Sr. Certified Peer Support Specialist (Peer Certification Program - Riverside)

Under direction, provides the highest level of information, support and assistance and advocacy for consumers and/or caregivers/family members of consumers of behavioral health and/or substance abuse services; provides feedback and perspective to the behavioral health system relative to the impact and effectiveness of the services provided; provides specialized training and work direction to other Certified Peer Support Specialists; performs other related duties as required.

The Senior Certified Peer Support Specialist is the advanced level classification performing the highest level of assignments in the Behavioral Health Certified Peer Support Specialist series, and reports directly to a Peer Services Program Manager; teams with behavioral health professionals in the provision of consumer treatment, directly assisting consumers, families and caregivers in the utilization of appropriate community resources; provides education and information to consumers and the community; provides a unique consumer perspective to the behavioral health team and may act in a leadership capacity.

Incumbents provide a full range of information, training, support, encouragement, advocacy, service effectiveness assessment, and related services in order to assist the consumer and family/caregiver in coping with immediate situations.

The consumer, family and caregiver perspective is provided in the development of programs and services and in formulation of treatment strategies.

Incumbents do not attempt to modify or change the consumer's personality structure.

The Peer Support Specialist series differs from those in the Clinical Therapist series in that the latter, due to advanced education and experience, use independent judgment in making diagnoses, developing treatment plans and providing a wide range and variety of behavioral health services including psychotherapy.

The Peer Support Specialist series differs from the Behavioral Health Specialist series in that the latter does not require the unique experience of having been the recipient or having been closely associated with the direct recipient of behavioral health services.

CALMHSA State Certification Required

*

This is a competitive recruitment process and may close at any given time

*• Provide meaningful self-disclosure of personal lived experience of behavioral health-related or substance abuse-related recovery and resiliency to the people served in the system of care and the peer employees train, support and mentor (required by State Certification)

• Act as a resource person for and assist in the training, work assignment and supervision of other peer specialists.

• Provide guidance and leadership in the solution of the most complex consumer service and case related situations.

• Inform, train, support, and empower consumers, families and caregivers who directly or indirectly receive behavioral health services.

• Communicate, represent and promote the consumer, families and caregivers' per...