Have you received mental health or substance use services and are looking for an opportunity to mentor others?

Peer Support Specialists - Care Coordination are people living in recovery with mental illness or substance use and who provide support to others whom can benefit from their lived experiences. The peer support specialist functions as a fully integrated member of the team to provide expertise about the recovery process, symptom management, and the persistence required by clients to have a satisfying life.

Peer Recovery Specialists collaborate to promote a team culture that recognizes, understands and respects each client's point of view, experiences, and preferences. The peer specialist is responsible for maximizing client choice, self-determination and decision-making in the planning, delivery, and evaluation of treatment, rehabilitation, and support services. They provide peer counseling and consultation to individual clients, families, and team staff; act as a liaison with other BRBH programs and community resources; carry out rehabilitation and support functions; assist in treatment, substance abuse services, education, support, and consultation to families; and crisis intervention under the clinical supervision of staff. When peer specialist has appropriate credentials, he or she may perform professional duties and clinical supervision.

This role will also provide care coordination services to assist individuals diagnosed with a serious mental illness and/or substance use disorders in gaining access to, transferring care between medical, psychiatric, social, educational, vocational, residential, and other supports essential for living in the community and meeting basic needs, and will assist in discharge planning from the residential Crisis Stabilization Unit.

Minimum Requirements:

• Experience: Applicants must have at least one year of recovery and lived experience with mental illness or substance use disorder conditions. Awareness of the importance of recovery and living with a mental illness or substance use disorder conditions; past experience working directly with people in a service-orientated field is beneficial. Understanding of community resources and the recovery-oriented systems of care model is preferred.
• Skills & Abilities: Skills in verbal and written communication and basic computer usage. Demonstrated interpersonal communication skills, ability to work with persons with severe and persistent mental illness and ability to establish supportive trusting relationships.
• Education: High school diploma or G.E.D.
• Background Check: Virginia has restrictions on hiring individuals with certain convictions. Here is the list: http://www.dbhds.virginia.gov/assets/document-library/BIU/attachment-2rev072017.pdf
• Safe Driving Record: This position requires transporting clients and driving agency vehicles. Candidates must have a good driving record, which is defined as no more than two moving violations in the last three years and no criminal moving violations in the last five years.

Why work at BRBH?

• Making a difference: This role supports women and families directly. Project LINK is an interagency, trauma-informed, community-based collaborative program designed to coordinate and enhance existing services to help meet the extensive and multiple needs of women and their children whose lives have been affected by substance use.
• Great co-workers: Our staff work hard and support each other in a team atmosphere.
• Full Time, Day schedule: This office is open Monday - Friday, day shift. This position is Full Time, 40 hours/week, with benefits.
• Work/Life Balance: BRBH has a great PTO policy - 29 days annually, which starts accruing on your first day.
• We offer great benefits, including VRS (Virginia Retirement System)! Click here for more information: http://www.brbh.org/benefits/
• Want to know more? Check out our page on Glassdoor to see employee reviews and more information about BRBH: http://www.glassdoor.com/Overview/Working-at-Blue-Ridge-Behavioral-Healthcare-EI_IE464369.11,43.htm

Blue Ridge Behavioral Healthcare (BRBH) is one of forty Community Services Boards established under the Code of Virginia to provide comprehensive services for individuals who have mental health disorders, intellectual disability, or substance use disorders. We are charged also with continuously monitoring and evaluating our services to ensure their cost effectiveness and applicability to current citizen needs. BRBH operates multiple programs throughout the Roanoke Valley with over 350 employees working to provide or support our services. We are proud to have served our community for over forty years. This position is located in Roanoke, VA. Blue Ridge Behavioral Healthcare maintains a drug-free workplace and equal opportunity employment.