Peer Counselor (Peer Transition Team) in San Francisco, California at Richmond Area Multi-Servi

Richmond Area Multi-Services, Inc. (RAMS) is a private, non-profit comprehensive mental health agency that is committed to providing community-based, culturally responsive, and consumer-driven services that meet the behavioral health, social, vocational, and educational needs of the diverse community of the San Francisco Area. At the forefront of the peer provider profession, RAMS offers culturally congruent peer counseling & support, outreach, resource linkage, and education & training throughout San Francisco. Peer providers are also engaged in workforce & professional development activities and engage in behavioral health wellness promotion & outreach. RAMS programs uphold principles of wellness and recovery with an approach that is strengths-based and promotes a sense of empowerment, self-direction, and hope.

Job Overview: The Peer Counselor, working as part of the RAMS Peer Transition Team—initially a Mental Health Services Act Innovations Project launched in 2019, now a fully funded ongoing program—specializes in providing peer counseling & transition support services to clients moving towards exiting intensive case management (ICM) wraparound services throughout the SFDPH Behavioral Health Services (BHS) System of Care, and transitioning to the appointment-based outpatient (OP) level of care.

The Peer Transition Team received the 2023 Mental Health Services Act Team of the Year Award for the City & County of San Francisco for their role in significantly increasing the percentage of clients staying connected to care & treatment when stepping down from ICM level of care to OP level of care.

Essential Job Duties include, but are not limited to:

• Maintain a client caseload and provide culturally responsive peer counseling services, resource linkage, case management, and skill-building for clients 18+ years of age stepping down from ICM services to appt.-based OP services
• Work cohesively within a diverse team consisting of other Peer Counselors, a RAMS Peer Supervisor, and ICM and OP case managers and clinicians throughout BHS, while demonstrating professional independence in providing quality services for clients served
• Engage clients who are exiting intensive case management services and experiencing mental health challenges, polysubstance use, poverty, homelessness, involvement with criminal justice system, chronic health challenges, and/or other barriers to stability, by utilizing supportive peer counseling, harm reduction strategies, and community resource linkage to assist them in their transition from intensive mental health services into appointment-based outpatient mental health services, while increasing clients’ social and community connections, as appropriate
• Assist clients in becoming familiar with their new mental health providers as well as accessing, navigating, and following up on the use of resources in the community including, but not limited to: medical services, transportation, housing, food assistance, gender-specific services, LGBTQ+ services, vocational services, education and employment programs, socialization, decision-making, legal assistance, immigration services, cultural adjustment, assistive technology, public benefits programs, and any other services that may support the client in their transition to less intensive, appointment-based outpatient services.
• Act as a liaison and facilitate connections with service providers and other related services as required by client’s transition plan to less intensive services. This may include attending planning meetings, preparing necessary documentation and reports, assisting with client referrals and conducting regular communication with ICM and OP clinic personnel as appropriate
• Appropriately seek assistance and guidance when developing a plan of action with clients, consulting with cross-functional staff as needed to determine best course.
• Continue building relationships with the different SFDPH funded Intensive Case Management programs and Outpatient Clinics through regular outreach and site visits; integrating seamless transition services taking into account the different needs of the programs and adapting as needed
• Maintain timely administrative and service documentation and records related to client care and program-related monitoring, in accordance to standards specified by RAMS policies and oversight agencies (e.g. DPH, etc.)
• Document in the Electronic Health Record (Epic or Salesforce database), use HIPAA-protected app based communication software (i.e. zoom), and train on other electronic platforms as required.
• Participate in supervision meetings, case conferences, staff meetings, in-service training and other staff development activities
• Must be able to travel on public transportation throughout the City of San Francisco (at least 75% of work time)
• Perform other duties as assigned

Minimum Required Qualifications:

• At least a High School Diploma, required. Associate of Arts (AA) degree or higher from an accredited institution, very strongly preferred
• At least 2-3 years of direct personal “lived” experience with the community behavioral health system, preferably in San Francisco
• At least 1-2 years of peer counseling or related experience, particularly working with diverse clients
• Completion of an approved Medi-Cal Peer Support Specialist training program
• Certification as a Medi-Cal Peer Support Specialist in California

Other Preferred Qualifications:

• Proficient in providing culturally responsive services in one or more county threshold languages a plus, due to the populations served
• Familiarity with community behavioral health systems of care in San Francisco, including the philosophy of care, levels of care for clinical services, and the delivery of such services
• Knowledge with service delivery documentation and HIPAA standards
• Demonstrated knowledge of Wellness & Recovery Principles, Harm Reduction, Wellness-Recovery Action Plan (WRAP), Seeking Safety skills, motivational interviewing concepts, crisis planning, and more
• Ability to prioritize, multitask, and perform & complete duties with minimal supervision, both independently and as part of a team
• Strong interpersonal skills and ability to work effectively, function independently, and interact professionally with a diverse, multi-cultural, and interdisciplinary staff of all levels
• Strong commitment to the philosophy, goals, & mission of RAMS in providing community-based, culturally competent, and consumer-guided mental health services to the community and engaging in professional development activities such as trainings, continuing education seminars, case conferences, and reviewing up-to-date material, etc., as related to treatment strategies for the communities served by DPH-BHS