Certified Peer Specialist

Summary

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Rockingham County is an equal opportunity employer and will comply with federal and state statutes regarding discrimination in employment.

This posting is continuous and will remain posted to fill vacancies as they become available. Applicants that apply to this posting will be considered for any vacancies of this type and will only need to apply once.

• Paid Medical, Dental, Vision \& Life Insurance
• Onsite wellness/medical clinic
• Onsite fitness center
• Retirement
• Flexible Spending
• Paid Vacation, Sick \& Holidays
• Bereavement
• Community Service Leave
• Weekends Off (varies by position)
• Flexible Work Schedules \& Telework Options (varies by position)
• Tuition Reimbursement
• 401\-K \& 457 Plans with county match up to 1% of base salary

General Definition of Work

Provides peer support services to clients with serious mental illnesses and substance abuse disorders. Position functions as a role model to peers by exhibiting competency in personal recovery and use of coping skills. Serves as a consumer advocate, provides consumer information and peer support for clients in outpatient and inpatient settings. Performs a wide range of tasks to assist peers of all ages, from young adults to old age, in regaining independence with the community and mastery over their own recover process. Recovery resources such as booklets, tapes, pamphlets, and other written materials will be utilized in the provision of services. Work is performed under the supervision of the Integrated Health Care Program Manager.

Qualification Requirements

To perform this job successfully, an individual must be able to perform each essential function satisfactorily. The requirements listed below are representative of the knowledge, skill and/or ability required. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable an individual with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

Examples of Duties

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Examples of Duties

• Receive referral from community partners, DSS, Integrated Health when a citizen is experiencing a substance use crisis. Information is gathered to determine if the crisis is emergent, urgent or routine. If emergent, response is immediate to determine if citizen is in need and in agreement to substance use services. If imminent danger is determined an IVC is secured at a Magistrate’s Office and the citizen is transported via law enforcement to a local hospital emergency department for further evaluation. Information is provided to the hospital assessing patient. If an assessment determines a citizen is not an imminent threat to self or others then a crisis and safety plan is developed. If citizen is agreeable, treatment is coordinated with area providers. If treatment cannot be immediately obtained, the Peer Support Specialist will continue to engage with the citizen until more permanent services can be obtained.
• Evaluation of the home environment to comprehensively assess needs as activities of daily living (ADLs) and instrumental activities of daily living (IADLs) which includes ability to care for self, ability to manage finances, ability to shop and prepare meals, ability to take medications as prescribed, ability to schedule and maintain medical and personal appointments, ability to drive or schedule transportation, ability to dress according to conditions and maintenance of personal hygiene. The PSS also provides education about substance use disorders and treatments. Additional collateral information is obtained from family, friends, medical providers and other agencies once confidential releases are signed. Educate citizen and family on crisis continuum.
• Develop and implement individualized service plans that are goal directed and citizen driven. Goals include identifying all dimensions related to whole person wellness. Whole person wellness includes medical and psychiatric care, housing and environmental needs, financial needs, social, emotional and spiritual needs. The PSS utilizes Motivational Interviewing which is designed to help people make positive behavioral changes to improve whole wellness. The PSS will assist with obtaining identified goals such as applying for Medicaid, disability, FNS and Emergency Assistance, decreasing psychiatric crisis and hospitalizations, locate other or improve current living conditions, manage medical conditions, coordinate receipt of medical care, assist with obtaining prescribed medications, locate programs that increase and improve social interactions, locate payee services if needed, obtain in home aides and tools to increase independency and safety. If facility placement is needed for a person, coordinate PASRR and FL 2 for placement.
• Maintain accurate recordkeeping and documentation as required by Medicaid Administrative Claiming (MAC) to include documentation of all encounters with citizen, family, providers, other agencies; quarterly reviews and updates to service plans; completion of billing requirements as Day Sheets for reimbursement; maintain required contacts; document progress toward identified service goals

Collaborate with other agencies involved with citizen for a comprehensive service delivery and include other agencies in service plan development if appropriate to achieve desired goals and outcomes.

• Provide on call face to face response to opiate overdose victims to Rockingham County residents; conduct home visits to offer substance use disorder (SUD) services as detox, residential treatment, outpatient treatment, MAT, AA/NA. Coordinate desired treatment if citizen is willing to engage in services. Report back to referring Police Dept if citizen accepted services. Abide by the MOUs developed by each jurisdiction. Attend quarterly Post Overdose Response Team (PORT) Meetings; serve on the Opioid Task Force; host Health Fairs in Targeted Overdose areas of the City; maintain PORT spreadsheets; review Narcan administration reporting.
• Assist Adult Protective Services staff when there is a suspected substance use condition by face to face home visits, possible coordination of services.

Conduct Outreach home visits as assigned by APS Supervisor when cases do not meet APS criteria to further assess and evaluate needs; possible coordination of services.

• Assist callers requesting information about Mobile Integrated Healthcare and social service related programs and refer to appropriate provider in needed.
• Attend Square One Partner Meetings; MCO/Sandhills Meetings and other meetings as assigned.

Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities:

• General knowledge of County and Department policies and procedures.
• General knowledge of adult residential care and treatment programs.
• General knowledge of community services and facilities available for adults.
• General knowledge of applicable State laws, rules, and regulations.
• Thorough knowledge of preparing reports and other types of correspondence.
• General knowledge of the use of standard office equipment and associated software.
• Ability to make arithmetic computations, compute rates, ratios, and percentages.
• Ability to develop care and treatment plans for clients suffering emotional and social problems.
• Ability to communicate effectively orally and in writing.
• Ability to establish and maintain effective relationships with clients, other employees, officials, and the General public.

Physical Activities, Visual Acuity, and Working Conditions for this Position

• Balancing \- Maintaining body equilibrium to prevent falling when walking, standing, or crouching on narrow, slippery, or erratically moving surfaces. This factor is important if the amount and kind of balancing exceeds that needed for ordinary locomotion and maintenance of body equilibrium
• Stooping \- Bending body downward and forward by bending spine at the waist. This factor is important if it occurs to a considerable degree and requires full use of the lower extremities and back muscles
• Kneeling \- Bending legs at knee to come to a rest on knee or knees
• Crouching \- Bending the body downward and forward by bending legs and spine
• Crawling \- Moving about on hands and knees or hands and feet
• Reaching \- Extending hand(s) and arm(s) in any direction
• Standing \- Remaining upright on the feet, particularly for sustained periods of time
• Walking \- Moving about on foot to accomplish tasks, particularly for long distances or moving from one work site to another
• Pushing \- Using upper extremities to press against something with steady force to thrust forward, downward, or outward
• Pulling \- Using upper extremities to exert force to draw, drag, haul or tug objects in a sustained motion
• Lifting \- Raising objects from a lower to a higher position or moving objects horizontally from position\-to\-position. This factor is important if it occurs to a considerable degree and requires the substantial use of the upper extremities and back muscles
• Fingering \- Picking, pinching, typing or otherwise working, primarily with fingers rather than with whole hand or arm as in handling
• Grasping \- Applying pressure to an object with the fingers and palm
• Feeling \- Perceiving attributes of objects, such as size, shape, temperature, or texture by touching with skin, particularly that of fingertips
• Talking \- Expressing or exchanging ideas by means of the spoken word; those activities where detailed or important spoken instructions must be conveyed to other workers accurately, loudly, or quickly
• Hearing \- Perceiving the nature of sounds at normal speaking levels with or without correction, and having the ability to receive detailed information through oral communications, and making fine discriminations in sound
• Repetitive Motions\- Making substantial movements (motions) of the wrists, hands and/or fingers
• Light Work\- Exerting up to 20 pounds of force occasionally, and/or up to 10 pounds of force frequently, and/or a negligible amount of force constantly to move objects. If the use of arm and/or leg controls requires exertion of forces greater than that of Sedentary Work and the worker sits most of the time, the job is rated for Light Work
• Employee is required to have close visual acuity to perform an activity such as: preparing and analyzing data and figures; transcribing; viewing a computer terminal; extensive reading; visual inspection involving small defects, small parts and/or operation of machines (including inspection); using measurement devices and/or assembly or fabrication of parts at distances close to the eyes
• Employee is required to have visual acuity to operate motor vehicles or heavy equipment
• Employee is subject to inside environmental conditions: Protection from weather conditions but not necessarily from temperature changes
• Employee is subject to both environmental conditions: Activities occur inside and outside

Employee is exposed to infectious diseases

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Minimum Qualifications

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Minimum Education and Experience:

High school graduate or GED, Peer Support Specialist certification and at least 1 year as PSS.

License or Certification Requirements:

• Completion of Behavioral Health Crisis Response, Motivational Interviewing, System Overview/Resource Knowledge, Critical Incident Stress Debriefing, Trauma Informed Care, Cognitive Behavioral Intervention and SOAR training upon hire.
• Peer Support Specialist Certification upon hire.
• Valid NC Driver's License.

Supplemental Information

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Note: In accordance with State mandates and the Rockingham County Emergency Operations Plan, Rockingham County Health and Human Services staff from the Divisions of Social Services, Public Health and Integrated Health are required to staff emergency shelters during times of disaster. Please be advised that every staff person is eligible to be assigned to an emergency shelter or Emergency Operations Center.

The Public Service Loan Forgiveness Program is intended to encourage individuals to enter and continue to work full\-time in public service jobs. If you have student loans and you are selected for full\-time employment with Rockingham County, you may qualify for forgiveness of the remaining balance due on your William D. Ford Federal Direct Loan after you have made 120 qualifying payments on those loans while employed full\-time by certain public service employers. Click on the link below to see whether you might qualify.

https://studentaid.gov/manage\-loans/forgiveness\-cancellation/public\-service

Medical, Dental, and Vision InsuranceFor Full Time employees in a regular position, insurance is available and effective the first day of the following month after having worked for an entire month. The County currently pays 100% of the cost for regular employees working at least 30 hours per week. Dependent coverage is also available. Paid Time OffThis benefit is available to regular employees working at least 20 hours per week. Time off includes: Vacation/Annual LeaveSick LeavePaid Holidays.Bereavement

Local Government Retirement SystemAll employees in regular full or part time position are required to contribute to the retirement system. Contributions are taken on a pre\-tax basis. The current contribution amount is 6%. Supplemental Retirement PlansNC 401(k)\- Employees have the option of making contributions on a pre or post tax basis to a 401(k) and on a pre tax basis to a a 457(b) plan. Contributions will be matched by the county, up to 1% or their annual base salary.

Other InsuranceInsurance such as life, short term disability, and cancer care are available to regular employees and can be paid through payroll deduction. Direct DepositAll employees are required to have direct deposit. Other BenefitsAnnual longevity payment beginning with the 6th full year of full or part time regular employment