Certified Peer Support Specialist - Women's Health and Recovery Program in Waukesha, Wisconsin at Wisconsin Community Services

Job Summary
The Peer Recovery Coach provides peer-based recovery support to women participating in the WHARP program who are experiencing or have experienced substance use challenges. Using their own lived experience with recovery, along with professional peer support training, the Peer Recovery Coach builds trusting relationships and helps participants become connected to the recovery community and develop the relationships, resources, skills, and natural supports needed to sustain their recovery. Services will be provided at the Waukesha County Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) outpatient behavioral health clinic and throughout the community, including treatment facilities, recovery housing, peer support meetings, participants’ homes, and other mutually agreed-upon locations. The Peer Recovery Coach may accompany participants to appointments, recovery meetings, peer support groups, and other community-based activities when appropriate to support their individualized recovery goals. The position will also serve periodically as a community liaison at health fairs, local events, and other outreach opportunities to increase awareness of the program and available recovery resources.

Essential Duties and Responsibilities:
• Providing individualized peer recovery support to women receiving services, utilizing lived experience appropriately to promote hope, engagement, self-direction, and recovery.
• Develop supportive, respectful, and recovery-focused relationships with each individual while maintaining appropriate professional and peer-support boundaries.
• Meet with individuals at the Waukesha County DHHS outpatient behavioral health clinic and in community settings, including treatment facilities, recovery housing, their homes, peer support groups, and other mutually agreed-upon locations.
• Support each individual in identifying their own recovery goals, strengths, needs, interests, barriers, and sources of support.
• Introduce individuals to the recovery community and support them in exploring recovery pathways, resources, and connections that are meaningful to them and align with their personal recovery goals.
• Assist individuals in identifying and accessing peer support groups and other recovery resources, including Alcoholics Anonymous and other community-based recovery supports based on individual choice and preference.
• When desired by the individual and appropriate to their recovery goals, attend appointments, recovery meetings, peer support groups, and other recovery-related activities with them to provide encouragement and support.
• Serve as a positive recovery role model and appropriately share lived experience to foster hope and demonstrate that recovery is possible.
• Support individuals in identifying and strengthening natural supports and developing healthy connections with peers, family members, community resources, and recovery supports of their choosing.
• Support individuals in developing practical recovery and coping skills, problem-solving strategies, self-advocacy skills, and individualized strategies for maintaining recovery.
• Assist individuals in navigating substance use treatment, behavioral health services, recovery housing, community resources, and other systems they identify as helpful to their recovery.
• Encourage and support individuals in becoming active leaders in their own recovery by promoting self-determination, informed choice, self-advocacy, and independence.
• Coordinate peer recovery services with WCS staff, Waukesha County DHHS staff, treatment providers, and other community partners as appropriate, with respect for individual choice and applicable confidentiality requirements.
• Maintain timely and accurate documentation of services, contacts, travel, outreach activities, and other required program information in accordance with WCS and Waukesha County requirements.
• Participate in staff meetings, supervision, treatment team meetings, trainings, and other meetings as required while representing the individual's goals, preferences, strengths, and recovery priorities.
• Participate periodically in community outreach activities, including health fairs, community events, recovery-focused events, and other opportunities to increase awareness of the program and available recovery supports.
• Develop and maintain knowledge of recovery resources available throughout Waukesha County and surrounding communities to provide individuals with meaningful choices and options.
• Maintain a flexible schedule based on the needs of individuals receiving services and program requirements, which may include occasional evening or community-based activities.
• Travel throughout Waukesha County and surrounding communities as necessary to provide peer recovery services and community outreach.
• Complete required WCS and DHHS training within established timelines.
• Perform other duties as assigned by the Program Manager.

Required Qualifications
• Must have a high-school diploma
• Must have a valid driver’s license, automobile, and insurance sufficient to meet agency requirements.
• Must pass a driving record background check to be eligible to drive in the community during work hours.
• Meet all the employee requirements including references, criminal background check (both WCS and DHHS), drug test, and driver’s license check.
• Program specific knowledge: (ex. AODA, mental health, youth, etc.). Examples:
o Must be certified with the State of Wisconsin for Peer Support.
o One to two years of experience as a peer support is preferred. For some contracts this may be required.
o Must have lived experience with substance use or mental health disorders and extensive understanding of the core competencies of Peer Support.
o Comprehensive understanding of substance use and mental health disorders, and knowledge of resources in the community that are available to the people served in the Peer Support Program (such as housing, employment, treatment, support with food insecurities, parenting resources, and more).
o General knowledge of psychoeducation services (providing education and resources, skills training, problem solving, social and emotional support for mental health or substance use issues), and education around medication compliance, addiction as a disease, cross addiction, and abstinence from all non-prescribed medication or mood alternating substances in recovery.
o General knowledge of supporting individuals in crisis.

Knowledge, Skills and Abilities
• Communication – Ability to provide information effectively with a diverse population - the persons we serve, the Peer Navigator, agency leadership, supervisor, colleagues, the DHHS Clinical Team and leadership, and program partners in writing and oral communications.
• Technological Aptitude – Ability to use general technological skills throughout daily job i.e., Email, Internet, company specified systems, (ex. Microsoft 365, Windows, Word, Excel).
• Managing Priorities/Deadlines – Ability to maintain schedules, meet deadlines and manage multiple projects.
• Problem-Solving Skills – Ability to think critically and be solution-oriented in a fast-paced environment and adapt to program changes and challenges. Must be able to demonstrate good judgement when faced with peers in crisis.
• Adaptability – Ability to manage change, deal with situations as they arise and work independently or as part of a team.
• Teamwork – Ability to work as a team with WCS, the WCS Peer Navigator, and the DHHS Clinical Team and participate productively and respectfully while also managing independent contributing duties and responsibilities.
• Motivation – Possess a commitment to the assigned job and assigned peers, mission, and core values of the organization while also supporting a respectful and harmonious work setting.
• Professionalism – Ability to conduct oneself with a high level of professional conduct, integrity, ethics and boundaries.
• Multicultural Sensitivity – The role involves working in the community and interacting directly with diverse populations, including peers served in the program, partners, and service providers. As such, the employee must demonstrate professionalism, respect, integrity, cultural sensitivity, and strong interpersonal skills while representing the organization in a variety of settings.
• Program Specific Knowledge, Skills and Abilities – Psychoeducation, behavior tailoring, relapse prevention planning, development of recovery action plan, recovery and/or resilience training, social support building, teaching coping skills, assistance with engaging in health/telehealth services, post-overdose outreach services to peers and their families with linkages to treatment, recovery support, harm reduction resources, psychosocial resources, communicable disease screening, and education.
• Agency Specific Knowledge, Skills and Abilities – Understanding of the agency Employment Handbook, Employee Code of Conduct, UKG (payroll system), Power DMS (required agency policies and procedures), Avatar database, SharePoint with employee resources and agency announcements and news, as well as other forms, Empathy Interviews, and admin departments.

PHYSICAL DEMANDS:
The position is not a remote position. The majority of work is performed at the DHHS Office, with some outreach required. Community-based work is required when requested by DHHS, the Peer Navigator, or the WCS Program Manager, including home visits and other community-based locations; must be able to go up and downstairs, stand, sit, and be able to get in and out and drive their own vehicle. Reasonable accommodation may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

WORK ENVIRONMENT:
Majority of work is conducted in an office environment, with office work performed at an assigned DHHS office, sitting at a desk and using the computer, as well as limited travel required for time spent in the community engaging with peers and completing required documentation for billable activities; 40 hours per week; typical work schedule is flexible depending on DHHS requirements, to include evening groups, but generally 8am-4:40pm which may include some evenings and weekend work for crisis (mostly phone, limited face-to-face contact) with all contact documented. Employee follows DHHS rules on lunch breaks. All hours worked outside normal business hours must be pre-approved by the Peer Support Program Manager.

Wisconsin Community Services, Inc. is an equal opportunity employer. All applicants will be considered for employment without attention to race, ethnicity, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, veteran or disability status.