Peer Support Specialist #2019-064

About this position

INTERNAL/EXTERNAL POSTING

POSTING DATE: August 23, 2019

CLOSING DATE: September 6, 2019 | 4:00 pm

PEER SUPPORT SPECIALIST

Closing Date: September 6, 2019 | 4:00 pm

Permanent, Full-time, 35 Hours per Week, Evening Hours and Weekends may be required

Competition #: 2019-064

Our Mission:  As the nation-wide leader and champion for mental health, CMHA facilitates access to the resources people require to maintain and improve mental health and community integration, build resilience, and support recovery from mental illness.

Our Organizational Values: 

• Client and Family Centered – through partnership, accountability and action
• Culturally Competent – to provide the best service and work experience
• Innovation – to bring value to our community 

Team Values:          Trust, Respect, Communication and Teamwork.

Hours of work:        35 hours per week. Evening and weekend hours may be required.

Location:                  Markham

Job Profile:

The Peer Support Specialist supports clients that have serious mental illness that is often accompanied with substance abuse, history of involvement in the criminal justice system and chronic physical illness. A multi-disciplinary and multi-lingual team provides a service that is based on intensive case management and assertive outreach.

The Peer Support Specialist collaborates with clients to provide individualized and flexible support to help them find housing, engage and integrate them into the community, and helps to facilitate their access to resources and supports to maximize their independence and potential, and promote their recovery.

Peer Support Specialists have gone through a process of recovery and have obtained peer support related training to assist others with mental health challenges to identify and achieve life goals as part of their own recovery. The Peer Support Specialist uses empowerment and Recovery-oriented approaches with individuals and groups to help combat stigma, raise self esteem and mastery, improve self concept, and instill hope. 

In addition to compliance with all organizational policies and procedures, the incumbent is also expected to behave ethically, demonstrate competence in effective communication and team building, demonstrate effectiveness in working in a collaborative environment, and demonstrate confidence in decision-making and in building relationships. The Peer Support Specialist may be assigned to different programs as required based on need. 

Requirements:

• A degree or diploma in the health or social services, or equivalent experience
• Four years or more experience of the mental health system
• Personal experience in recovery from mental health and/or addictions
• Past experience of homelessness is an asset
• A second language (Cantonese, Mandarin, Farsi, Italian, Korean,, Punjabi, Russian, Tamil, Urdu) reflecting the local community is preferred
• Ability to apply Recovery principles and empowerment-oriented philosophies and practices in work with consumers
• Ability to observe boundaries, engage in appropriate emotional regulation, refrain from dual relationships with consumers, maintain confidentiality, and engage in reasonable self-care strategies designed to reduce stress by balancing work/life responsibilities
• Knowledge of the Ontario Mental Health Act, mental health reform principles, the Substitute Decisions Act, the Health Care Consent Act and PHIPA requirements
• Extensive knowledge of supports and services in York Region, including formal and informal resources
• Excellent oral and written communication skills
• Ability to demonstrate computer skills, specifically Microsoft Office and Outlook
• A valid Canadian driver’s license, a minimum $1,000,000 third party liability insurance and proof that insurance covers use of personal vehicle to transport clients
• A satisfactory and current Vulnerable Sector Screening

This position reports to and is supervised by the Manager.

Working Conditions:

Office work, community settings, meetings in clients home and travel with clients

Disclaimer: In keeping with mental health reform, best practices, funding and direction this position may later require knowledge, skills, abilities and working conditions not noted here.

Why work for CMHA York Region?

We are team committed to our vision of mentally healthy people in a healthy society. That means we respect that our clients are the experts in their recovery journey and our role is to provide support, resources and opportunities based on their hopes and dreams.  It means that we foster and encourage an entrepreneurial spirit to create, implement and sustain innovative, evidence based and transformational impact.  We seek out and build partnerships, collaborate and share knowledge to be the most culturally competent team and fully integrated service delivery partner.

Our team cares for each other.  We have our own team values of trust, respect, teamwork and communication.  We hold ourselves accountable and we celebrate our wins.  Because we risk, we learn and we take the opportunity and time to constantly improve our skills, the way we function as a team and ultimately deliver services.  We are a team committed to mental health for all.  Join us and be part of providing great care in great communities!

Application Procedures:

If you are interested in this opportunity, please follow the link on this posting or visit the Career section of our website. Complete the application form and submit cover letter and resume (PDF or Word) together as one (1) document / attachment in the Resume section, outlining how your experience matches our requirements, to the Human Resources Department quoting Competition # 2019-064.

CMHA, York Region Branch supports the recovery of people with mental illness and promotes diversity in the workplace. We welcome consumers, women, aboriginal people, people with disabilities, and members of the LGBT, visible minority and immigrant communities to apply.

To request this posting in an alternate format or to request accommodation in the application process, email AODA@cmha-yr.on.ca

Online: www.cmha-yr.on.ca , under CAREERS section.

While we thank all candidates for their interest, only those selected for an interview will be contacted.