Peer Specialist, Substance Use

Salary range: The salary range for this position is CAD $30.64 - $32.31 / hour Why Fraser Health?:
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Detailed Overview:
Reporting to the Clinical Coordinator, as a member of a Mental Health & Substance Use Services (MH&SUS) multidisciplinary team, the Peer Specialist identifies themselves as a person with lived experience, provides outreach community-based support services, assists in mental health and substance use recovery, provides life skills training, coaching, advocacy, and support from a lived experience perspective. The Peer Specialist collaborates with the assigned team to ensure the client’s self-identified goals for recovery and community connection are supported and are consistent with the values of self-determination and harm reduction. Provides services in a variety of environments dependent on the needs of the client. Motivates and assists clients with the activities of daily living, reports clients’ progress and condition in medical record.

**Responsibilities**:

- Establishes a dignifying and purposeful relationship with the client, contacting and getting to know the client as a unique individual, and clarifying the role of the Peer Specialist in relation to the client.
- During engagement will help client identify priorities, goals, capacities & needs while activating resiliency & help seeking behaviours.
- Provides feedback and suggested recommendations to the client’s co-developed care plans.
- Reports regularly to the team on the interactions, observations and care needs of clients and their families and network supports.
- Provides support services, coaching and behaviour modeling for the client and their families and network supports.
- Assists the client towards self-managing all aspects of their life, including their mental wellness, substance use and other health conditions by such methods as sharing information and lived experience perspective, practical problem-solving, and linkages to appropriate supports and services.
- Consults and collaborates cooperatively with community agencies and families and network supports to maintain coordination in the service and treatment process.
- Acts as an advocate for the client in dispute situations by responding to and/or coordinating response to problems regarding landlord-tenant issues, financial assistance, or accessing community resources and housing, and developing workable solutions that meet the needs of the client.
- Observes and monitors clients in accordance with recovery care plan, assesses and responds in potential emergency or crisis situations in accordance with established procedures i.e., administering naloxone and calling 911. Provides feedback and recommendations to the recovery care plan, including strategies to resolve situations, and referring for professional intervention, as required. Documents client progress to maintain permanent record of client activity according to established methods and procedures.
- Participates in providing substance use service connection, accessing emergency shelter, income and food security, housing, and general housing support (moving, packing, cleaning), individual and personal care services.
- Provides individual vocational supportive counselling and other work-related supportive services.
- Maintains an awareness of community resources, including health care services, social, economic, recreational, employment, and educational services and resources, and other agencies and shares that information as required.
- Using current standardized guidelines, Peer Specialists teach clients and families, and network supports how to use Naloxone, access safe supplies, download and use “safe use” apps, access drug-checking, and support connections to addiction medicine.
- Facilitates client attendance at appointments, programs, and services including accompanying client to appointments, peer support groups, and for shopping and leisure activities, including providing transportation. Participates in and supervises social and recreational activities as required.
- Teaches, demonstrates, models, and supports home maintenance and household management methods. Provides basic information to clients related to activities of daily living, e.g., housekeeping, yard maintenance, meal planning, and preparation, grocery shopping, and managing monthly living expenses.
- Ensures a safe and healthy working environment by observing universal precautions and infection control procedures; removing obvious hazards; reporting faulty equipment, accidents, injuries, and near misses; and adhering to and enforcing rules regarding safety.
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