Peer Support Specialist

Make a Difference in Someone's Life!
At Monarch, we work together to provide life-changing care in communities across North Carolina and Rhode Island. As a team, we provide hope, promote wellness, and empower individuals and families impacted by mental illness, substance use disorders, intellectual and developmental disabilities, and traumatic brain injury.
You Belong at Monarch
You deserve a positive and encouraging work environment - a place where you can do your best work and grow as a professional. That is just what you'll find at Monarch. Here, we care for people, including our team members. We offer a comprehensive, competitive benefits package that supports full-time and part-time team members and their families. More than just a job, this opportunity with Monarch will give you room to spread your wings and grow because we believe in promoting from within and developing future leaders.
Job Highlights:
This Opportunity:
The Peer Support Specialist is primarily responsible for supporting people to achieve their personal goals while enhancing the development of their natural supports, as well as coping and self management skills. This position utilizes personal experience with mental health or substance abuse issues to assist others in achieving desired outcomes.
What You'll Do:
• Provide supportive services to assist an individual in community re-entry following hospitalizations by developing relationships in their community and with their natural supports.
• Emphasize personal safety, self worth, confidence, growth, connection to the community, boundary setting, planning, self advocacy, personal fulfillment, development of social supports, the helper principle, and effective communication skills.
• Assist individuals in making informed choices with regard to their care and services and other life decisions affecting their illness.
• Assist in the development of comprehensive crisis plans and work with people receiving services to effectively use their crisis plans.
• Assist with self help, advocacy, pre-crisis support, and facilitating an individual with speaking with their employer regarding reasonable accommodations for psychiatric disability.
• Assist the Community Support Professional in conjunction with the individuals supported in developing goals and areas of need, and assist in developing person-centered plans.
• Communicate needs and progress of the person supported to supervisor and/or Community Support Professionals/other professionals as requested.
• Engage in various skill-building activities such as learning how to maintain stable housing, bill paying, cleaning, organizing belongings, building social skills, locating improved housing situations, teaching the individual to identify and prepare healthy foods according to cultural and personal preferences of the individual served and his/her medical needs.
• Documental encounters and contacts made on behalf of people we support; complete and submit billing documentation as appropriate; maintain comprehensive files.
• Maintain positive working relationships within the communities served, including individuals, families, staff, monitoring and licensing agencies, organizations, and funders.
• Drive and travel extensively to community locations, various agencies, and other outreach destinations. Provide and/or arrange for transportation for people receiving support as required.
• Provide support as needed to meet the emotional, physical, and medical needs of each person supported.
• Facilitate person-centered, effective, positive relationships with people receiving services using positive approaches that promote self determination in all areas of life.
• Attend regular staff meetings and other required meetings. Convey observations and key issues to supervisor on an on-going basis. Maintain all required training by attending and actively participating in meetings and all required trainings. Maintain certification in all agency, state and federal training requirements.
• Assist new staff and/or current staff with orientation, mentoring, and training.
• Demonstrate knowledge of and comply with all agency policies and procedures.
• Follow service definition guidelines for services being provided.
• Complete all other relevant responsibilities as assigned by the supervisor.
Education We're Looking For:
High School Diploma (Required)
Certifications We're Looking For:
Certified Peer Support Specialist (CPSS) - State Division of Mental Health, Developmental Disabilities and Substance Abuse Services (USA), Drivers License (Valid) - USA
Experience We're Looking For:
Experience working with adults with a mental health diagnosis and/or substance use disorder, Lived experience and a personal recovery story related to mental illness or substance use.
Schedule:
Monday-Friday (8:00am-4:00pm)
Target Weekly Hours:
40
Monarch is an Equal Opportunity Employer
Monarch offers opportunities as diverse as the people we support and the communities we serve. Monarch is an equal opportunity employer and we are firmly committed to supporting and celebrating all forms of diversity.
Monarch does not accept paper applications. Any person with a disability who needs any reasonable accommodation under the Americans with Disabilities Act to apply for a position or otherwise to participate in Monarch job search or selection process, should contact or call (704) 986-1550.
This job description in no way implies that these are the only duties and responsibilities to be performed. You will be required to follow any other instructions and to perform any other duties and responsibilities upon the request of a supervisor. This job description is subject to revision at the discretion of Monarch.