Peer and Family Advocate

Salary : $37,856.00 - $52,083.20 Annually
Location : Throughout San Bernardino County, CA
Job Type: Full-time
Job Number: 24-06011-01
Department: Department of Behavioral Health
Opening Date: 02/16/2024
Closing Date: Continuous
The Job
Be an agent of change and make a difference in delivering health and wellness to millions of residents.
Join a team that is passionate about the services they provide and is committed to making a difference throughout San Bernardino County.
The San Bernardino County Department of Behavioral Health invites qualified individuals to apply for the position of Peer and Family Advocate who provide outreach and education support for the Department. This position will provide linkages to services, and support for consumers of behavioral health services. This position requires public speaking in the delivery of information and assistance services, establishing and maintaining a current directory of community resources, and planning/preparing events, trainings, and presentations on a variety of topics.
The Department of Behavioral Health (DBH) values the expertise that peer providers bring to the system of care. Peer providers are individuals who have self-identified as having lived experience with the process of recovery from mental illness, substance use disorder, or both, either as a consumer of these services or as the parent or family member of the consumer and use that experience to deliver services in a variety of roles.
The essential duties of this position include, but are not limited to the following:

• Conduct one-on-one or group sessions with consumers and/or their families
• Collect and report data which may include billing and chart documentation
• Develop and facilitate educational, skills building, recreational and advocacy groups
• Plan, develop, prepare, and conduct presentations on a variety of topics
• Develop partnerships with diverse community and consumer groups
• Serve as a mentor in facilitating and engaging consumers and family members
• Develop and implement human resource development projects and training to improve consumer relations, consumer satisfaction, and consumer understanding in culturally diverse communities
• Assist with the development and maintenance of communications materials for consumers and family members

For additional details, please refer to the Peer and Family Advocate job description.
This position is in the Unclassified Service and serves at the pleasure of the appointing authority.
The Department of Behavioral Health (DBH) is responsible for providing mental health and substance use disorder services to county residents who are experiencing major mental illness or substance abuse related issues. DBH provides mental health and substance use disorder prevention and treatment services to all age groups, with a primary emphasis on treating children/youth who may be seriously emotionally disturbed, adults who are experiencing a serious and persistent mental illness, and individuals who are experiencing substance use disorders. DBH also provides an array of outreach/engagement, prevention, and early intervention services. DBH's core values are service , integrity , accountability , and trust .
DBH is a unique County Department comprised of eight (8) direct service areas: Community Outpatient and Transitional Age Youth Services; Youth Collaborative and Justice Involved Services; Substance Use Disorder and Recovery Services; 24 Hour and Specialty Services; Adult Justice Involved and Diversion Services; Medical Services; Community Engagement and Equity Services; Office of Patients' Rights and five (5) indirect service areas: Administrative and Fiscal Services; Public Relations and Outreach Services; Program Support Services; Disaster and Safety Unit; and the Office of Compliance. The Department currently has a workforce in excess of 1000 positions and an approximate $700 million-dollar annual budget.
Click HERE to learn more about the Department of Behavioral Health
Click HERE to learn more about San Bernardino County
The list established from this recruitment may be used to fill current and future vacancies as they occur throughout the Department.
CONDITIONS OF EMPLOYMENT
Work Schedule: Must be willing to work non-traditional hours, such as evenings and weekends.
Travel: Regular travel throughout the County may be required, with some positions requiring field-based travel. Employees may be required to make provisions for transportation (mileage reimbursement at current IRS rate is available). A valid California Class C driver license and proof of automobile liability insurance must be provided and maintained for the individual providing the transportation.
Sponsorship: Please note San Bernardino County is not able to consider candidates who will require visa sponsorship at the time of application or in the future.
Minimum Requirements
Must possess a valid CA Identification Card or CA Driver's License along with:
Education: High School Diploma or general equivalency degree (GED)
--AND--
Experience: Two (2) years of full-time equivalent experience (4,160 hours of paid or volunteer experience) in mental health, substance use, social, or human services.
NOTE: A certification of completion in a Peer Behavioral Health Training Program must be completed prior to the end of the probationary period as identified by the Department.
Desired Qualifications
Applicants fluent in American Sign Language, Arabic, Korean, Mandarin, Spanish, Tagalog and/or Vietnamese are strongly encouraged to apply. Additional compensation is associated with positions requiring the use of bilingual skills. Testing of bilingual skills may be required to receive additional compensation.
The following factors will provide the basis for competitively evaluating each candidate:

• Strong interpersonal and communication (oral and written) skills
• Excellent organizational skills and attention to detail
• Ability to work under pressure and perform multiple tasks with accuracy
• Possess initiative
• Strong meeting facilitation skills, including the ability to effectively present information to a wide variety of audiences
• Ability to build and maintain trust-based relationships with multiple internal and external stakeholders
• Technology savvy with solid proficiency in using Outlook, Word and Excel
• Awareness and understanding of mental health stigma and discrimination
• Willingness to learn from others, take feedback, and make adjustments to communication and behavior
• Experience taking initiative to self-educate about unfamiliar subjects or concepts
• Affirmative and accepting approaches toward people from diverse backgrounds and experiences

Selection Process
There will be a competitive evaluation of qualifications based on the information provided in the Application and the Supplemental Questionnaire. You are encouraged to include detailed descriptions of your qualifying experience , as only the most highly qualified applicants will be referred to the Department. Please ensure all relevant experience is indicated in the Application and responses to the Supplemental Questionnaire, as resumes and other attachments will not be reviewed for the competitive evaluation.
Completing your application with statements such as "see/refer to resume" or "see attached" rather than completing your work history may affect your eligibility or competitive evaluation score. Be sure to clearly describe your experience in meeting the minimum requirements.
If you require technical assistance, please click HERE to review the Government Jobs online application guide, or contact their Toll-Free Applicant Support line at (855) 524-5627. Please note that Human Resources is not responsible for any issues or delays caused by computer or browser used to submit the application.
EEO/ADA: San Bernardino County is an Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO) and Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) compliant employer, committed to providing equal employment opportunity to all employees and applicants. ADA Accommodation: If you have a disability and require accommodations in the testing process, submit theSpecial Testing Accommodations Request Form within one week of a recruitment filing deadline.
Veterans' Preference: Eligible veterans and their spouse or widow(er) who are not current County employees may be awarded additional Veterans' Preference points. Click HERE for information and instructions to request Veteran's Preference points.
Please click HERE for important Applicant Information and the County Employment Process .
Administrative Services Unit
The County of San Bernardino offers a range of benefit programs for employees and their eligible dependents. These include health, dental, vision, and life insurance, as well as a variety of voluntary benefits. Programs and benefit amounts vary and are based on bargaining unit, family size, hire date, plan selection, and number of hours worked.
For a summary of benefits, please click
Refer to the appropriate MOU, contact the County's Employee Benefits and Services Division at (909) 387-5787 or visit the Benefits website for more detailed information at
01
Instructions: The information on the application and your responses to the following supplemental questions will be used in a competitive evaluation of qualifications. Experience listed on this questionnaire must also be listed and fully detailed in the work experience section of your application.

• I have read and understand the above statement.

02
Field-Based Availability: Some positions are field-based and require traveling/working outside of the office frequently. Indicate your availability below:

• I AM available and willing to work in a field-based position that requires traveling/working outside of the office frequently.
• I AM NOT available nor willing to work in a field-based position.

03
Experience : Do you have two (2) years of full-time experience (4,160 hours of paid or volunteer experience) in mental health, substance use, social, or human services? If yes, experience must also be listed and fully detailed in the work experience section of your application.

• Yes
• No

04
Education : Do you have a High School Diploma, or G.E.D.?

• Yes
• No

05
Do you possess a valid CA Identification Card or CA Driver's License?

• Yes
• No

06
Degree: Indicate the highest level of education you have COMPLETED.

• Master's Degree
• Bachelor's Degree
• Associate's Degree
• High School Diploma or G.E.D.
• None of the above

07
Describe the paid or volunteer experience you have gained in mental health, social or human services working with individuals with Mental Illness. Provide the name of the employer, dates of employment, and hours worked per week for each employer. Please note the PFA II/III levels require a minimum of 2080 or 4160 hours of paid or volunteer experience in mental health, social or human services.
08
Select any of the following populations that you identify with, check all that apply.

• Consumer of mental health services
• Consumer of alcohol and drug services
• Family Member/Caregiver of a person using mental health services
• Family Member/Caregiver of a person using alcohol and drug services
• Current or former foster youth
• Parent/Family Member/Caregiver of a current or former foster youth

09
Peer and Family Advocate positions are staffed throughout the Department including direct service positions, field-based teams, administrative roles and crisis programs. Please list any areas in which you are NOT interested in working. If none, indicate "N/A."
10
Describe your experience with resolving conflict between two people. List the role in which you had this experience. If no experience in this area, indicate "N/A."
11
Describe your experience supporting others and/or yourself in identifying and accessing needed resources such as housing, employment, seeking services, crisis support, etc. If no experience in this area, indicate "N/A."
12
Describe your experience leading, organizing or participating in self-help/wellness/recovery groups. If no experience in this area, indicate "N/A."
13
Describe your experience with mental health and/or substance use and how you use that experience to support and coach others. If no experience in this area, indicate "N/A."
14
Describe your experience with homeless services, this may be as either a provider or a recipient of homeless services (being unhoused, couch surfing, unsafe housing) and conducting or participating in outreach, and/or community organizing for homeless services. If no experience in this area, indicate "N/A."
15
Describe computer programs that you have used. Please list examples of how you have used each program. Include any web-based meeting platforms that you have experience using. If no experience in this area, indicate "N/A."
16
The following applies to positions in the InnROADs program only: Applicants must be willing to work in a field based program and have a desire to work with homeless populations. Incumbents assigned to the InnROADs project must be able to walk on uneven surfaces 50% of the time, be in an outdoor environment 75% of the time, and work in various weather conditions.Indicate your willingness to work in this program below.

• Yes, I am available and willing to work in the InnROADs program. I understand that this is a field based program and I will be working with homeless populations.
• No, I am unavailable and unwilling to work in the InnROADs program.

17
ADDITIONAL BILINGUAL SKILLS: Performing bilingual translation involving the use of English and a second language as a part of a position's regular duties may be entitled to bilingual compensation. In addition to English, check any of the following languages you are also fluent in.

• American Sign Language (ASL)
• Arabic
• Korean
• Mandarin
• Spanish
• Tagalog
• Vietnamese
• Other (Hindi, French, Bengali, Russian, Portuguese, Indonesian, etc.)
• None of the above

18
Applicant Acknowledgement - Notification via email: As part of our efforts to increase efficiency and promote conservation of resources, human resources uses email to communicate with applicants. Therefore, all future communications regarding this recruitment, including applicant status and testing notifications, will be made via email. Each applicant needs their own email address. We strongly encourage you, as an applicant, to ensure that the email address you have provided us with your application is current, secure, confidential, and readily accessible to you. Adjust Spam and/or other filters so that our emails are accepted. Please carefully read any notices that we send you and follow any instructions provided in a timely manner. We will not be responsible in any way if you do not receive our emails (i.e., for the non-delivery of our emails or if you fail to check your e-mail on a timely basis).

• I acknowledge that I have read, understood, and agree to the above.

19
**Attention GMAIL Users**
We have become aware of an increase in Gmail's spam filter sensitivity. Due to this change, it is possible that emails coming from San Bernardino County Human Resources may be marked as spam and will not make it into your Gmail inbox.
For your convenience, the attached PDF document contains a step-by-step guide to create and apply filters within Gmail. Click this link to Once downloaded, follow the instructions so that you will receive future emails from San Bernardino County Human Resources.
Note: If you apply the filters and still do not receive emails from San Bernardino County Human Resources you can check your (Neogov) account inbox. All notifications will appear there.

• I understand

20
Applicant Acknowledgement - Application Complete: Thank you for taking the time to complete this application and supplemental questionnaire. Please be sure to review all information provided prior to submitting it as you cannot update or revise it once submitted. Your submitted application will be reviewed and evaluated as is. Please do not refer to a resume or other documentation in lieu of completing the employment history section or responding to the supplemental questions; they will not be reviewed or considered.
Once your application has been successfully submitted, you will receive an onscreen confirmation and an email confirmation will be sent to the email address listed on your application. We recommend that you save and/or print these for your records. Please note: if you do not receive an onscreen confirmation and an email acknowledging our receipt of your application, we have not received your application.

• I acknowledge that I have reviewed my application and understand that I will not be able to update or revise any part of it once submitted.

Required Question