Senior Certified Peer Support Specialist - Family Advocate at County of Riverside in Banning, California

Job Description:

ABOUT THE POSITION

The Riverside University Health System's Behavioral Health Department is seeking aSenior Certified Peer Support Specialist Family Advocate. This postingwill be used to fill current and future vacancies foropen positionsthroughout multiple locations across Riverside County. This posting is for Mid County and Desert Region applicants.

Consumer:Has personal recovery experience from mental health or substance abuse, for at least 1 year.

In order to be considered, candidates must be able to share personal experiences with others.

HOW IT WORKS
- Applicants will answer questions about personal experience, work experience, andqualifications.
- The most competitive applicants (based on specialized skills) will be referred
for interviews.
- Applicants will receive email notification once their application is no longer being
considered due to Candidate Pool expiration.

Some positions may require a law enforcement background investigation which requires completion of an extensive questionnaire, meeting with a background investigator, and submitting several references.

Competitive candidates will possess current or previous experience as a consumer of mental health or substance recovery services.

Under direction, provides the highest level of information, support and assistance and advocacy for consumers of behavioral health and/or substance abuse services; provides feedback and perspective to the behavioral health system relative to the impact and effectiveness of the services provided; provides specialized training and work direction to other Certified Peer Support Specialists; performs other related duties as required.

The Senior Certified Peer Support Specialist is the advanced level classification performing the highest level of assignments in the Behavioral Health Certified Peer Support Specialist series, and reports directly to a Peer Services Program Manager; teams with behavioral health professionals in the provision of consumer treatment, directly assisting consumers, families and caregivers in the utilization of appropriate community resources; provides education and information to consumers and the community; provides a unique consumer perspective to the behavioral health team and may act in a leadership capacity.

Incumbents provide a full range of information, training, support, encouragement, advocacy, service effectiveness assessment, and related services in order to assist the consumer in coping with immediate situations. The consumer perspective is provided in the development of programs and services and in formulation of treatment strategies. Incumbents do not attempt to modify or change the consumer's personality structure. The Peer Support Specialist series differs from those in the Clinical Therapist series in that the latter, due to advanced education and experience, use independent judgment in making diagnoses, developing treatment plans and providing a wide range and variety of behavioral health services including psychotherapy. The Peer Support Specialist series differs from the Behavioral Health Specialist series in that the latter does not require the unique experience of having been the recipient or having been closely associated with the direct recipient of behavioral health services.

Medi-Cal Peer Support Certificateor out of state certificate must be uploaded with yourresume.

Schedule: Schedules vary depending on clinic/department needs.

Driver's License Required

Salary pending on experience

"Applications will be reviewed in the order of when it was received "

EXAMPLES OF ESSENTIAL DUTIES
• Provide meaningful self-disclosure of personal lived experience of behavioral health-related or substance abuse-related recovery and resiliency to the people served in the system of care and the peer employees train, support and mentor (required by State Certification)

• Act as a resource person for and assist in the training, work assignment and supervision of other peer specialists.

• Provide guidance and leadership in the solution of the most complex consumer service and case related situations.

• Inform, train, support, and empower consumers, families and caregivers who directly or indirectly receive behavioral health services.

• Communicate, represent and promote the consumer, families and caregivers' perspective within the behavioral health system.

• Develop and co-facilitate self-help groups for consumers, youth, family members, and caregivers.

• Attend, participate and take a leadership role in special events, conferences, workshops, and trainings within the behavioral health system and in the community.

• Develop and promote activities, programs and resources which support consumers, families and caregivers in achieving their goals.

• Support the appropriate recognition, acceptance and understanding of social and cultural factors in the provision of behavioral health services.

• Develop effective personal and departmental working relationships with agencies and organizations to advocate for consumer, family and caregiver empowerment.

• Help prepare and support consumers and families/caregivers at consumer progress consultation meetings and at a variety of formal and informal hearings.

• Help consumers and those who support them to articulate their needs.

• Focus on and is sensitive to consumer, family and caregiver satisfaction with the services received and general satisfaction with behavioral health services; investigate the most sensitive complaints.

• Assist and promote consumers and those who support them in support networks and activities.

• Document all activities as required.

MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS
Education: Possession of a high school diploma, G.E.D. equivalency or high school proficiency certificate is required.

Experience: Depending on the assignment, current or previous recovery experience as a consumer of behavioral health and/or substance abuse services or as a family member/caregiver of a former or current behavioral health consumer.

AND

One year as a Medi-Cal Certified Peer Support Specialist, or an out of state peer support certification holder with two (2) years of direct full time peer support work experience, with the understanding that Medi-Cal Peer Support Specialist Certification is required within six (6) months of the employment start date.

Knowledge of: The basic principles and practices of leadership and training; the needs and difficulties faced by clients, caregivers and families of behavioral health and/or substance abuse consumers; the public and/or private agency services available for families, children and adults with serious behavioral health needs, such as schools, social services and other systems; the self-help and consumer oriented treatment models; methods to effectively communicate with consumers, families and caregivers, the community, and the behavioral health treatment team.

Ability to: Act in a lead capacity; understand the principles of the behavioral health system and effectively work within the system; effectively represent and advocate for the consumer perspective within the community and behavioral health system; understand and articulate the cultural and social factors affecting behavior patterns; effectively communicate the workings of the behavioral health system to service consumers, parents, family members, and caregivers; develop and maintain strong working relationships with a wide range of community agencies and organizations; obtain and record accurate information for case documentation and other reports.

SUPPLEMENTAL INFORMATION

Veterans' Preference

The County has a Veterans Preference Policy. Upload a copy of your (or your spouse's) Member-4 Form DD-214 (or NGB-22) indicating dates of service, and a copy of your spouse's letter of disability (if applicable) with your application. For privacy reasons, it is recommended that you remove your social security information from the document(s). A Human Resources Representative will review the materials and determine if you qualify for veterans' preference. See the policy here: https://www.rivcocob.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/07/C-3-Veterans-Preference-Program.pdf

Reasonable Accommodations The County of Riverside is committed to providing reasonable accommodation to applicants as required by the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and Fair Employment and Housing Act (FEHA). Qualified individuals with disabilities who need a reasonable accommodation during the application or selection process should contact the recruiter for the position noted above. For additional information and/or to obtain the appropriate form for requesting a reasonable accommodation, please visit the Disability Access Office web page located at: http://dao.rc-hr.com/.

Application Period

BASED ON THE NUMBER OF APPLICATIONS RECEIVED, THIS POSTING MAY CLOSE WITHOUT NOTICE.

Applications received prior to the closing date will be considered based on the information submitted. Changes or alterations cannot be accepted. All applicants must submit a complete application by the deadline. No late applications will be permitted.

Include relevant work experience details on resume and/or application.

Applicants who fail to provide information demonstrating they possess the position requirements may not be considered further in the application process. A description of job duties directly copied from the job classification or job posting will not be considered.

Upload a copy of any license(s), official/unofficial transcript(s), degrees, and/or related employment documents to your NeoGov account. If your education was completed outside of the United States, you will need to provide a copy of your Foreign Education Equivalency evaluation from a member of the National Association of Credential Evaluation Services (NACES) or Association of International Credential Evaluators, Inc. (AICE).

What's Next?

This recruitment is open to all applicants.

Applicants who are current County of Riverside employees and/or current employees of the Riverside University Health System (RUHS) may be considered before other applicants depending on the volume of applications received.

These applicants will be considered before other applicants depending on the volume of applications received.

Qualified applicants may be considered for future vacancies throughout the County.

For specific questions regarding this position, please contact Bruce Johnson by e-mail at BruJohnson@rivco.org

GENERAL APPLICATION INFORMATION:

Please read and follow any special application instructions on this posting. Click the 'Apply' link located on this page to submit your application. For instructions on the application process, examinations, Veteran's preference, pre-employment accommodation or other employment questions, please refer to our web site, www.rc-hr.com . A pre-employment physical examination and background check may be required.

MEDICAL/DENTAL/VISION INSURANCE: A choice of different medical, dental and visions plan are available to elect. The County provides a Flexible Benefit Credit contribution as governed by the applicable LIUNA Memorandum of Understanding to contribute towards the cost of these plans.

Note: Employees on assignment through the Temporary Assignment Program (TAP) receive different benefits. See the list here .
MISCELLANEOUS RETIREMENT: County of Riverside has three retirement Tiers through the California Public Employees' Retirement System (CalPERS).

• 
  Tier I (Classic Member - Formula 3% @ 60): Applicable to current and former County of Riverside local miscellaneous employees hired prior to 08/24/2012 and did not withdraw CalPERS contributions. The employee contribution is eight (8%) percent.


• 
  Tier II (Classic Member - Formula 2% @ 60): Applicable to local miscellaneous employees 1) hired after 08/23/2012 through 12/31/2012; 2) Previously employed with another CalPERS contracting public agency or a reciprocal retirement system, with a break in service of less than six months between the separation date with the previous employer and the appointment date with the County of Riverside. The employee contribution is seven (7%) percent.


• 
  Tier III (PEPRA New Member - Formula 2% @ 62): Applicable to CalPERS local miscellaneous new members hired on or after the implementation of the Public Employees' Pension Reform Act of 2013 (PEPRA) which took effect January 1, 2013. Effective July 1, 2023 employee contributions are 7.25% and will increase to 7.75% effective July 1, 2024.
  

A new member is defined as any of the following:

A new hire who enters CalPERS membership for the first time on or after January 1, 2013, and who has no prior membership in any California Public Retirement System.

A new hire who enters CalPERS membership for the first time on or after January 1, 2013, and who was a member with another California Public Retirement System prior to that date, but who is not subject to reciprocity upon joining CalPERS.

A member who first established CalPERS membership prior to January 1, 2013, and who is rehired by a different CalPERS agency after a break in service of greater than six (6) months.

CalPERS refers to all members that do not fit within the definition of a new member as "classic members".

Contribution rates are subject to change based on the County of Riverside annual actuarial valuation.

Note:

This summary is for general information purposes only. Additional questions regarding retirement formulas can be sent to retirement@rivco.org or by calling the Benefits Information Line at (951) 955-4981,
Option 2.

If you have prior service credit with another CalPERS agency or within agencies, please contact CalPERS at (888) 225-7377 to determine which retirement tier would be applicable to you. CalPERS is governed by the Public Employees' Retirement Law. The Retirement Law is complex and subject to change. If there's any conflict between this summary and the law, the law will prevail over this summary.
DEFERRED COMPENSATION: Voluntary employee contribution with a choice between two 457 deferred compensation plan options.

VACATION ACCRUAL (Bi-Weekly Accrual):

0< 3 year = 80 Hours (10 Days)
4< 9 years = 120 Hours (15 Days)
10 or more years = 160 Hours (20 Days)

Maximum Vacation leave accumulation is 480 hours.

SICK LEAVE: Four (4) hours Sick Leave accrual per pay period with unlimited accrual.

HOLIDAYS: Normally 12 paid holidays per year

BEREAVEMENT LEAVE: Allowed 5 days (3 days are County paid; 2 additional days can be taken from accrued Sick Leave balance)

BASIC LIFE INSURANCE: Equal to one times annual base salary not to exceed $50,000 of term life coverage. Premiums are paid by the County. Additional Supplemental Life plan is available for employee purchase.

DISABILITY: Short-term Disability benefit pays up to a maximum of $461.54 weekly, payable up to a maximum of 52 weeks.

POST RETIREMENT MEDICAL CONTRIBUTION: A monthly contribution is made by the County towards retiree health insurance offered through the County as governed by the applicable Memorandum of Understanding.

OTHER: There may be other benefit provisions as specified in the applicable Memorandum of Understanding. Please contact the recruiter listed on the job posting directly for more information.

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