Kitsap Mental Health Services Careers

Bilingual Youth Peer Specialist – WISe Team

Hiring Range: $20.07 - $24.58 Per Hour

WISe Team Members Earn An Additional $2.00/Hour Differential!

Speech and writing fluency in both English and Spanish Required

Benefits: 

• Comprehensive and generous health, dental, and vision benefits
• Up to 19 days of PTO, 2 mental health days, and 10 paid holidays your first year (pro-rated for part-time)
• Company-paid short-term disability, long-term disability, and life insurance
• Student loan payment assistance and extensive training
• An incredible team approach that is dynamic and collaborative

General Summary of Duties: The Youth Peer Specialist (YPS) supports youth and families that have serious emotional disturbance in identifying goals that promote recovery and resiliency. Improve the operations of KMHS in support of its stated mission. Provides peer support services with WISe team staff and assist them in building a network of support. Empower families by assisting in skill-building and instilling hope.

The Youth Peer Specialist (YPS) demonstrates recovery and serve as an ambassador providing guidance and advocacy to child and family service systems.

Major Responsibilities/Tasks:

• Draw on common experiences as a peer to validate clients' experience and to provide guidance and encouragement for clients to take responsibility and participate in their recovery.  Promote hope and empowerment designed to help clients attain recovery goals and maintain the highest possible independence level, even during periods of instability. 
• Activities of Daily Living Services: Provides ongoing assessment, problem-solving, side-by-side services, skill teaching, support, and environmental adaptations to assist clients with daily living activities.  Assists and supports clients with personal hygiene and grooming tasks.  Provide nutrition education. Assists and supports clients to have and effectively use a personal primary care physician, dentist, and other medical specialists as required.
• Social and Interpersonal Relationships and Leisure Time: Provides side-by-side support, coaching, and encouragement to help clients socialize, going with a client to community activities, including activities offered by consumer-run peer support organizations.  Assists clients to plan and carry out leisure time activities. Organizes and leads individual and group social and recreational activities to help clients structure their time, increase social experiences, and provide opportunities to practice social skills.
• Other coaching, guidance, and transition support:  Provides transition services from hospital to community, including medication management.  Assist in providing ongoing assessment and direct services to clients, responding to such challenges as an increase in suicidality, the need for substance abuse education and treatment, and the clients' readiness for meaningful daily activity.
• Act as an interpreter to the rest of the team while providing expertise and consultation from a client perspective in areas such as symptoms, effects and side effects of medications, client opinions of treatment, and client recovery experiences.
• Help clients and staff to identify, understand, and combat stigma, discrimination and assist clients in locating self-help and consumer advocacy groups that promote recovery while acting as the liaison between the team and such groups.
• Collaborate with staff and clients on awareness of client rights, including grievance and complaint procedures; support clients with filing, mediating, and resolving complaints.
• Assist in providing ongoing assessment and direct services to clients, responding to such challenges as an increase in suicidality, the need for substance abuse education and treatment, and the clients' readiness for meaningful daily activity, including employment.
• Participate in Child and Family Team (CFT) meetings to ensure access, voice and choice within the wraparound process and to support the family’s connection to the CFT members as necessary. Support additional meeting’s as needed including Kitsap Shared Resources, Individualized Education Plan (IEP) conferences, Kitsap County Court proceedings and Family Team Decision Making (FTDM) meetings with Washington State Division of Child & Family Services (DCFS).
• Assist Care Coordinator in developing a self-directed recovery action plan using wraparound principles. Work to identify individual strengths of members, advocates for members to participate in their own support plan. Assist family members in identifying barriers to achieving the support plan.
• Provide resource referral and linkage to parents/caregivers as well as system partners in the community.
• Seek appropriate clinical supervision where necessary, particularly around boundary issues, and attend appropriate agency trainings as determined by the C&F Supervisor.
• Drive locally and regionally to transport clients and provide services in the community, as needed. 

Minimum Qualifications:

EDUCATION: High School Diploma or GED

EXPERIENCE: Experienced (minimum 2 years of job-related experience)

Experience as client involved with the mental health system as a youth

This position requires driving clients in a personal vehicle on behalf of the agency; therefore, the incumbent must successfully complete a motor vehicle history check, possess and maintain a current, valid driver's license in the state of Washington, and have reliable, insured transportation.

LICENSURE: Agency Affiliated Counselor Registration. Completion of the Washington State Mental Health Division’s Peer Counselor Training and the subsequent certification as a Peer Counselor within six months of employment.

Language: Speech and writing fluency in both English and Spanish

Preferred Qualifications:

EDUCATION: Associate’s degree (Social Work, Psychology or Behavioral Health field)

EXPERIENCE: Relevant experience working with clients with severe and persistent mental illness.

Capacity to work well with children and families.

Performance Requirements:

KNOWLEDGE:

1.                  Maintain a working knowledge of current trends in community mental health, including health care reform and automation of job tasks using computer technology.
2.                  Maintain a certification as a Child and Adolescent Needs and Strengths Assessor and administer this screening in person and over the phone as necessary to clients, caregivers, clinicians, social workers, and other community members
3.                  Maintain a working knowledge of mental health rehabilitation standards.
4.                  Working knowledge of the system of care and community resources.

SKILLS:

1.                  Skill in establishing and maintaining effective working relationships with other employees, clients, organizations, and the public.
2.                  Communication ‑ Communicates clearly and concisely.
3.                  Computer skills - The ability to operate a personal computer, fax machine, printer, and copier proficiently.

Abilities:

• Ability to maintain complete and timely documentation of clinical files and gather and maintain data information in accordance with agency policies and procedures.
• Demonstrated ability to maintain appropriate professional boundaries while working with families.
• Demonstrated ability to meet or exceed productivity standards.
• Demonstrated ability to work cooperatively and collaboratively as a team member.

Equipment Operated: Standard office equipment including computers, fax machines, copiers, printers, telephones, etc.

Work Environment: Frequent mobility and/or sitting required for extended periods.

Mental/Physical Requirements: While performing the job duties, the employee is required to walk, sit, use hands and fingers, reach with arms, talk, or listen.  Peripheral vision is also required for this position.
 

Our recruitment processes are designed to prevent discrimination against our people regardless of gender identity or orientation, religion, ethnicity, age, neurodiversity, disability status, citizenship, or any aspect which makes someone unique.