Lead Peer Specialist (Mental Health Services)

Schedule: Mon-Fri 10am- 6 pm

Salary: $52,620/ year

New Hire Sign on Bonus:$2000; $666 upon completion of 30 days, $666 upon completion of 6 months, $668 upon completion of 9 months

The ACCS Lead Peer Specialist provides leadership to team members with lived experience in order to promote the functioning and full integration of adults receiving psychiatric rehabilitation services into their communities. As an ACCS Lead Peer Specialist you ensure that each Persons Served will receive relevant and well suited services that they need by acting a liaison between team Peer Specialists and other clinical team members. In this role you will also provide leadership through new staff orientation, training and supervision to ensure that quality of services is maintained.

In this role you will draw upon your own personal experiences with recovery in order to successfully build skills needed for independency. Responsibilities will include:

• Join with Team LPHA Clinicians to initiate and conduct intake process for all referred Persons Served. Focus on welcoming, orienting and engaging PS to support his/her understanding of services and support available. Build a trusting relationship to promote the PS interest and active involvement in ACCS. When needed, work with PS on readiness for goal setting using established protocols. Help person complete 8 Dimensions of Wellness Assessment and Power Statement at intake.
• Share personal experiences; provide support, education and advocacy to PS; especially at times of service and life transitions; for example being discharged from a hospital, detoxification unit or respite setting, moving to their own apartment, or when facing life stage challenges -- particularly for young adults and elders.
• Introduce and provide "warm hand off" for PS to other Team Peer Specialists for future work together.
• Maintain close contact with PS who struggle with initial or sustained engagement in ACCS.
• Provide support, education and advocacy to PS, especially at times of service and life transitions; for example being discharged from a hospital, detoxification unit or respite setting, moving to their own apartment, or when facing life stage challenges -- particularly for young adults and elders.

Response to Covid-19

Vinfen continues to follow the guidelines determined by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the Massachusetts Department of Public Health, and the Connecticut Department of Public Health. Vinfen leadership along with Vinfen's medical staff are closely monitoring the pandemic on a daily basis and make decisions that are best for the safety and well-being of the Vinfen community.

Our response to promote safety during the coronavirus includes:

• Hiring process conducted via virtual and phone interviews
• Virtual New Employee Orientation and Virtual Training
• Laptop and iPhone provided for eligible positions
• Increased sanitation measures in all programs and group homes
• Weekly virtual wellness and virtual group gatherings scheduled to maintain sense of community with team members
• PPE provided to all positions working closely with others

Why Vinfen? We are committed to you! We offer great training, great benefits, career growth and job security!

Our comprehensive and generous benefits package includes:

• A fully funded, employer-sponsored retirement plan that requires no employee contribution as well as an employee-funded 403(b) plan
• First-rate Medical, Dental and Vision plans that are open all employees scheduled to work 30 hours per week or more. Plus, we offer a generous employer contribution toward the cost of medical insurance!
• Employer-paid Life, Accidental Death & Dismemberment and Long-Term Disability Insurance (no cost to you!)
• Employer-paid Short-Term Disability Insurance along with the option to purchase additional, voluntary, Short-Term disability insurance
• Flexible Spending Reimbursement Accounts (Health and Dependent care)
• Voluntary Term, Whole Life, Accident and Critical Care Insurance
• Generous paid time off (Employees scheduled to work 20 hours or more per week):
• 15 days of Vacation per year
• 11 Paid Holidays
• 10 Sick Days per year
• 3 Personal Days per year
• Educational Assistance and Remission Programs
• $500 Employee Referral Bonus with no annual cap!
• Other generous benefits including discounted YMCA memberships, access to discounted movie tickets and more!

Founded in 1977, for 40 years Vinfen has been a leading nonprofit human services organization that "transforms lives" by building the capacity of individuals, families, organizations and communities to learn, thrive and achieve their goals. Vinfen supports thousands of adolescents and adults with psychiatric, developmental and behavioral disabilities at more than 200 sites with 2,800 employees in eastern Massachusetts and Connecticut. www.vinfen.org/careers

My Job. My Community. My Vinfen

Vinfen is an Equal Opportunity Employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, pregnancy, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, age, protected veteran status, or disability status.

Keywords: Peer Specialist, PeerSpecialist, CPS, advocacy, peer support, PeerSupport, VinfenPS

• Bachelor's degree from accredited school or Associate's degree required. In some cases, experience may be substituted for academic training.
• One to three years experience providing peer support to people with psychiatric disability and/or co-occurring disorders required.
• Experience as a recipient of services for people with psychiatric conditions preferred; must be well along in own personal recovery (self-knowledge and habits needed to support one's own health).
• Must become a Certified Peer Specialist within one year of hire.
• Access to an operational and insured vehicle and willingness to use it to transport PS preferred. Travel to PS homes, group living environments, supported independent environments and community locations required.
• Job sharing of positions is acceptable and can be recommended for someone looking for part-time employment.
• Preference given to bilingual/bicultural applicants.
• All candidates for this position must be a least 21 years of age and be able to pass a CORI, driving record, reference, educational and professional licensure check as well as a multi-state background check.
• All applicants must be able to become CPR, First Aid certified within 2 weeks of employment