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PEER SUPPORT SPECIALIST (Mental Health Worker II)

County of Orange
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In addition to performance-based merit increases, this position is scheduled to receive salary range increases on the following dates:

Effective June 28, 2024 – 4.25% increase

Effective June 27, 2025 – 4.00% increase

Salary may be negotiable within the range listed above, based on position requirements and successful candidate's qualifications, subject to appropriate authorization.

This recruitment is open to the public for a minimum of five (5) business days and will remain open on a continuous basis until 11:59 p.m. (PST) on the day the needs of the County are met. Applicants are encouraged to apply immediately. The open eligible list established by this recruitment will be used to fill current and future Peer Support Specialist (Mental Health Worker II) positions. This recruitment may also be used to fill positions in similar and/or lower classifications throughout the County. 

THE AGENCY
The County of Orange, Health Care Agency (HCA) is a dynamic organization dedicated to creating and supporting an environment that promotes the achievement of optimal individual, family and community health. Under the direction of the Agency Director, a new and dynamic executive team with an organizational structure comprised of five (5) service areas - Strategy and Special Projects, Mental Health and Recovery Services, Correctional Health Services, Medical Health Services and Public Health Services - is committed to meeting the health needs of the diverse Orange County community.

THE DEPARTMENT 
The Behavioral Health Services (BHS) Division consists of the following service areas Adult and Older Adult Behavioral Health, Mental Health Services Act Office, Authority and Quality Improvement Services and Children, Youth & Prevention Services, which provide a culturally competent and client-centered system of behavioral health services for all eligible county residents in need of treatment for alcohol and other drug abuse and mental health care. 
THE PROGRAMS
Adult and Older Adult (AOA) provides outpatient, recovery oriented, behavioral health services which emphasize individual needs, strengths, choices, and involvement in service planning and implementation.  Adults and Older Adults who have a serious and persistent mental disorder and may have a co-occurring substance use disorder and impairment in their ability to function in the community or who have a history of recurring substantial functional impairment, hospitalization or symptoms can access services.  
 Children and Youth Services (CYS) provides outpatient behavioral health services to Medi-Cal eligible or uninsured children and youth who need medically necessary treatment to ameliorate their mental and behavioral health conditions.  CYS provides case management, assessment, individual, group and family therapy, psychological testing, psychiatric evaluation and medication support, and therapeutic behavioral services to children and youth in Orange County.  
 
Outpatient Mental Health Clinic services include assessment, evaluation, individual and group therapy, substance use disorder treatment, medication support, peer support, rehabilitation, linkage and consultation, placement, plan development, crisis intervention and specialized residential services.
  THE OPPORTUNITY
The immediate vacancies are within the AOA and CYS program.
 
The Peer Support Specialist (Mental Health Worker II) assigned to the AOA program will serve as a Consumer or Family Peer Support Specialist and will be responsible for outreach, education, case management, skills building workshops, clubhouse activities, referral and linkage to resources, transportation support, and other related duties.
 
The Peer Support Specialist assigned to the CYS program will serve as a Parent Partner or Youth Partner. This position will work with children, youth and their families providing peer support services which may include individual and group skill building, referral and linkage to resources, transportation support, and other related duties. They will also work with other disciplines such as Psychiatrists, Clinical Psychologists and Behavioral Health Clinicians and as an adjunct to treatment to assist children and youth to reach their treatment goals and objectives.
 
DESIRABLE QUALIFICATIONS & CORE COMPETENCIES

The ideal candidate will have at least one (1) year of experience providing peer support services in a behavioral health setting and/or have completed peer support training. Additionally, the ideal candidate must have lived experience with a mental health condition by at least one of the following options below and be willing to self-identify and share their experiences to assist consumers and their family members with their recovery journey.

  • A past or current consumer of mental health services
  • Providing support to an adult family member in mental health recovery
  • As a parent/caregiver advocating on behalf of child/youth who is receiving or has received mental health services

 Mental health recovery refers to recovery from conditions such as major depression, bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, Serious Emotional Disturbance (for youth) and other such conditions. It does not include developmental disorders such as autism or cognitive disorders such as dementia or Alzheimer's Disease. For some Parent/Youth Partner positions, lived experience with the Juvenile Justice or Child Welfare System, either directly or as a parent/caregiver is highly desirable.
 
Experience working with the target population (children/youth and their parents/caregivers, adults or older adults) is highly desirable. 
 
Bilingual skills in the following languages are also highly desirable: Spanish, Vietnamese, Korean, Arabic, and Farsi. The candidates selected for these positions must also possess a valid California driver’s license as they will need to drive to various sites in the community to provide services and attend appointments with clients.
 
In addition, the ideal candidate will possess extensive knowledge and/or experience in the following competencies:
 

Professional and Technical Expertise | Using Technology

  • Understanding of recovery and resilience and peer support practices within the behavioral health context
  • Providing client/family and parent/caregiver (Children & Youth) services in the field/community
  • Providing consistent and reinforcing support, guidance and concrete assistance to parent/caregiver (Children & Youth)
  • Working with clients and parents/caregivers (Children & Youth) on life skills (e.g., coping skills, self-care, budgeting, nutrition, hygiene, managing stress, socialization, accessing and sustaining housing, obtaining transportation assistance)
  • Coordinating services with various community resources, including assisting with paperwork needed to access resources
  • Promoting knowledge of personal recovery and resilience when appropriate, to help educate clients, family members, parents/caregivers and team members in recovery principles, modeling and providing consultations
  • Planning and facilitating meaningful social and recreational activities and projects involving clients and parents/caregivers (Children & Youth), maximizing their skills, talents, engagement, and leadership
  • Collecting data on intervention activities, client demographics, and outcome measures.
  • Meeting with clients, family members and parents/caregivers (Children & Youth) to assess needs, address barriers to accessing services, and assist in the development and implementation of individualized care plans
  • Facilitating and co-facilitating wellness and recovery skills groups to target population
  • Attending trainings to increase knowledge and staff capacity about resources, services and how to engage the target population
  • Using a computer to complete program forms, prepare reports, log data, and track referrals and linkages

Building and Maintaining Relationships | Professional Impact

  • Establishing meaningful relationships with clients, family members and parents/caregivers, creating a safe and welcoming space
  • Maintaining frequent contact with clients to develop trust with the target population
  • Acting as a role model for clients, family members and parents/caregivers, and recognize the value of every individual's recovery experience
  • Providing assistance and guidance to clients, family members and parents/caregivers and help develop and assess vocational, educational, and other personal goals; help remove barriers to access
  • Attending collaborative meetings with other service providers, team members, and other peer support specialists to share information, discuss best practices, and case conference

Written and Oral Communication | Presentation

  • Communicating issues effectively while building relationships with participants, referral sources, and treatment team members
  • Presenting information clearly and concisely in person and/or in writing
  • Delivering the right amount of information in the time given and varies style and tone to fit the purpose and audience
  • Maintaining confidentiality of clients, records, and information


MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS
Click here to learn more about that minimum qualifications for Mental Health Worker II.

Physical Characteristics
Possess vision sufficient to read standard text and a computer monitor; speak and hear well enough to communicate clearly and understandably in person to individuals and groups and over the telephone; possess body mobility to stand, sit, walk, stoop and bend routinely to perform daily tasks and to access a standard office environment; possess manual dexterity sufficient to use hands, arms and shoulders repetitively to operate a keyboard, utilize office equipment and to write. Ability to operate a motor vehicle.
 
Mental Requirements
Possess the ability to independently reason logically to analyze data, reach conclusions and make recommendations; possess the ability to remain calm and appropriately focused in rapidly changing and difficult situations involving conflict, complex issues, controversy and diverse stakeholder groups and interests; possess the ability to deal calmly and effectively with emotional interactions.
 
Environmental Conditions
Will be required to interact with clients/patients in emotional and occasionally hostile situations; work in an office environment and/or a secure facility; drive to community sites and to meetings; occasionally work evenings/weekends to attend meetings/special events.
 
RECRUITMENT PROCESS
Human Resource Services (HRS) will screen all application materials to identify qualified applicants. After screening, qualified applicants will be referred to the next step in the recruitment process. All applicants will be notified via e-mail of their status in the process.

Veterans Employment Preference

The County is committed to providing a mechanism to give preferential consideration in the employment process to veterans and their eligible spouses and will provide eligible participants the opportunity to receive interviews in the selection process for employment and paid internship openings. Please click here (Download PDF reader) to review the policy.

Application Screening (Refer/Non-Refer)Applications and supplemental responses will be screened for qualifications that are highly desirable and most needed to successfully perform the duties of this job. Only those applicants that meet the qualifications as listed in the job bulletin will be referred to the next step.

Application Appraisal I Application Rating (Weighted 100%)
An Application Appraisal Panel (AAP) of job knowledge experts will thoroughly screen and evaluate all application materials for job knowledge, competencies, and related experience described above. The most qualified applicants will be placed on an eligible list. (The information you provide on your application/supplemental questions will be used as a scoring device, so please be descriptive in your response. "See Resume" is not a qualifying response and will not be scored.) 

Based on the County's needs, the selection procedures above may be modified. Candidates will be notified of any changes in the selection procedures.
 

Eligible List

Once the assessment has been completed, HRS will establish an eligible list of candidates. Candidates placed on the eligible list may be referred to a selection interview to be considered for present and future vacancies.