Title: Peer Recovery Specialist (Part-Time)

State Role Title: W49053

Hiring Range: $22.81 Per Hour

Pay Band: 3

Agency: Dept Behavioral Health/Develop

Location: Central State Hospital

Agency Website: https://dbhds.virginia.gov/facilities/csh/

Recruitment Type: General Public - G

Job Duties

** This position is hourly/wage and not eligible for benefits. Hourly (wage) employees may not work more than 29 hours a week and are limited to working 1500 hours in a year. **

Central State Hospital (CSH) is a 277 bed Joint Commission accredited psychiatric inpatient facility located in Petersburg, Virginia. CSH has proudly been serving citizens of the Commonwealth since 1870, when we opened our doors as the first psychiatric hospital in the country dedicated to the treatment of African Americans. A new and modern CSH is currently under construction on the same property.

CSH maintains the only maximum-security treatment facility in the state (111 beds). We also have 166 beds available for individuals in the community who need inpatient care, as well as individuals in the criminal justice system. We believe that treatment should be holistic and focused on the person’s individual needs, recognizing that recovery is not linear or the same for every person. Treatment modalities may include medication, evidence-based group and individual therapy, peer support, psychosocial rehabilitation, vocational training, preparation for court, and treatment for substance use.

Central State Hospital is recruiting for a Part-Time Peer Support Specialist to facilitate and co-facilitate active treatment with adults with serious mental illness in a forensic and civil setting. To direct hospital wide projects designed to foster awareness of principles of recovery and empowerment and develop education and social eventual to promote and foster a recovery-oriented approach.

Job duties include, but are not limited to:

- Assist patients in articulating personal goals for recovery through the use of one to one and group sessions. During these sessions will support patients in identifying and creating goals and developing recovery plans with skills, strengths, supports and resources to aid them in achieving those goals.
- Assist patients in working with their treatment team in determining the steps he/she needs to take in order to achieve these goals and self – directed recovery.
- Teach and role model the value of every individual’s recovery experience.
- Support patient’s vocational choices and assist them in choosing a job that matches their strengths, overcoming job related anxiety by reviewing job applications and providing interview tips.
- Plan and conduct recovery-based staff training for treatment teams and employees as indicated
- Provide direct contact in the form of peer support with patients and/or family members to assist identified patients with development and improvement of living skills based on empowerment.
- Perform a wide range of tasks to assist patients in mastery over their own recovery process.
- Provide recovery resources such as booklets, pamphlets and other written materials to patients.
- Displays respect and empathy when engaged with others.
- Encourages persons served to have hope and positive expectations for their recovery.
- Validates feelings, preferences, and facilitates choices of persons served whenever possible, within appropriate legal constraints and hospital policy guidelines.
- Assist with planning and implementation of hospital wide recovery events.
- Ensure all certifications are up to date.
- Ensure that working relationship with clients, effective communication, respect, compromise, support, and active listening.
- Follow established hospital policies and procedures.
- Analyze and assist with problem identification and resolution in the facility
- Plans and implements monthly Patient Advisory Council meetings in buildings 39, 94 and 95.
- Documents meeting minutes in a timely manner.
- Contacts via email appropriate departments/person on behalf of the Patient Advisory Council to resolve any issues discussed during the meetings.
- Active Treatment, Work Program, Documentation
- Plan and implement up to 15 hours of active treatment services including treatment groups and work program for patients that are appropriate, meet the patient’s assessed needs and are in accordance with active treatment program descriptions.
- Ensure that the patient’s interventions are integrated with the plans established by the treatment teams and are carried over to the patient’s active treatment program.
- Ensure that attendance and punctuality to work supports active treatment and service delivery.
- Ensure that all treatment activities and work program are covered and fully inform supervisor regarding coverage of treatment activities and/or work program.
- Transcriptions are grammatically correct and logical.
- Ensure timely and accurate information is entered daily into the hospital’s electronic health record.
- Ensure that medical record documentation done in assigned patient medical record is current and meets hospital standards for content and timeliness.
- Demonstrate an attitude of respect and empowerment to the patients and staff
- Demonstrates good negotiation skills in deescalating problematic patient behaviors.
- Encourage the use of other alternative coping strategies to avoid seclusion and restraint episodes.
- Minimizes the use of verbal interactions indicating a need to "control" patients.
- Demonstrates a willing attitude in the use of least restrictive interventions per hospital policy.
- Demonstrates an awareness of and respect for coworkers, clients, and individual’s cultural background.
- Attend and contribute to all scheduled meetings including those related to the client’s treatment process.
- Assess the need for and obtain equipment, tools, materials and supplies to implement all activities and groups.
- Ensure that proper equipment maintenance and accountability (i.e., group supplies) is completed.
- Schedule and attend all mandatory updates and training to maintain compliance.
- Submit timekeeping/KRONOS related paperwork (leave slips/coverage, schedule change forms, and time clock adjustment forms) to supervisor in timely manner.

Minimum Qualifications

- Valid Virginia driver’s license (Required)
- Basic computer skills (Required)

Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities Required to Successfully Perform the Job:

- A self-identified current or former user of mental health services who has completed peer specialist training.
- Ability to co-facilitate therapeutic interventions while assisting facilitators in the learning process of the client.
- Peer Specialist will function as a role model to peers; exhibit competence in personal recovery and use of coping skills; serves as a consumer advocate, providing information and peer support for patients.

Additional Considerations

- WRAP and peer specialist training and certification, preferred

Special Instructions

You will be provided a confirmation of receipt when your application and/or résumé is submitted successfully. Please refer to “Your Application” in your account to check the status of your application for this position.

Central State Hospital only accepts online applications via RMS. Resumes and other documents may accompany the application but will not serve as a substitute for an application. Faxed, e-mailed, or mailed applications will not be accepted. Please refer to your RMS account for the status of your application and this position. This posting will remain open for a minimum of five (5) business days.

These positions are hourly/wage and not eligible for benefits. Hourly (wage) employees may not work more than 29 hours a week and are limited to working 1500 hours in a year.

An extensive criminal history background investigation, not limited to employment references, drug testing and E-Verify will be conducted.

Commonwealth’s Alternate Hiring Process: In support of the Commonwealth’s commitment to inclusion, we are encouraging individuals with disabilities to apply through the Commonwealth Alternative Hiring Process. To be considered for this opportunity, applicants will need to provide their Certificate of Disability (COD) provided by a Certified Rehabilitation Counselor within the Department for Aging & Rehabilitative Services (DARS). Veterans are encouraged to answer Veteran status questions and submit their disability documentation, if applicable, to DARS to get their Certificate of Disability. If you need to get a Certificate of Disability, use this link: https://www.vadars.org/drs/cpid/PWContact.aspx or call DARS at 800-552-5019.

Reasonable accommodations are available to persons with disabilities during application and/or interview processes per the Americans with Disabilities Act. Contact Human Resources at (804) 524-7111 for assistance. Minorities, Individuals with disabilities, Veterans, and people with National Service experience are encouraged to apply. EEO/AA/TTY.

DBHDS is a healthcare organization and must comply with the federal Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (federal CMS) guidance on Omnibus COVID-19 Health Care staff Vaccination Regulation which requires vaccination of all employees or an exemption. A job offer of employment is contingent upon the candidate meeting these guidelines as a condition of employment.

Contact Information

Name: Human Resources

Phone: 804-524-7111

Email: CSHRecruitment@dbhds.virginia.gov

In support of the Commonwealth’s commitment to inclusion, we are encouraging individuals with disabilities to apply through the Commonwealth Alternative Hiring Process. To be considered for this opportunity, applicants will need to provide their AHP Letter (formerly COD) provided by the Department for Aging & Rehabilitative Services (DARS), or the Department for the Blind & Vision Impaired (DBVI). Service-Connected Veterans are encouraged to answer Veteran status questions and submit their disability documentation, if applicable, to DARS/DBVI to get their AHP Letter. Requesting an AHP Letter can be found at AHP Letter or by calling DARS at 800-552-5019.

Note: Applicants who received a Certificate of Disability from DARS or DBVI dated between April 1, 2022- February 29, 2024, can still use that COD as applicable documentation for the Alternative Hiring Process.