Peer Specialist
St Louis, MO, US, 63101-1114
St. Patrick Center provides opportunities for self-sufficiency and dignity to people who are homeless or at risk of becoming homeless. Individuals and families build permanent, positive change in their lives through safe and affordable housing, sound mental and physical health, and employment and financial stability.
Working collaboratively with individuals, businesses, government and other service providers, St. Patrick Center will end chronic homelessness in the St. Louis region through Housing First, an evidence-based practice that tells us to remove barriers, do intake and assessment early, move people into housing and offer them support to achieve their goals.
Job Summary
St. Patrick Center, a ministry of Catholic Charities, is hiring a Peer Specialist to join the Assertive Community Treatment (ACT) Program. As part of the ACT team, the Peer Specialist will provide professional and quality program services to clients served by the ACT Team. The specialist will coordinate and monitor the assessment, treatment planning process, follow-up for each client and serve as an advocate and liaison for and on behalf of client rights and benefits. The core working hours for this position are Monday through Friday, 8:00 AM-4:30 PM. The hourly wage is between $15.00 and $20.00 an hour.
Job Responsibilities
• Provide peer counseling and support to validate clients’ experiences.
• Provide clients with guidance and encouragement to take responsibility and actively participate own recovery.
• Serve as mentor to clients to promote hope and empowerment.
• Help non-mental health consumer team members, and others, as appropriate, to better understand and empathize with each client’s unique and subjective experience and perception.
• Provide expertise and consultation from a mental health consumer to entire team.
• Collaborate with team to promote team culture in which client self-determination, client decision making in treatment planning and protection of client rights are supported.
• Act as liaison and consult with community agencies and program clients to maintain coordination in treatment process.
• Collaborate with other members of ACT team during daily and weekly staff meetings.
• Assist in provision of direct clinical services to clients on individual, group, and family basis.
• Teach symptom management techniques and promote personal growth and development with mental health issues and substance use issues.
• Assist, teach and support clients with activities of daily living, vocational skills, accessing housing, maintaining financial supports and utilizing buses and other transportation in community.
• Maintain St. Patrick Center client tracking system and client files, documenting client progress to maintain Responsible for agency policy regarding work hours, building security and all written personnel standards.
• Ensure care model by interacting with all other St. Patrick Center programs.
• Attend and participate in all appropriate St. Patrick Center meetings.
• Other duties as assigned.
Job Requirements
- Minimum of High School Diploma or GED required.
- Certified as a Peer Specialist within 1 year of hire through the Department of Mental Health
- Knowledge of severe and persistent mental illness, homelessness, substance use, and co-occurring disorders required.
- Knowledge and understanding of community agencies preferred.
- Knowledge of federal, state and agency policies of client confidentiality preferred.
- Capability of partnering with and empowering clients served.
- Good communication skills
- Well versed in ethical issues in co-occurring disorders
- Counseling and crisis intervention expertise
- Self-motivation
- Respect for clients and staff
- Sensitive to cultural diversity
- Ability to work in team atmosphere.
- Moderate computer skills
- Ability to walk multiple flights of stairs.
Skills Required for Success in Job
• Requires driver’s license (MO residents require Class E)
• Requires valid and current auto insurance.
• Requires reliable vehicle.
• Work a minimum of 37.5 hours a week.
St. Patrick Center does not discriminate on the basis of handicapped status in the admission or access to, or treatment or employment in, its federally assisted programs and activities. St. Patrick Center is an Equal Opportunity Employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, gender, national origin, or disability.
Pre-Employment Screening
All candidates receiving an employment offer must submit a pre-employment screening. The screenings will include criminal background check and other background checks (as needed), Family Care Safety Registration, drug screen, and an employment and education or licensure/certification verification. Various positions will require physical examination, Tuberculosis screening and Hepatitis A. All offers are contingent upon successful completion of required screening.