Peer Recovery Specialist

Careers in Mental Health

Malcolm Aquinas, MAT
Peer Recovery Specialist

Generic Information

Job Responsibilities:

Provide group support services on treatment malls, hospital units, and within the community
Assist in developing problem-solving skills so the individual may autonomously respond to challenges in their recovery
Educate others on self-advocacy, patient rights and responsibilities, community resources, social supports, and related recovery skills
Model the processes of recovery
Promote social learning through shared experiences as appropriate
Encourage clients’ development of actions based on hope, choice, and personal responsibility
Support others and the patient-centered interdisciplinary team in balancing the individual’s self-determination and choices in conjunction with health, safety and personal responsibility needs
Link and coordinate the clients’ receipt of such services in conjunction with their interdisciplinary treatment team and other support systems

Education Requirements:

High School Diploma
Successful completion of a Traditional Healthcare Worker certification course.
Continuing attention to understanding and managing one’s own journey with mental health or related issues.

Certification Requirments :

Oregon requires no specific certification for this position; this may vary according
to state and job setting
Certification as a Traditional Healthcare Worker is recommended for Peer
Recovery Specialists at Oregon State Hospital

Essential Skills:

Empathetic active listening skills
Clinical Knowledge, skills and abilities in working with persons with mental illness
Ability to function independently and as a part of a patient-centered interdisciplinary
treatment team
Highly attentive to detail, confidentiality, and accuracy
Verbal and written communication skills

Other Job Settings:

Hospitals
Outpatient clinics
Substance abuse centers
Schools (k-12 – university)
Correctional Facilities

Overview

Peer Recovery Specialist is an emerging and evolving career field for the care and treatment of individuals with mental illness. Peer Recovery Specialists provide an essential support system for individuals at Oregon State Hospital. Because of their shared past experience of mental illness, institutionalization, or substance abuse among many other things, Peer Recovery Specialists are uniquely positioned to provide mental health treatment to others also on their journey to recovery. There are a lot of possibilities no one of which is inherently better than others, but there must be a commonality to provide a different level of support and understanding for individuals than typical mental health professionals provide. Peer Recovery Specialists approach persons with mental illness with compassion and understanding while providing a dignified way for others to communicate their story, their hopes, fears, and how they desire to move forward in their life.

The peer recovery specialist provides direct support to individuals in the implementation of advocacy, individual and interdisciplinary team education, group and individual work, peer-operated services, and recovery enhancement.