Peer Specialist – Mental Health Services Assertive Community Treatment Program

Hours: 40 hours per week; Monday - Friday, 8:30 am - 4:30 pm with occasional evening and weekend shifts required

CRF: WHY IT’S A GREAT PLACE TO WORK!

Community Research Foundation (CRF) inspires and mentors the next generation of mental health professionals! Our accredited programs reach various demographics, so you can gain experience with almost any sector of mental health services.

At CRF, we are constantly evolving and developing fresh approaches to meet the needs of San Diego County’s residents who are experiencing mental/behavioral health challenges. For you, that means that you will have opportunities to learn new ways to provide optimal supports to your clients. You will work within a collaborative, supportive team structure so that you can have fresh perspective and training. Need clinical supervision? We can help you get your hours. Best of all, you will be involved in helping people change their lives for the better!

We have strong internal advancement options, so there are opportunities for you to grow within our company. Come join us!

CRF FOLLOWS ALL COVID-19 SAFETY PROTOCOLS AND GUIDELINES AS OUTLINED

BY SAN DIEGO COUNTY, THE STATE OF CALIFORNIA, AND THE CDC.

Program Overview:

Located in San Diego, CA, the Downtown Intensive Mobile Psychosocial Assertive Community Treatment (Downtown IMPACT) program provides intensive, community-based case management services for homeless adults throughout San Diego County. We deliver fully-integrated services to clients diagnosed with a serious mental illness, as well as individuals with co-occurring, mental health, and substance disorders.

Our program utilizes the evidence-based practice of Assertive Community Treatment (ACT) to support our clients in the higher level of community care and to assist them in reaching their goals and living a life that is not dominated by mental illness. Our team is a model of care, providing treatment, rehabilitation, and case management supports.

Typical Duties of the Peer Specialist

• Acts as an ambassador to the program by welcoming, providing orientation, and engage prospective clients to the program
• Utilizes experiences as a recipient of mental health services to enhance recovery efforts of clients within the program
• Promotes and models the concept of recovery to program participants
• Serves as a member of the multidisciplinary team and shares practical insight related to illness management, life skills, and the lifelong recovery process
• Acts as an advocate for the client when appropriate
• May assist clients by driving to appointments, benefits applications, assessing social service needs

Required Skills and Qualifications

• High School diploma/GED or some college strongly preferred
• Minimum of four years of experience providing related services to the population is ideal; with Bachelor’s degree, two years’ experience is acceptable
• Experience as a person who has received mental health services or has a close family member that has received mental health services is required
• Peer Employment Training preferred; required after hire
• Previous experience working in mental health services is an advantage
• Proficiency in MS Office applications, specifically Word and Excel
• Ability to thrive in a fast-paced environment is essential
• A valid California driver's license in good standing and eligibility to be an approved CRF driver is required to fulfill the essential functions of this position. In addition, proof of insurance is required prior to driving personal vehicles on company business.
• Ability to pass criminal/background clearance

Benefits: CRF takes your dedication seriously and provides benefits to help you balance your work life and your personal life. For full-time staff (30 hours or more), we offer top-of-the-line medical insurance, dental plans, paid life insurance, vision plan, retirement benefits, and generous PTO (Paid Time Off). We also provide access to student loan repayment/forgiveness programs for graduates.

Be a part of our vibrant non-profit organization

and make a difference in the lives of the people we serve!