Senior Mental Health Peer Specialist - Consumer - La Quinta - County of Riverside - La Quinta, CA

In the County of Riverside, the future is bright. With a variety of job opportunities with the County, there are as many places to take your career as there are stars in our sky. But there’s more than a great vocation to draw you here: with affordable housing, a thriving, diverse, and progressive community, excellent higher education, and the hidden gem of the Joshua Tree National Park, the opportunities for your life here are equally exciting. Come work in the heart of inland California, and see how great the view is when opportunity is on the horizon.

The goal of the Riverside University Health System (RUHS) Department of Behavioral Health is to provide culturally sensitive community-based services for people experiencing a mental illness or addiction to substance(s); for children with serious emotional problems; and for people needing the protection of public guardianship. The Department exists to help consumers achieve and maintain an optimal level of personal and social functioning.

A Senior Peer Support Specialist candidate is a person who has ¿lived experience¿ with a mental health or substance use diagnosis who can demonstrate his or her own efforts at self-directed recovery and wellness. This person will have a willingness to share their experiences in a meaningful way.

Under direction, to provide the highest level of information, support and assistance and advocacy for consumers and/or caregivers/family members of consumers of mental health services and to provide feedback and perspective to the mental health system relative to the impact and effectiveness of the services provided; provide specialized training and work direction to other peer specialists and to do other work as required.

Incumbents in this advanced level class perform the highest level of assignments in the Mental Health Peer Specialist series and report directly to either a regional manager or Peer Policy and Planning Specialist; team with mental health professionals in the provision of consumer treatment, directly assist consumers and families/caregivers in the utilization of appropriate community resources, provide education and information to consumers and the community; provide a unique consumer perspective to the mental health team; and may act in a lead capacity.

Incumbents in this class 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 and family/caregiver perspective is provided in the development of programs and services and in formulation of treatment strategies. Incumbents of this class do not attempt to modify or change the consumer’s personality structure. Classes in this series differ 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 mental health services including psychotherapy. This 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 mental health services.

Acts as a resource person for and assists in the training, work assignment and supervision of other peer specialists.

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

Informs, trains, supports and empowers consumers and families/caregivers who directly or indirectly receive mental health services.

Communicates, represents and promotes the consumer and families/caregivers’ perspective within the mental health system.

Develops and facilitates self-help groups for consumers, youth, family members and caregivers.

Attends, participates and takes a leadership role in special events, conferences, workshops and trainings within the mental health system and in the community.

Develops and promotes activities, programs and resources which support consumers and family/caregivers in achieving their goals.

Supports the appropriate recognition, acceptance and understanding of social and cultural factors in the provision of mental health services.

Develops effective personal and departmental working relationships with agencies and organizations to advocate for consumer and family/caregiver empowerment.

Helps prepare and support consumers and families/caregivers at case staffings and at a variety of formal and informal hearings.

Helps consumers and those who support them to articulate their needs.

Focuses on and is sensitive to consumer and family/caregiver satisfaction with the services received and general satisfaction with mental health services and investigates the most sensitive complaints.

Assists and promotes consumers and those who support them in support networks and activities.

Documents all activities as required.

Experience: Current or previous experience as a consumer of mental health services.

AND

One year of experience as a Mental Health Peer Specialist or two years of experience equivalent to the Mental Health Peer Specialist.

Knowledge of: The basic principles and practices of leadership and training; the needs and difficulties faced by clients, caregivers and families of mental health consumers; the public and/or private agency services available for families, children and adults with serious mental health needs, such as schools, social services and other systems; the self-help and consumer oriented treatment models; methods to effectively communicate with consumers, family/caretakers, the community and the mental health treatment team and

Ability to: Act in a lead capacity; understand the principles of the mental health system and effectively work within the system; effectively represent and advocate for the consumer perspective within the community and mental health system; understand and articulate the cultural and social factors affecting behavior patterns; effectively communicate the workings of the mental health system to service consumers, parents, family members and caregivers; develop and maintain strong working relationships with a wide range of community agencies and organizations; obtain and record accurate information for case documentation and other reports.

Required Skills:
License/Certificate: Possession of a valid California Driver’s License will be required.

For specific questions regarding this position, contact the recruiter listed in this posting.

All employment offers are contingent upon successful completion of a pre-employment physical exam, including a drug/alcohol test, and a criminal background investigation, including fingerprinting. (A felony or misdemeanor conviction related to the position may disqualify the applicant from County employment).

Required Probationary Period – As an Approved Local Merit System, the County of Riverside requires all new regular or seasonal employees to serve an initial probationary period, the duration of which is indicated in the applicable Memorandum of Understanding, County Resolution, or Salary Ordinance. Temporary and Per Diem employees serve at the pleasure of the agency/department head.

The County of Riverside is an Equal Opportunity Employer. It is the policy of the County of Riverside to provide employment opportunity for all qualified persons. All applicants will be considered without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, disability, sexual orientation, gender, gender identity, gender expression, marital status, ancestry, medical condition (cancer and genetic characteristics), genetic information, or denial of medical and family care leave, or any other non job-related factor.

REASONABLE ACCOMMODATIONS: The County of Riverside is committed to providing reasonable accommodation to applicants as required by the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and Fair Employment and Housing Act (FEHA). Qualified individuals with disabilities who need a reasonable accommodation during the application or selection process should contact the recruiter listed on the job posting. For additional information and/or to obtain the appropriate form for requesting a reasonable accommodation, please visit the Disability Access Office web page located at: http://dao.rc-hr.com/.

****CURRENT COUNTY EMPLOYEES MUST USE THEIR EMPLOYEE SELF SERVICE ACCOUNT TO APPLY.****

Visit the Job Descriptions page at http://rc-hr.com/Careers/JobDescriptions.aspx for benefits information. Detailed job descriptions and benefits information are provided for all of the County of Riverside’s job classifications.

The preliminary closing date for this posting is Monday, August 15, 2016 at 11:50 PM PST, however postings may close at any time.

Applications received prior to the closing date will be considered based on the information submitted. Changes or alterations cannot be accepted. No late applications will be permitted.

BASED ON THE NUMBER OF APPLICATIONS RECEIVED, THIS POSTING MAY CLOSE WITHOUT NOTICE.

If you have any questions regarding this position, please contact Robert Allspaw at 951-358-4050 or RAllspaw@rc-hr.com.

The preliminary closing date for this posting is Monday, August 15, 2016 at 11:50 PM PST, however postings may close at any time.

Please go to www.rc-hr.com to apply for this position under careers tab.

The County of Riverside does not accept resumes from third party vendors.