Peer Support Engagement Specialist

In preparation for the opening of the Crisis Recovery Center at the DuPage County Health Department, Crisis Services is expanding the team!  We will be hiring 12 new Peer Support Engagement Specialists to work at our new Center expected to open in June of 2025. We are hiring now and then again before the center opens.

Do you want to make a difference in the lives of others? Your skills, experience, and passion are needed on our team.  We are looking for a new team member to join us working as a Peer Support/Engagement Specialist in our Crisis Services programs. We will have several shifts available to include days, afternoon and overnight.  Crisis services staff work as a team to deliver quality care, and a quick response to residents in need. Click Crisis Services to learn more about our program.

We have great benefits, including health insurance, paid vacation, personal leave,12 federal paid holidays, tuition reimbursement and an IMRF retirement account, just to name a few. Shift differentials apply for our afternoon and overnight shifts.

Responsibilities

• Responds in the community to individuals experiencing a mental health crisis as a member of a two-person response team.  Referral sources may include individuals or their family members, law enforcement, hospitals, schools, for all ages in our community.
• Assists in de-escalation of clients experiencing a mental health crisis through engagement with client and coordination with team members providing clinical intervention.
• Establish rapport, share experiences, and strengthen engagement with the individual experiencing the crisis throughout all Crisis Programs.
• Willingness to self-disclose personal lived experience in mental health or substance use recovery (or both) for the benefit of supporting the individuals’ receiving services.
• Role model positive recovery behaviors with clients in Crisis Programs.
• Provides skill building and case management to clients with high need.
• Maintains required training, licensure and/or certification.
• Maintains confidentiality of privileged information and adheres to client privacy laws.
• Demonstrates sensitivity and understanding of other ethnic groups and cultures.
• Adheres to department guidelines for attendance and punctuality.
• Completion of required documentation within established timeframes, through use of an Electronic Client Record
• Participates in team meetings to assess clients’ progress.
• Participates in emergency response activities as assigned.

Requirements

Two years of experience in the behavioral health field, including active participation in the recovery process; or an equivalent combination of training and experience. This role requires you to have a valid driver’s license, along with your own personal vehicle that is reliable to drive while working in this role.

ADDITIONAL REQUIREMENT:
Position requires individual with lived experience and will need to obtain the Certified Recovery Support Specialist (CRSS) credential within one year of hire.  The CRSS is a credential for those who provide mental health or co-occurring mental illness and substance use recovery support to others. A person with the CRSS credential uses unique insights gained through personal recovery experience.

As it is a requirement of the role, please see the following sites for more information about the CRSS credential, including the application process:
https://www.illinoismentalhealthcollaborative.com/consumers/consumer_crss.htm
http://www.iaodapca.org/credentialing/recovery-support-specialist/
http://www.iaodapca.org/jobs/post-a-job/

Supplemental Information

For additional information on our new Crisis Recovery Center see below:
The Crisis Recovery Center (CRC) is the critical next step in DuPage County Health Department’s decades-long journey to build the infrastructure needed to support a best-in-class behavioral health system and ensures all DuPage County residents will have “someone to call, someone to respond, and somewhere to go” when experiencing a mental health or substance use crisis.  The CRC will help residents de-escalate, stabilize, and connect to community resources catered to their individual mental health and substance use treatment needs.  The building design and operations will ensure individuals and their families feel welcome, respected, and secure throughout every step of their care.
The CRC serves as an alternative to hospital emergency departments and simplifies access to crisis care for all individuals, families, and first responders. Please go to the Crisis System Expansion page on the DCHD Website for additional information.
For further information on general Crisis Services, click on the link:
https://www.dupagehealth.org/183/Crisis-Services .  For further information on Crisis Residential, click on the link:  https://www.dupagehealth.org/184/Crisis-Residentialxperience.