Wellness Specialist-Peer Professional

Provides

• Teaching of skills to support each persons’ individualized recovery journey and community integration
• Peer perspective to the team during meetings/interactions
• Clinically-appropriate disclosure of personal life experience to enhance engagement/validation with individuals
• Direct assistance to secure safe, clean, affordable housing, food and clothing, medical and dental services, and appropriate financial support.
• Observation and informs team of service recipients stated concerns, mental illness symptoms, and behavior in response to medication and monitors for medication side-effects during the provision of observed self-administration and during ongoing face-to-face contacts
• Coordination of services with other community mental health and non-mental health providers, as well as other medical professionals
• Linkage to entitlement benefits such as Medicaid/NJFamilyCare, social security, rental assistance, and other public assistance (social services, transportation, legal advocacy and representation)
• Training and instruction to individuals at home and in the community, including individual support, problem solving, skill development, modeling and supervision to perform personal hygiene tasks, perform household chores, develop and improve money management skills, use community transportation, and locate, finance and maintain safe, clean, affordable housing
• Symptom assessment and management, medication monitoring, medication education and monitoring of side effects for both individuals and families/significant others with service recipients consent.
• Wellness services including education and cognitive/behavioral interventions on nutrition, diet, exercise, stress reduction strategies and other wellness tools
• Rapid and flexible response to crisis, including but not limited to: accompanying the individual to the screening center/psychiatric emergency center and remaining with the person during the assessment process
• Use of Illness Management and Recovery (IMR) and development of WRAP and Psychiatric Advance Directives which includes stage wise treatment utilizing Motivational Interviewing, Cognitive Behavioral Interventions and Teaching Strategies, 24-hour rotating on-call coverage with the ability to respond immediately to individuals by phone or in person
• Utilizes evidenced based practices as assigned which may include motivational interviewing, IDDT, CBT skills, IMR, Trauma Informed Care, Permanent Supportive Housing and Career Development when engaging individuals with their recovery
• Technical assistance and education to members of the team in the area of recovery and wellness. Works with the team to develop materials and strategies for teaching wellness strategies including Wellness Recovery Action Plans, instilling hope, promoting choice and empowerment, and spirituality, in conjunction with the team
• Support to assist persons served to find and maintain employment and/or education/training
• Support to the service recipient’s family and other members of his/her social network to help them manage the symptoms and related consequences of the service recipient’s illness, reduce the level of family and social stress associated with the illness, and achieve wellness. Will provide education to assist the service recipient and family to relate in a positive and supportive manner

Requirements

Education/Experience

• Bachelor’s degree preferred. A person who is receiving or has received mental health services may substitute demonstrated volunteer or paid experience working with individuals with serious and persistent mental illness in lieu of a Bachelor’s degree.
• Two or more individuals may share the Wellness Specialist-Peer Professional position.

Driver’s License, Vehicle

• Valid driver’s license required
• No more than one moving violation within the past 12 months
• Vehicle required

Excellent benefits

• Benefits: Medical, Dental, Vision, 403b, basic life and AD&D, flexible spending accounts, EAP
• Eligible for medical benefits after 30 days of employment
• Flexible work schedules, clinical training series, leadership development program
• 10 paid holidays (an 11th after 2 years of employment), generous vacation and sick time

Bridgeway Behavioral Health Services was founded on a strong desire to fight disparity and injustice alongside people living with behavioral health conditions. We are dedicated to providing a multicultural workplace where everyone feels a sense of purpose and belonging. We provide equal opportunity for employees and applicants in all aspects of the employment relationship, without regard to race, color, national origin, sex, sexual orientation, gender, marital status, military or veteran status, disability, age, religion, or any other classification protected by law.

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