Sea Mar Community Health Centers, a Federally Qualified Health Center (FQHC) founded in 1978, is a community-based organization committed to providing quality, comprehensive health, human, housing, educational and cultural services to diverse communities, specializing in service to Latinos in Washington State. Sea Mar proudly serves all persons without regard to race, ethnicity, immigration status, gender, or sexual orientation, and regardless of ability to pay for services. Sea Mar's network of services includes more than 90 medical, dental, and behavioral health clinics and a wide variety of nutritional, social, and educational services. We are recruiting for the following position:

Sea Mar is a mandatory COVID-19 and flu vaccine organization

Job Title: Peer Counselor

Position Summary

The outpatient Certified Peer Counselor (CPC) is responsible for providing support, education and resource services to clients at Sea Mar’s outpatient Behavioral Health sites and in the community. Treatment can involve multiple contacts per week with the individual and/or natural supports, and can occur in the office, community, or in the individual’s home.

Duties and Responsibilities

As a mission-driven organization, the core values of, and the services offered at Sea Mar are based on the belief that everyone deserves to be respectfully treated in a way that preserves dignity and enhances self-worth. Sea Mar is an advocate for its clients and aims to achieve industry-leading, client-centered, culturally-aware services.

Sea Mar employees serve as an extension of this mission and demonstrate their commitment to an excellent client experience by:

• Understanding and empathizing with client needs.
• Surpassing client expectations.
• Demonstrating a high level of integrity.
• Exhibiting compassion and commitment.
• Advocating for social justice.
• Taking pride in individual work as well as that of the team.
• Continually learning to stay current with industry standards, best practices, and technology.
• Support the Supportive Employment and Education and Case Management roles and needs.
• Conduct Outreach sessions as needed.

As a Sea Mar employee, the individual in this position commits to adherence to these values to their utmost ability and endeavors to strengthen and embody this mission daily.

ESSENTIAL DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES

Responsibilities and Duties: Assists therapist/case managers in the following areas:

• Provides case management services to assigned consumers. These services may include collaborating in the provision or actually providing assistance to the consumer and their family or significant others to obtain and/or maintain housing, income, employment, medical and mental health treatment, and meaningful social and recreational activities in the community. It is expected that the provision of these services will constitute at least 50% of the CPC’s work.
• Assists the recovering person to identify their personal interests and goals in relation to recovery and integrating into the community.
• Educates clinical staff and others about the recovery process and the damaging role that stigma can play in undermining recovery.
• Assists recovering persons’ abilities, strengths and assets to assist them to recognize these strengths and use them to achieve their goals.
• Has an understanding of community resources such as vocational, social, cultural, spiritual, etcetera, as well as funding and how to help consumer’s access services as appropriate.
• Assures appropriate documentation of the above activities.
• Assists with case management for clients from the Substance Abuse and Mental Health programs; assists with obtaining records and maintaining records as needed; assists with administrative work as assigned by Program Manager.
• Participates in clinical consults with either Program Manager or assigned Therapist as well as seeks additional consultations as needed.
• Attends and participates in meetings as directed.
• Helps to create an environment in which good mental health and a climate of teamwork is fostered.
• As needed, provides on-site services to acute-care consumers, including groups, one-on-one support, and coordination with other clinic services and staff, including medical prescribers and crisis staff.
• Performs any other duties or special projects as assigned by the Program Manager.

Collaboration:

• Collaborates with the primary Clinician and fosters the ability of the program to assist the client in obtaining appropriate community resources, natural supports, and entitlements as identified through a comprehensive assessment and treatment plan, by providing case management to facilitate the arranging of these services and to assist the client in learning the skills necessary to obtain and keep these supports and benefits.
• Assists the Primary Clinician for assigned consumers in the accomplishment of the following duties:
  • Development with the consumer of an outcome based treatment plan;
  • Development of an individually tailored crisis plan if needed;
  • Provision of needed treatment services to assigned clients;
  • Assistance to client in management of the authorized treatment benefit (Medicaid or other insurance) to maximize clinical effectiveness and benefit;
  • Development of a discharge plan that insures ongoing safety in the community and maintenance of clinical treatment benefit;
  • Documentation of services, as required, in a timely manner and in thorough compliance with Sea Mar and RSN standards;
  • Maximization of the outcomes of service as directed by the consumer and as directed by contract;
  • Provide support and back-up to other team members and their clients during scheduled work hours.

Organizational Responsibilities:

• Keeps the supervisor informed of any potential problems in a timely manner.
• Maintains quality professional standards in all areas of work, so that the goals of the Agency can be achieved.
• Follows Sea Mar safety procedures, including required tests and drills.
• Follows all of Sea Mar’s building security procedures.
• Presents a professional image to all consumers, the public, and staff at all times, both in person and on the telephone.
• Maintains strict confidentiality in all work related areas.
• Handles all consumer information and consumer activities in a confidential manner in keeping with Sea Mar policies.
• Participates in staff and program meetings, including consultation, supervision, and professional training sessions, as required by Program Manager.
• Maintains all records, reports and forms in accordance with Sea Mar procedures and contract requirements in a timely manner; performs the duties required by Sea Mar policies.

Qualifications

To perform this job successfully, an individual must be able to perform each essential duty satisfactorily. The requirements listed below are representative of the knowledge, skill, and/or ability required. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

• Must be a consumer of service within Washington State’s mental health system.

LANGUAGE SKILLS

• Ability to read and interpret documents such as safety rules, operating and maintenance instructions, and procedure manuals.
• Ability to write routine reports and correspondence.
• Ability to speak effectively before groups of customers or employees of organization.

Education and Experience, Certificates, Licenses, Registrations, and Medical Screening

EDUCATION and EXPERIENCE

• One year paid or volunteer experience working with Mental Health and graduation from the Washington Institute Peer Advocacy Training Program or equivalent program (Rainbow Center Peer Advocacy Training Program or similar) required.
• Must be a Certified Peer Counselor in the State of Washington.

ADDITIONAL REQUIREMENTS

• Must have and maintain a current TB test.
• Must complete an annual clinical competency test as a Peer Counselor.
• Must hold and maintain an active Washington State Agency Affiliated Counselor License within 90 days of hire date.
• Must hold and maintain Car insurance

Work Environment

The work environment characteristics described here are representative of those an employee encounters while performing the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions. The noise level in the work environment is usually moderate. Physical Requirements The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

While performing the duties of this job, the employee is regularly required to use hands to finger, handle, or feel; reach with hands and arms; and talk or hear. The employee frequently is required to stand, walk, and sit. The employee is occasionally required to climb or balance and stoop, kneel, crouch, or crawl. The employee must frequently lift and/or move up to 10 pounds, and occasionally lift and/or move up to 50 pounds. Specific vision abilities required by this job include close vision, distance vision, color vision, peripheral vision, depth perception, and ability to adjust focus.

Physical Requirements

The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

While performing the duties of this job, the employee is regularly required to use hands to finger, handle, or feel; reach with hands and arms; and talk or hear. The employee frequently is required to stand, walk, and sit. The employee is occasionally required to climb or balance and stoop, kneel, crouch, or crawl. The employee must frequently lift and/or move up to 10 pounds, and occasionally lift and/or move up to 50 pounds. Specific vision abilities required by this job include close vision, distance vision, color vision, peripheral vision, depth perception, and the ability to adjust focus.

Hourly - Hourly Plan, 20.76 USD Hourly

What We Offer:

Sea Mar offers talented and motivated people the opportunity to work in a dynamic and growing community health organization. Working at Sea Mar Community Health Centers is more than just a job, it’s a fulfilling career with opportunity for advancement. The fringe benefits surpass most companies. For example, Full-time employees working 30 hours or more, receive an excellent benefit package of:

• Medical
• Dental
• Vision
• Prescription coverage
• Life Insurance
• Long Term Disability
• EAP (Employee Assistance Program)
• Paid-time-off starting at 24 days per year + 10 paid Holidays.
• We also offer 401(k)/Retirement options and an exciting opportunity to work in a culturally diverse environment.

Sea Mar is an equal opportunity employer.

Please visit our website to learn more about us at www.seamar.org. You may also apply thru our Career page at this link.