This recruitment has been reopened for additional applicants and will remain open until filled. If you have already applied for recruitment #070-2025-3, you do not need to reapply. New applicants are encouraged to submit applications as soon as possible as this recruitment may close at any time without further notice.

Are you interested in fostering hope and inspiring people to achieve mental health recovery? If so, we have an exciting opportunity for you!

Marion County Adult Behavioral Health is looking for Peer Support Specialists to join our team. In this role, you would come alongside individuals who are diagnosed with serious and persistent mental illnesses to provide recovery-oriented supports, use your own lived experience with your mental health recovery, and encourage and support individuals to achieve their recovery goals. An ideal candidate would be motivated to support individuals enrolled in services, honor individuals’ voice and choice, and enjoy working collaboratively as a treatment team member. We provide excellent benefits, superb training, and tuition assistance.

Marion County offers a generous benefits package from health insurance to planning for retirement.

• Health, dental & vision coverage for employee and their eligible family members
• Oregon Public Retirement System (PERS) - Marion County pays 100% of PERS contribution (6% of salary)
• Deferred compensation plans
• Flexible spending account (FSA)
• Competitive salary with seven steps of 5% increases; employees are eligible for a step increase at six months and annually thereafter.
• 10 county observed holidays per year and 2 personal holidays per year.

GENERAL STATEMENT OF DUTIES
The Peer Support Specialist provides support, encouragement, and assistance to mental health individuals. The specialist will promote those activities that foster recovery and empowerment by sharing their personal experiences when appropriate, modeling self-help and wellness activities. Acts as an advocate who facilitates and connects individuals to services and activities. As a member of the treatment team the incumbent provides expertise, experience, and consultation to the team to promote a culture in which each individual's point of view and preferences are recognized, respected, and integrated into treatment.

SUPERVISION RECEIVED
Works under the close supervision of a qualified clinical supervisor who assigns work, establishes goals, and reviews the results obtained for overall effectiveness.

SUPERVISION EXERCISED
Supervision of other employees is not a responsibility of positions in this class.
Provide support, encouragement, and assistance to mental health individuals enrolled in Marion County Adult Behavioral Health (ABH) with the majority of services provided in the community (i.e., individual’s homes, hospitals, jails, licensed care, shelters, etc.).

Support Recovery

• Promote activities that foster recovery and empowerment by sharing personal experiences when appropriate, modeling self-help and wellness activities.
• Provide outreach to engage individuals and assist them in overcoming barriers to participating in services.
• Offer support to develop personal recovery and wellness goals, explore self-help strategies, review dimensions of wellness, engage in wellness activities, act as a peer advocate, and provide encouragement and hope.

Community Linkage

• Assist to link with peer and community resources to build natural supports.
• Support and assist individuals to strengthen linkages to community peer delivered services.
• Support individuals to access and acquire services related to medical, social, educational, transportation, housing, education, employment, and other applicable services.
• Provide education and/or training to assist individuals in acquiring skills that will maintain community stability and independence.
• Support individual’s personal wellness and ongoing recovery through connections in the local community.
• Provide supportive navigation, information, and coaching to connect individuals to resources. Share information regarding accessing various services and supports.
• Support individuals to develop self-help skills, social skills, and community integration.

Advocacy and Well-being

• Assist in the development of person-centered plans, including wellness and recovery goals.
• Provide expertise, experience, and consultation to the team to promote a culture where individual point of view is recognized, respected, and integrated into treatment.

Documentation

• Maintain accurate and timely documentation of clinical records in accordance with Federal, State, County, and treatment program requirements under the direction of the clinical supervisor. Meet performance expectations for time and billing standards.

Miscellaneous

• Participate fully as a member of the Marion County ABH team as a supportive, reliable, positive, collaborative, and professional team member during the development of individual treatment planning, team meetings, and crisis intervention.
• Work with a team and supervisor for clinical supervision, treatment planning, staff and departmental meetings, and trainings.
• Perform other duties as assigned by the supervisor.

Response Level 2: In the event of an emergency, employee makes a reasonable effort to report to work. Employee may be required to perform duties outside of their regularly assigned duties. Employee may be requested to work an extended or flexible schedule. Staff at this response level must complete Incident Command System 100 and 700 on-line or in-person training.
EXPERIENCE AND TRAINING
As defined by OAR 309-019-0105 (81) "Peer Support Specialist" means an individual providing peer delivered services to an individual or family member with similar life experience under the supervision of a qualified clinical supervisor and a qualified peer delivered services supervisor as resources are made available.

1. A self-identified person currently or formerly receiving mental health services; OR,
2. A self-identified person in recovery from an addiction disorder, who meets the abstinence requirements for recovering staff in alcohol and drug treatment programs.

SPECIAL REQUIREMENTS

• Applicants will be asked to discuss recovering experiences during the interview process.
• Must successfully complete a Mental Health approved peer support training program within six (6) months of hire.
• Must possess a current driver's license in the applicant's state of residence and an acceptable driving history. Marion County will obtain a copy of the driving record for all qualified applicants from Driver and Motor Vehicle Services and review the driving record according to the Marion County policy and procedure for Driving on County Business. The policy can be found at: http://apps.co.marion.or.us/APAP/.
• This position may be subject to the following: Must not be excluded from participation in the federal health care programs (Medicaid, Medicare and other federally funded programs that provide health benefits); AND must not be excluded from participating in federal procurement (Federal Acquisition Regulation) and non-procurement activities (Executive Order No. 12549).
• The finalist for this position will be required to pass a criminal history background check; however, conviction of a crime may not necessarily disqualify an individual for this position.
• This is a safety sensitive/special needs position. Final candidates selected for this position will be required to pass a pre-employment drug screen, including testing for marijuana. The Marion County Drug and Alcohol Use and Testing Policy can be found at: http://apps.co.marion.or.us/APAP/policy.aspx?p=policy&pid=518.
• This position is represented by a union.
• This is a full-time position, which is eligible for overtime.
• Typical Work Schedule: Monday - Friday, 8:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m., with flexibility depending upon the needs of the department and program.

KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS, AND ABILITIES
Understanding of approaches to support others in recovery and resiliency and demonstrates efforts at self-directed recovery.
Knowledgeable of community resources and how to connect individuals to those resources.

Ability to understand and carry out directions and instructions; ability to maintain confidentiality; interest and skill in providing services to individuals; ability to speak, read and write English; ability to provide documentation consistent with department standards for quality and timeliness; willingness to work hours conducive to reaching the identified population; ability to establish and maintain cooperative working relationships with individuals, coworkers, and other agencies.

PHYSICAL REQUIREMENTS
Operates a motor vehicle; sees using depth perception; stands; sits; moves about the work area; climbs 1 floor of stairs; lifts, pushes, pulls, and carries items weighing up to 5 lbs.; moves carts weighing up to 5 lbs.; operates a keyboard; speaks with a clear and audible voice; reads a 12 pt. font; hears a normal speech level; works in client homes or other areas exposed to dust and smoke; and may work in uneven areas.

We offer tuition assistance for employees interested in professional development.

• Up to $1,500 per year to reimburse for tuition, licensure and/or other educational expenditures. According to the Marion County policy administrative policies regarding tuition payments. The policy can be found at: Marion County Tuition Payment Policy 303