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ACT Team Peer Support Specialist

Employer
City Of Alexandria Virginia
Location
Alexandria, VA
Salary
$49,837.32 - $66,758.12 Annually
Closing date
Jul 7, 2022

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Job Details

Assertive Community Treatment (ACT) Team

Peer Support Specialist

The City of Alexandria is located in northern Virginia and is bordered by the District of Columbia (Potomac River), Arlington and Fairfax counties. With a population of approximately 150,000 and a land area of 15.75 square miles, Alexandria is the seventh largest city in the Commonwealth of Virginia. Alexandria has a charming waterfront and is a unique and historic place to live and work. If you are interested in working for the vibrant City of Alexandria, we invite qualified candidates to apply for our Peer Support Specialist position on the Assertive Community Treatment (ACT) Team.

An Overview

A Peer Support Specialist provides peer support services to individuals with a serious mental illness or co-occurring mental illness and substance abuse disorders; provides motivational support to begin the process of understanding recovery and stages of change; assists clients, staff and others understand appropriate supportive responses, wellness measures, and the overall recovery process; offers assistance with advocacy and psychosocial rehabilitation to improve community integration.

What You Should Bring

The Peer Support Specialist will have some experience providing services to individuals who have had a serious mental illness or co-occurring mental illness and substance abuse disorders. Peer Support Specialist will be grounded in consumer values, empowerment, and self-determination and have knowledge of peer support, WRAP, integrated treatment for individuals who have a serious mental illness and/or co-occurring mental health and substance abuse disorders; knowledge of community resources, and ability to access these services; ability to establish and maintain effective working relationships with clients and their families; and the ability to communicate clearly and effectively both orally and in writing.

The Opportunity
  • Teach and support the acquisition and utilization of skills needed to facilitate individual recovery;
  • Facilitates development of Wellness Recovery Action Plans and other self-help recovery tools and support networks;
  • Helps clients understand how to utilize community resources in the recovery process;
  • Facilitates a monthly family support group;
  • Assists, when appropriate, family members and others to understand possible warning
    signs and triggers, appropriate supportive responses, wellness measures, and the
    overall recovery process;
  • Models coping techniques and self-help strategies and reinforces the potential for recovery;
  • Facilitates peer support groups;
  • Assists clients in planning recreational and educational activities;
  • Participates in treatment team meetings;
  • Performs other duties as assigned.

About the Department

The Center for Adult Services (CAS) provides programs and services in Aging; Adult Protective Services; Clinical & Emergency Services; and Community & Residential Support Services for seniors and for persons with mental illness, intellectual disabilities and substance use disorders. CAS provides compassionate and effective person-centered services based on best practices. Our teams support self-determination, safety and recovery for Alexandria residents affected by abuse, neglect, mental illness, intellectual disabilities and substance abuse disorders.

Minimum & Additional Requirements

High School Diploma or GED; one year of specialized training in psychology, rehabilitation, a vocational specialty or related human service field; one year of experience working with clients in vocational placement or training; and possession of a valid driver's license issued by state of their residence.

Preferred Qualifications

Possession of a Bachelor’s degree in a human service field; at least one year of experience working with individuals with a mental illness or co-occurring mental illness and substance abuse disorders; Certified Peer Specialist and 1 year of experience providing mental health services under supervision of a qualified mental health professional. Possession of a Bachelor’s degree in a human service field; At least one year of experience working with individuals with a mental illness or co-occurring mental illness and substance abuse disorders. or equivalent training; At least one year of experience working with individuals who have been homeless. Certified Peer Specialist. At least one year of experience providing peer support services to clients with co-occurring disorders. At least one year of e xperience as a current or former recipient of mental health services which may include co-occurring substance abuse treatment and a willingness to acknowledge this experience to consumers and others, as appropriate. Have personal experience and knowledge of recovery.

Company

The City of Alexandria is an award-winning, innovative, and progressive local government that brings together elected leaders, residents, businesses, and staff to foster a thriving community.  We are an independent, full-service city, providing the services typically operated by both counties and cities in areas such as public safety, transportation, human services, parks and recreation, planning, and administration. We offer a wide range of exciting career opportunities in a variety of fields, with the resources and expertise to succeed.  In Alexandria, employees are our most important asset, and we work hard to create and support a culture that delivers excellence through the shared values of respect, integrity, teamwork and continuous improvement.

Our employees have access to excellent medical, dental, vision, life insurance and other benefits.  Alexandria provides a defined-benefit pension and offers six weeks of paid parental leave to employees who become parents through birth, adoption or foster care.

We offer a robust wellness program, interdepartmental rotation program, tuition assistance funding and professional development program that helps employees obtain the knowledge, skills, qualifications and experience to enhance their professional and personal growth.

With a population of approximately 160,000 and a land area of 16 square miles, Alexandria is the seventh largest city in the Commonwealth of Virginia. Located on the Potomac River across from Washington, D.C., Alexandria is known for its beautifully preserved 18th- and 19th-century architecture, charming waterfront, high-tech economy, vibrant retail and restaurant corridors and diverse neighborhoods. We are a unique and historic community, and we continue to innovate for the 21st century.

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