Certified Peer Counselor - New Journeys

Wage: $22.26-27.56 per hour

Schedule: Monday - Friday, 8 am to 5 pm

Benefits:

• Health insurance
• Flex Spending Account
• 403(b) Retirement
• Education Assistance Program
• Paid Holidays
• Vacation & Sick Leave
• Employee Assistance Program
• Additional Voluntary Benefits
• Longevity awards

Position Summary:

Under the direction of the Program Manager, the Certified Peer Counselor provides expertise about the recovery process, symptom management, and the persistence to encourage clients to reach their goals. The Certified Peer Counselor has experience as a recipient of mental health services for severe and persistent mental illness and is willing to share his or her personal, practical experience, knowledge, and first-hand insight of the benefit of the team and its clients.

Responsibilities:

• Provides to the team expertise and consultation from a mental health consumer perspective regarding client's experiences with mental illness symptoms, the effects and side effects of medications, perspectives on treatment, and the recovery process.
• Acts as an interpreter to help non-mental health consumer team members better understand and empathize with each client's unique and subjective experience and perceptions
• Collaborates with the team to promote a team culture in which each client's point of view, experiences, and preferences are recognized, understood, and respected, and in which client self-determination and decision making in treatment planning are maximized and supported.
• Provides case management and supportive services to help clients develop interests, independent living skills, and personal identity outside of the mental health system.
• Helps clients and team members identify, understand and combat stigma and discrimination associated with mental illness
• Attends and actively participates in supervision, staff meetings, consultations, treatment team meetings, and trainings' as requested or required.
• Writes and submits progress notes for each client seen on each day of service ensuring notes meet the standards set by the program and agency.
• Perform other duties as assigned

Job Requirements:

The following requirements are those that are normally required for performance of this position. Any disabled applicant or incumbent who does not meet one or more of the physical requirements, but who can perform the essential function of the job (with or without reasonable accommodations) shall be deemed to meet these requirements.

Physical Requirements:

This position normally requires that physical demands of standing, walking, bending, lifting or performing other work requiring low physical exertion, talking and hearing on a regular basis to perform the job requirements. These physical demands are required up to 80% of the time. Position also requires ability to drive with adequate vision and skill.

Non-Physical Requirements:

Education

• High School Diploma, or GED
• Completion of Certified Peer Counselor Training program and exam

Experience

• Lived experience as a recipient of mental health treatment services for severe mental illness and stable in recovery for at least one year
• Preferred: At least two years' of experience providing peer services

Special Skills

• Ability to maintain appropriate professional boundaries while supporting clients and sharing own personal experiences of recovery
• Ability to engage and communicate effectively with youth, young adults, and their families and provide culturally competent services in a diverse environment
• Self-motivated and able to work independently and as a positive team player
• Ability to represent the agency in a professional manner within the community
• Bilingual(English/Spanish) preferred, but not required

Licensure, Registration, Certification

• Registered Agency Affiliated Counselor Registration
• Certified Peer Counselor in Washington State, or able to obtain within 6 months of hire
• Valid Washington State Driver's License and minimum liability insurance for WA State
• Must be deemed insurable as determined by Catholic Charities liability insurance provider

Employment is conditional upon:

• Being cleared by criminal background check and fingerprinting when required