Certified Peer Specialist (Adult Community Services)

Job Description:

Job Title: Certified Peer Specialist

Location: Columbia, Missouri

Departments: Adult Community Services

Employment Type: Full Time

** Must be a Certified Missouri Peer Specialist with at least a high school diploma or GED.**

Job Summary:
Are you a passionate and dedicated mental health professional looking to make a positive impact in the lives of children and adolescents? Do you want to work in a supportive and dynamic environment where you can grow your skills and advance your career? Join our team at Burrell Behavioral Health as a Peer Support Specialist!

Our Peer Support Specialist provides recovery-focused support to individuals experiencing mental health challenges. Drawing upon their personal experience with mental illness, peers offer hope, inspiration, and guidance to those seeking to manage symptoms, navigate complex systems, and reclaim their lives. By combining their own experiences with formal training, peers play a critical role in fostering growth, independence, and recovery among people navigating mental health challenges.

This position offers…

• Employee Assistance Program – 24/7 counseling services, legal assistance, & financial consultation for you and your household at no cost

• Mileage Reimbursement – Company paid for work functions requiring travel

• Employee Discounts – Hotels, Theme Parks & Attractions, College Tuition

• Workplace Culture - An environment cultivating employee wellbeing, valuing each individual's humanity, and actively promoting a healthy, joyful workforce

• Additional Perks & Benefits - Scroll down to bottom of this post to learn more

Key Responsibilities:

• Empower individuals with mental illness to recognize their strengths, set goals, and make informed decisions about their lives.

• Support individuals in advocating for themselves and accessing needed resources and services, while also advocating on behalf of consumers to improve systems and policies.

• Provide emotional support through active listening, validation, encouragement, and sharing personal experiences in ways that inspire hope and resilience.

• Assist individuals during crises, helping de-escalate situations, connecting them to appropriate services, and supporting coping skills development.

• Teach practical skills like problem solving, communication, stress management, symptom management, and relapse prevention.

• Connect individuals to relevant community resources, such as housing, employment, education, vocational training, transportation, financial assistance, and peer support groups.

• Guide individuals through complex service systems, explaining options and benefits, facilitating appointments, and accompanying individuals to meetings with service providers.

• Encourage a recovery-oriented philosophy focused on wellness, self-determination, and person-centered planning.

• Adhere to ethical guidelines and codes of conduct, safeguarding privacy, obtaining consent, avoiding dual relationships, and practicing self-care.

• Read, understand, and follow written, oral, and diagram-based instructions; perform basic math and problem-solving.

• Communicate clearly in writing, one-on-one, and with groups; build effective professional relationships.

• Use sound judgment to manage routine and crisis situations involving diverse human needs.

• Accurately complete computerized clinical documentation.

• Maintain required certifications, training, and continuing education; accept supervision and direction.

Education, Experience, and/or Credential Qualifications:

• Must be a Certified Missouri Peer Specialist with at least a high school diploma or GED.

Additional Qualifications:

• A valid driver's license and a reliable vehicle.

• Strong communication and interpersonal skills.

• Ability to work independently and as part of a team.

• Flexibility and adaptability in a fast-paced environment.

• Compassion, empathy, and a genuine desire to help others.

Physical Requirements:

• Light work: Exerting up to 20 pounds of force occasionally (exists up to 1/3 of the time) and/or up to 10 pounds of force frequently (exists 1/3 to 2/3 of the time) and/or a negligible amount of force constantly (exists 2/3 or more of the time) to move objects.
• Requires walking or standing to a significant degree, or requires sitting most of the time but entails pushing and/or pulling of arm or leg