Location: Tampa, FL

Characteristics of Position:

A Peer Specialist is a paraprofessional that serves as a role model by promoting effective coping strategies based on personal experience. This position assists person's served by teaching symptom management skills, explaining rehabilitation processes and providing community support networks. Services are provided at various community-based housing units.

Core Responsibilities/Essential Functions:

• Provides orientation assistance and information about housing experience, human service and behavioral health systems.
• Assists individuals in developing their own service plan.
• Models appropriate self-help skills and shares information of how they may have overcome personal challenges to promote hope.
• Advocate for other individuals receiving services on their caseload, share wellness and relapse prevention strategies and provide practice supports to improve socialization and community life skills.
• Helps individuals advocate for themselves with providers and ensure effective two-way communications. Works with other case managers to identify community resources essential for successful community integration and stabilization. Follows up on referrals for other services and both reminds and follows-up on appointments with other organizations.
• Assist with linkage to services including accompanying the individual to services if needed.
• Assists with finding and maintain housing and employment as indicated in the service plan.
• Provide assistance aimed at supporting community functioning and independence, e.g. shopping laundry, budgeting, use of public transportation, and meeting attendance.
• Teach personal care/self-help, substance abuse recovery techniques and relapse prevention skills.
• May attend scheduled interdisciplinary team meetings or clinical supervisory sessions to discuss quality of client care.
• May lead or co-lead peer delivered service groups.
• May utilize electronic health record to document service delivery.
• Participates in "on-call" rotation for afterhours responsibilities

Pre-requisite Requirements:

• High school diploma or equivalency.
• Must possess valid Florida Driver License
• Ability to participate in crisis intervention and CPR/First Aid training and apply to work setting.
• Must be eligible for Level II background clearance.

Preferred Attributes:

• Certification as a Recovery Support Specialist (CRSS) or Recovery Peer Specialist (CRPS).

Required skills/Abilities

• Excellent verbal and written communication skills.
• Excellent interpersonal and customer service skills.
• Excellent organizational skills and attention to detail.

ACTS is a Drug-free workplace