Peer Specialist I - Center of Excellence (COE)

at  UPMC

The Center of Excellence (COE) is in search of a Peer Specialist I to join the team! The vision of the Center of Excellence (COE) is to ensure effective care coordination, integrating physical and behavioral health needs for every patient with an opiate use disorder and increasing access to medication assisted therapy (MAT).
Peer Specialists I are individuals with lived experience who provide non-clinical support as a fully integrated treatment team member and educator for staff. Peer Specialists I are role models of recovery values and principles by helping to identify and remove barriers and triggers to treatment for individuals receiving services from inpatient or outpatient programs.

• Provide feedback as appropriate to client, family members, and clinical staff
• Assist clients/patients in recovery management including identifying recovery goals, barriers to achieving goals, and strategies to meeting goals
• Assist clients/patients in identifying natural supports and resources in the community and educate individuals on how to utilize them in the recovery process
• Advocate for clients/patients by actively participating in staff meetings, treatment team meetings, etc. and appropriately voicing the clients’/patients’ viewpoint and recovery goals while maintaining alignment with the team.
• Accompany clients/patients to various community engagement and reintegration activities as appropriate; provide follow-up services to clients/patients in a 1:1 or group setting, by phone, virtually, or by mobile visits; facilitate recovery and wellness related groups; provide individual support
• Monitor progress with completing goals and provide feedback as appropriate to clients’/patients’, family members, and clinical staff.
• Utilize crisis support to help individuals develop and use action plans for prevention and recovery, wellness recovery action plans, mental health advanced directives, and other crisis and crisis prevention plans
• Maintain all required paperwork and documentation in a timely manner, as directed by Supervisor.
• High School Diploma or equivalent.
• Certified Peer Specialist or Certified Recovery Specialist certification is preferred.
• Have lived experience in one or more of the following areas: mental health, substance use disorder, the recovery process, and willing to share experiences to the benefit of clients/patients served.
• Progressed in own recovery (a minimum of two (2) years of sobriety/recovery) and have basic understanding of the recovery principles: Hope, Personal Responsibility, Empowerment Skills, Self-Advocacy, Educational Opportunities, and the importance of using personal and community Supports.
• Able to articulate to clients/patients, families, and to interested stakeholders that peer support is a non-clinical service to promote recovery and wellness.
• Basic understanding of mental health, wellness, and resiliency.
• Familiar with Office 365 e.g., Microsoft Word, Outlook.
• Experience with assessments and knowledge of local resources is preferred
• Proficiency in medical record documenting is preferred.