Youth Peer Support Specialist (YPSS) I/II                                                                                                                                                                                                                           Job Code: YPSS - 103 

Starting Salary: $13.97 hourly; $29,058 annually
FLSA: Non-Exempt

                                                                                                                                                              Job Code: YPSS - 111

Starting Salary: $18.59 hourly; $38,672 annually
FLSA: Non-Exempt

Overview

We are an agency committed to innovative behavioral health services in trauma-informed care that promote healing and recovery to instill a sense of empowerment and foster a lifelong sense of resilience.

General Description

The role of this position is to work directly with youth who struggle with mental health, psychological trauma or substance use. The Youth Peer Support Specialist utilizes their lived experience to provide assistance identifying goals for recovery, learning and practicing new skills, helping youth monitor their progress, supporting youth in treatment, modeling effective coping techniques and self-help strategies, supporting youth in advocating for themselves to obtain effective services and developing and implementing recovery plans. YPSS utilize their own lived experience navigating behavioral health systems to inspire hope, build rapport, and model relationships based on respect, trust and validation. The YPSS is an ally and advocate for young people across community systems.

Duties and Responsibilities

The functions listed below are those that represent the majority of the time spent working in this position. Management may assign additional functions related to the type of work of the position as necessary.

• Advocates for clients and assists with the recovery process. Educates family members so they may empathize with the consumer.
• Develop authentic, meaningful relationships with youth and their families through empathy, sharing experiences, listening and collaborating with genuine curiosity and interest.
• Attend, participate, develop and support youth engagement in youth advisory councils, governance meetings, workgroups, statewide youth leadership meetings, and other relevant meetings that inform and/or may impact decisions related to services and supports available to youth and young adults.
• Participate in regularly scheduled supervision.
• Performs outreach in communities and events, informing people of the services available to the client.
• Work to build relationships with both clients and community partners that is supportive of patient growth and recovery. Empowers clients to find solutions for problems and concerns they are facing.
• Selectively uses self-disclosure to inspire and support. Demonstrate a strong understanding of boundaries and principles of self-care.
• Completes all required documentation in a timely manner and transfers data into Electronical Health Record.
• Ensures confidentiality of individual information.
• Assists in the orientation process for youth who are receiving mental health and/or co-occurring disorders services.
• Performs related work as assigned and adapts to changing work requirements.

Minimum Education and Experience Requirements

Level I - Requires High School graduation or GED equivalent.

Level II - Requires Bachelor's degree in Psychology, Social Sciences or related behavioral field; or possession of any equivalent combination of education, training, and experience which provides the requisite knowledge, skills, and abilities.

Youth Peer Support Specialist positions require employees to be a self-identified current or former user of mental health or co-occurring services who can relate to youth who are now using those services. Experience as a mentor providing services to support others in mental health and/or addiction recovery; a recovery advocate directly involved with consumers of mental health services; a psychiatric therapy aide, or equivalent work involving in-person communication to support others in mental health recovery, preferred.

Required Knowledge and Abilities

Knowledge of trauma-informed theories, principles, and practices (includes multi-faceted understanding of concepts such as community trauma, intergenerational and historical trauma, parallel processes, and universal precautions), preferred.

Physical Demands

Performs sedentary work that involves walking or standing some of the time and involves exerting up to 10 pounds of force on a regular and recurring basis or sustained keyboard operations.

Unavoidable Hazards (Work Environment)

• Involves routine and frequent exposure to:
• Bright/dim light; Dusts and pollen.
• Extreme heat and/or cold; Wet or humid conditions.
• Extreme noise levels, Animals/wildlife.
• Vibration; Fumes and/or noxious odors.
• Traffic; Moving machinery.
• Other extreme hazards not listed above.

Special Certifications and Licenses

• Must be able to be credentialed as a Qualified Mental Health Practitioner Community Service (QMHP-CS) within the time limit designated by EHN (Level II)
• Requires certification as a Certified Peer Specialist within the time limit designated by Emergence Health Network.
• Must possess and maintain a valid state Driver's License with an acceptable driving record.
• Must be able to pass a TB, criminal background and drug screen.

Americans with Disabilities Act Compliance (ADA)

Emergence Health Network is an Equal Opportunity Employer. ADA requires Emergence Health Network to provide reasonable accommodations to qualified persons with disabilities. Prospective and current employees are encouraged to discuss ADA accommodations with management.

Other Job Characteristics

• Staffing requirements, including criteria that staff have diverse disciplinary backgrounds, have necessary State required license and accreditation, and are culturally and linguistically trained to serve the needs of the clinic's patient population.
• Credentialed, certified, and licensed professionals with adequate training in person-centered, family centered, trauma informed, culturally-competent and recovery-oriented care.
• May report to any of the following independent school districts: Canutillo ISD, EPISD, Fabens ISD
  

Note: This Class Description does not constitute an employment agreement between the Emergence Health Network and an employee and is subject to change by the Emergence Health Network as its needs change.