PEER NAVIGATOR - SART **20hrs/week**

**Work Schedule is Friday 9:00am-1:00pm, Saturday 10:00am-7:30pm, Sunday 10:00am-7:30pm (Flexible). Candidates with ability to balance own journey to recovery to those of individuals we serve are preferred. Experience as a mental health consumer or family member required for the position.**

Pay rates for Union positions are set in the Collective Bargaining Agreement with SEIU Local 521. Each position has a total of six steps, Step 1 (entry level) through Step 6 (15 years of employment with the organization). Union staff are promoted from Step 1 to Step 2 upon their one-year anniversary. The current Step 1 rate for this position is $29.14/hr, and the current Step 6 rate for this position is $32.17/hr.

Shift Differential (only for positions that have non-business hour shifts)

** In addition to our competitive salaries, we pay a shift differential for certain shifts in our 24-hour programs as follows: (Only 1 differential -whichever is highest will apply at a time).

• 6.25% additional pay for overnight (NOC) shift from 11 pm to 7 am
• 4.75% additional pay for evening shift from 5:30 pm to 10:59 pm
• 4.75% additional pay for weekend shifts from 12:01 am on Saturday thru 11:59pm on Sunday

The Peer Navigator provides support, wellness and recovery services to clients and their support networks in the community.  Peer Navigator is an entry level, unlicensed paraprofessional who has experience navigating the mental health system.  The Peer Navigator will receive close supervision and is expected to develop best-practice wellness and recovery skills and techniques through experience and on-the-job training and instruction. 

PRINCIPAL DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES:

1. Assist clients in navigation of the mental health system, referral to various county agencies, community mental health organizations, accessing benefits, personal medical services, social and recreational opportunities, special events, conferences, workshops and training.*
   • Establish links and working relationships with appropriate service providers, community agencies, and educational institutions.
   • Encourage families to make use of all of their identified resources.
   • Assist in a variety of support activities including client support groups and client recovery.
   • Provide client assistance and mentoring on a one-to-one basis.*
2. Establish a comfortable working relationship with all of the program participants (clients) and their families at the time of client enrollment.*
3. Act as a liaison/advocate to ensure that the collaborative networks in the community are providing services in a respectful, user friendly and welcoming way.
   • Communicate, represent and promote the client perspective within the mental health system.
   • Assist the multidisciplinary team in identifying the strengths and needs of the community networks.
   • Advocate for clients in a strength-based wellness and recovery plan.
   • Develop effective working relationships with agencies and organizations to advocate for consumer and family/caregiver empowerment including self-help and wellness/recovery movements.
   • Advocate that clients’ needs are met by appropriate caregivers.
   • Attend case conferences.
4. Promote wellness, recovery and support networks.*
5. Provide outreach to clients in the community.*
6. Confer with program staff and professional staff to assist in evaluating client needs or problems.
7. Work a flexible schedule as required by responsibilities of the position.
8. Attend and participate in staff, program, agency and community meetings, as required, requested or assigned.
9. Provide backup support for crises.*
10. Complete documentation and maintain clients’ files in accordance with program policies and funding source requirements.*
11. Provide transportation in personal or agency vehicles including, but not limited to, the transportation of clients and/or program supplies for agency business.*
12. Perform related work as assigned.

KNOWLEDGE, SKILL AND ABILITIES REQUIRED:  (E = Essential; D = Desired)

1. High School diploma, GED, or equivalent education. (E) Personal experience in a mental health setting preferred. (D) Human services experience such as facilitating groups; developing consumer-run, self-help activities; providing peer support. (D)
2. Personal experience receiving mental health services and willingness to share that perspective with others within the context of providing peer support. (E)
3. Proven problem-solving skills and abilities. (E)
4. Ability to manage multiple tasks and demands. (E)
5. Ability to engage and communicate effectively (E)
6. Demonstrated ability to:
   • Work independently and in a small team environment; (E)
   • Engage and communicate effectively with others in both verbal and written English; (E)
   • Monitor and support developmental growth and the recovery process; (E)
   • Employ tact and diplomacy, exercise good judgment, and act calmly in emergency situations; (E)
   • Work from a strengths-based, harm-reduction, social rehabilitation model; (E)
   • Work effectively with persons differing in value systems, ethnicity, cultural backgrounds, language capabilities and disabilities. (E)
7. Work collaboratively with individuals identified as those with serious mental illness who meet the following criteria: histories of hospitalization, institutionalization, substance abuse, low engagement in medication treatment, and difficulty in participating in structured activities and living independently. (E)
8. Work with populations identified as high risk and/or considered under-represented in the County Mental Health system, with multiple barriers. (E)
9. Knowledge of:
   • Specific needs of the target population, as well as serious mental illness, substance abuse, other dual diagnoses, homelessness and the justice system; (D)
   • Mental Health Services Act (MHSA); (D)
   • Wellness Recovery Action Plan (WRAP), or willing to learn; (D)
   • Community resources, including those required to meet the non-mental health needs of the target population. (D)
10. Exhibit exemplary customer service, compassion, and care in the execution of all duties and interactions. (E)
11. Special Requirements: None
12. Physical requirements needed to perform the essential functions of this job in day-to-day performance of the duties of this position, with or without accommodation:
    • Hearing and talking on telephone and in person (over 2/3 of the workday); (E)
    • Standing, walking, sitting, pinching and finger flexion are required constantly (over 2/3 of the workday); (E)
    • Lifting, carrying, pushing, pulling, bending, stooping, crouching, kneeling and twisting are required occasionally (under 1/3 of the workday); (E)
    • Balancing, climbing and crawling are generally not required.