodations are available upon request.

Population Served: Chrysalis participants have a wide array of different backgrounds and experiences. Staff are expected to be comfortable and culturally competent to work with individuals with a variety of identities. For example and not limited to work with people; 1. Mental Health and Addiction Diagnosis 2. Current Substance Use 3. Justice System Involvement 4. Multi-cultural Identities 5. LGBTQIA2+ 6. Varied Levels of Engagement in

Services Hours: 8:30-4:30, Monday – Friday; Averaging approximately 40 hours a week - flexible scheduling available, work schedule may vary at times to include some occasional evening or weekend hours to meet participant or agency needs.

To apply, please submit both a COVER LETTER & RESUME to Amy Holste - Director of Human Resources & Workplace Wellness.

EEOC Statement: Chrysalis is a long standing equitable and inclusive workplace. We actively work to dismantle persistent racial and social systems of oppression. We commit to having a workplace where individuals with diverse racial identities and lived experiences find authentic belonging and inclusion in our policies and practices