Summary

ABOUT THE DEPARTMENT: 

Deschutes County Health Services supports over 400 staff in Behavioral and Public Health programs working to promote and protect the health and safety of the community in a broad variety of community-based settings.

Deschutes County Behavioral Health (DCBH) is the Community Mental Health Program providing safety net and core clinical services for community members in Deschutes County dealing with mental health and substance use conditions. DCBH is also a Certified Community Behavioral Health Clinic (CCBHC). As such, DCBH relies on multi-disciplinary teams to provide innovative, evidence-based, recovery-oriented services in behavioral healthcare settings co-located with physical health providers.

To hear from staff about working at Deschutes County Behavioral Health, please click HERE.   

ABOUT THE COUNTY: 

We know where you choose to live, work and play matters. Deschutes County is one of the largest employers in Central Oregon and the largest municipal government in the region. Our dedicated and passionate workforce of more than 1,200 employees provide County services in a number of departments, divisions, and offices.

Located in the heart of Central Oregon, between the towering Cascade Mountain Range to the west and the high desert plateau to the east, Deschutes County is the outdoor recreation capital of Oregon. We enjoy a renowned quality of life, with big-city opportunities and small-town neighborhoods.

We hope you’ll consider joining our talented team.

ABOUT THE JOB:

Deschutes County is currently accepting applications for a Peer Support Specialist (PSS) that will provide support services to clients in the Young Adults in Transition Program. PSS are fully integrated team members who provide highly individualized services and support to clients with co-occurring needs. The goal of services is to help individuals be as independent as they can be, and to improve quality of life as they access support for mental health diagnosis and related struggles/symptoms across domains.  Services provided will be performed in a wide variety of settings in the community such as professional and private facilities, client homes, offices and clinics, and will include drop-in centers, outreach services, system navigation, coordination, screenings, cultivating and linking to supports, resource acquisition, coaching, problem solving, skill development, and education.

Key Responsibilities: 

• Person-Centered Planning (PCP): supporting individuals in creating wellness plans.
• Understanding Mental Health & Addictions: information toward empathy.
• Group Facilitation: peer-led facilitation skills.
• Approaches and skills used to promote resiliency, wellness, empowerment, and effective peer support strategies and practices to facilitate a self-directed recovery process.
• The effect of trauma on health, coping and other aspects of client needs.
• Principles of recovery, consumer-involvement and trauma-informed care.

What You Will Bring: 
Knowledge of or experience with:

• Assisting clients in developing the perspectives that promote resiliency and facilitate recovery.
• Modeling personal responsibility and self-care.
• Advocating for clients.
• Teaching coping/life skills.
• Sharing own experiences in appropriate ways.
• Keeping boundaries and forming appropriate relationships with clients.

Skill in:

• Performing a wide variety of tasks to assist clients’ wellness.
• Communicating effectively both verbally and in writing.
• Establishing and maintaining effective working relationships with others at all times.
• Using a personal computer and keyboard.

*This posting is not meant to be an all-inclusive list of duties and responsibilities, but rather constitutes a general definition of the position’s scope and function.

Notification to all candidates will be sent via email and/or text only. Please opt in for text messaging or check your email and your Governmentjobs.com account for application status.

Review the full job description by clicking HERE.

Compensation

$4,158.88 to $5,573.34 per month for a 172.67 hour work month. Excellent County benefit package when eligible. This union-represented position is available immediately.

BENEFITS:
Our robust health plan is offered at a minimal cost of $95 per month for employee only or $116 per month for employee plus dependents, which includes an innovative on-site clinic, pharmacy, and wellness and wellbeing services. Additionally, we include life insurance, retirement (PERS), generous paid time-off (14-18 hours/month to start, pro-rated for part-time), holidays, and professional development opportunities. Please click HERE (Download PDF reader) for full benefit details.

Minimum Qualifications

• Must have a high school diploma or GED equivalent.
• As defined by Oregon Administrative Rule 309-032-1501, a “Peer Support Specialist” provides peer delivered services to an individual or family member with similar life experience, under the supervision of a qualified Clinical Supervisor.
• A Peer Support Specialist must have at least one year of experience: as a self-identified person currently or formerly receiving mental health services; or a self-identified person in recovery from a substance use disorder, who meets the abstinence requirements for recovering staff in alcohol and other drug treatment programs; or a family member of an individual who is a current or former recipient of addictions or mental health services.
• Education, employment, and volunteer experience providing direct or indirect peer, mentor, coaching, or other supports to individuals with mental health or substance use disorder conditions may also be considered in evaluating employee qualifications.

Preferred Qualifications:

• Current certification in Oregon as a Certified Traditional Health Worker, Peer Support Specialist.
• Self-identified person currently or formerly receiving mental health services or combined mental health and substance use disorder.
• Bilingual in English and Spanish.

Necessary Special Requirements

Driving is a requirement for this position. Possession of or ability to obtain a valid Oregon driver’s license within 30 days of hire date. The employment offer will be contingent upon presentation of an acceptable and verifiable driver’s license, pre-employment screening for criminal history, driving history, and controlled substances (NOTE: Positive test results for marijuana use may result in rescission of a contingent offer of employment). This screening must be completed with satisfactory findings in order for a formal offer of employment to be extended.

Must have dependable transportation and be willing and able to drive throughout Deschutes County in sometimes adverse weather conditions.

Must have the ability to work a flexible schedule when needed to meet the needs of the client and department.

NOTE: Per OAR 407-007-0000 to 407-007-0100 (Download PDF reader) this position requires a Criminal Background check through the State Background Check Unit/Orchards, which may also include being fingerprinted. These rules provide for the reasonable screening under ORS 181A.195, 181A.200, 409.027 AND 413.036 of the County’s employees to determine if they have a history of specific criminal behavior identified in federal or state law or rules such that they should not be allowed to work, be employed, or perform in positions covered by these rules. Please click HERE (Download PDF reader) to review Criminal Records Check Rules. All offers of employment for this position are contingent upon the candidate receiving final approval from the State Background Check Unit/Orchards to work in this position.

Must complete an Oregon Health Authority approved Certified Peer Support Specialist training program within four months of hire date. 

Physical Requirements: Requires sufficient ambulatory ability to drive throughout Deschutes County and to provide face-to-face services in a variety of settings in the community, including but not limited to hospitals, jails, clinics, client homes, and community and residential settings within required response times; possess sufficient hand coordination to perform keyboarding and data entry; arm/hand movements to retrieve work materials and operate a variety of general office equipment. The position is frequently required to sit, walk, stoop, bend, reach, stand, grasp, talk, hear, see, and may occasionally lift up to 10 pounds.

Deschutes County is proud to be an equal opportunity employer. We strive to build an inclusive environment that encourages, supports, and represents the diverse voices and needs of our communities. All are encouraged to apply – we welcome diverse perspectives and experiences.