Civil Commitment Peer Support Specialist Success Profile
As a Peer Support Specialist for FolkTime’s OHA Civil Commitment Pilot Program, you will be working across the Portland Metro Area offering transitional support to individuals who have been civilly committed and are beginning the process of re-establishing community outside of the institutions where they were committed. Employing the Intentional Peer Support model and your lived experience of reentry, you will support individuals as they navigate their daily lives leading up to and after de-institutionalization, including the day-to-day activities of sustaining housing and arranging care and appointments; connecting people with community resources; supporting their setting goals towards which they will orient themselves; and supporting them as they reassess their lived experience. Responsibilities include maintaining a rotating case load of peer in coordination with local county contacts, enhancing community support networks, and collecting detailed program data to support the continuation of the pilot program as a longer-term contract.
You will provide compassionate, personalized support, connect peers with essential services, and ensure they feel safe and supported. Through your calm and presence, you will make a lasting impact on their lives.
Why You'll Love It Here:
· Exciting Challenges: Every day brings new challenges and opportunities to make a real impact on the mental healthcare landscape.
· Innovation Galore: Our team strives to innovate peer services in Oregon. We don’t just think outside the box; we're redesigning the entire experience.
· Collaborative Energy: Join a passionate team where collaboration is key. We value diverse perspectives, and your ideas will always find a welcome home.
· Continuous Growth: We're not just about training others; we're invested in your growth too. Your professional development is as important as the programs you'll be working.
Compensation: $24-25.00 per hour, based on experience
Hours: 40 hours/week.
Benefits: This position qualifies for FolkTime’s benefits package which includes health, vision, and dental insurance, 20 days paid time off (25 after year 1, 30 after year 3), short- and long-term disability, and floating holidays.
Department:
FolkTime Social Programs
Work location: In Community throughout the Portland Metro Area
This position will need the flexibility to arrange a schedule outside of more standard 9-5 hours.
This position will require reliable transportation and car insurance.
This position may be required to travel for relevant meetings, conferences, and trainings to support the organization.
Special Role Requirements:
Lived experience or peer work experience with Civil Commitment, Aid and Assist, and/or the PSRB is strongly desired and will be given preference. This will involve a strong element of data collection and reporting, in collaboration with FolkTime leadership, so experience with that is strongly desired.
Application Requirements:
· One-page cover-letter
· Resume
Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Commitment:
At FolkTime, diversity, equity, and inclusion are at the heart of our community. We're on a mission to build a team that mirrors the rich tapestry of backgrounds, cultures, abilities, and identities that make up our world. Why? Because embracing different perspectives fuels the empathy needed to support mental health and wellness. Join FolkTime and let's create a future where everyone's unique story is valued and celebrated.
Core Accountabilities:
We're diving headfirst into a world of lived-experiences, curiosity-driven conversations, and collaborative decision-making. Your contribution is more than a checklist – it propells our success story. Our outcomes reflect our continuous journey towards creating empowering, inclusive wellness environments. At FolkTime, we're rewriting our stories with enthusiasm and drive!
Building Supportive Relationships
· Talking and Sharing: Engaging in heartfelt conversations about personal experiences and actively listening to others' stories with compassion.
· Respecting Differences: Cultivating openness to diverse opinions and experiences without passing judgment, creating an atmosphere of acceptance.
· Forming Relationships: Fostering connections grounded in genuine care and understanding, acknowledging and empathizing with others' experiences.
Outcomes
· Learning Together: Promoting mutual learning experiences, contributing to a collective understanding of new perspectives and ideas.
· Feeling Stronger Together: Cultivating strength and confidence through meaningful and supportive relationships within the community.
Creating Brave Spaces
· Being Curious: Demonstrating genuine interest in others' thoughts and feelings, asking questions to deepen understanding.
· Supporting Bravery: Establishing safe environments where individuals feel comfortable sharing worries and problems without fear.
· Talking about Different Ideas: Initiating conversations that explore various facets of a situation, encouraging diverse viewpoints and promoting critical thinking.
Outcomes
· Understanding More: Enhancing comprehension of different points of view, making conversations more engaging and thought-provoking.
· Feeling Stronger Together: Building strength through meaningful discussions about significant matters that benefit everyone involved.
Understanding Yourself and Others Better
· Checking Your Bias: Reflecting on personal beliefs and understanding their impact on oneself and others.
· Respecting Everyone: Valuing everyone's background and experiences, recognizing and celebrating diversity.
· Being Kind and Listening: Practicing kindness and active listening without judgment, creating an environment of empathy.
Outcomes
· Feeling More Connected: Fostering a sense of closeness to others and deepening mutual understanding.
· Making Everyone Comfortable: Creating an environment where everyone feels safe and positive when sharing thoughts and feelings.
Working Together
· Making Plans Together: Collaborating with the team to develop plans and strategies that contribute to individual wellness.
· Shared Decisions: Sharing thoughts with others and empowering them to make choices aligned with their best interests.
· Collaborating positively with all stakeholders: Being sure to be present at state and team meetings, participating and understanding the ongoing requirements of the program.
Outcomes
· Feeling Stronger Together: Cultivating strength through collaborative efforts, fostering personal and collective growth.
· Making Choices Together: Making decisions collectively to ensure everyone feels satisfied and supported in the process.
· Developing partner relationships: Making sure FolkTime and your peers have a voice at the table when making decisions.
Creating Community
· Making Trust: Building a foundation of trust to encourage open discussions about worries and feelings.
· Being Open: Maintaining openness to diverse ideas and ensuring everyone feels included in the community.
· Supporting Each Other Grow: Creating spaces where everyone can learn, support one another, and thrive.
Outcomes
· Feeling Brave: Promoting a sense of bravery to share and learn without fear.
· Making Supportive Connections: Establishing a supportive community that understands and aids each other through both good and challenging times.
· Cultivating a welcoming community: Creating an environment comfortable socializing and community participation.
Always Learning and Trying New Things
· Self-Reflection: Engaging in self-reflection to understand actions and to strive for improvement.
· Learning: Actively seeking knowledge from diverse sources and applying it to personal and collective growth.
· Trying Hard: Investing effort in learning and understanding to benefit oneself and others.
Outcomes
· Constantly Growing: Fostering continuous personal and collective growth through learning and improvement.
· Growing Together: Nurturing a culture of shared growth and learning, enhancing the job's interest and value for everyone.
Ensuring Quality
· Detailed Notes and Documentation: Maintaining thorough and accurate notes documenting interactions and interventions. Ensuring all documentation aligns with organizational standards and program requirements.
· Efficient Paperwork Management: Organizing and managing paperwork efficiently to ensure accessibility and compliance. Reviewing and updating paperwork as necessary to reflect current program activities.
· Effectively tracking results: staying up to date on individual success stories and moments of other possibilities, to support our OHA partners in transitioning this to a long-term program.
Outcomes
· Accurate Record-Keeping: Records are detailed, and documentation is flawless to facilitate accurate record-keeping.
· Compliance: Record-keeping upholds compliance and promotes transparency within the program.
· Accurate reporting: Tracking outcome data will be essential to the continued success, and funding, of this program.
Qualifications: The things that make you awesome! At FolkTime, we welcome all applicants. If you're passionate about our mission, apply, even if you don't meet every qualification. Your unique skills could be the missing piece we need to significantly impact the mental health landscape. We don’t want to miss out on seeing your application just because a few boxes aren’t checked.
· Lived Experience: Lived experience or experience working closely with communities and individuals impacted by civil commitment, aid and assist programs, or the PSRB.
· Training and Certification: Certification in Intentional Peer Support, or willingness to attend the 40-hour Intentional Peer Support training and maintain certification with the Oregon Health Authority Traditional Health Worker’s Commission as a Peer Support Specialist. This includes maintaining Continuing Education Units (CEUs) required to keep certification, with assistance from FolkTime leadership.
· Good Communication: Being good at talking and listening to others.
· Working with Others: Work well with different groups and support anyone.
· Keeping Things Private: Knowing how to keep personal information private and safe.
· Navigating Complex Systems: Staying calm in the face of changing expectations and tough decisions. Knowing how to share that calm with others.
· Detail Oriented: Great at maintaining information about many things and reporting on it smoothly.
· Long-term Relationship Building: This role will involve working with folks who are striving for long-term success and will value building relationships that last.
· Getting Around: Having a car, a license, insurance, and the ability to pass a vehicle background check.
· Building Trust: Making professional relationships and being trusted by others easily.
· Working with Different Worldviews: Being respectful and open-minded when working with folks from different backgrounds.
· Knowing Different Languages: It's good if you can speak both English and Spanish.
FolkTime performs criminal background checks. We encourage those who have lived experience with the criminal justice system to check in early about this to see if this history would prevent them from being hired for a specific contract or program.
FolkTime's Journey:
Picture this: 1986 - FolkTime bursts onto the scene, not just as one of the first mental health peer support organizations but as a and organization with a bold vision to reshape the entire care landscape. Fueled by of peer-centered approaches, we kicked off a mission to provide not just care, but genuine relational support to those navigating the twists and turns of mental health and substance use systems.
Fast forward, FolkTime isn't just a support hub; it's a beacon of community-based mental health empowerment. Our full embrace of the Intentional Peer Support model has sparked a sea-change, giving individuals the keys to reclaim their narrative in the grand tapestry of recovery. Forget one-size-fits-all. We thrive on strength-based relationships, fostering resilience and celebrating the unique lived experiences of every single soul who walks through our doors.
Our commitment is more than steadfast; it's a drive to create inclusive spaces where everyone's voice is not just heard but echoes with respect and empowerment on their epic journey to wellness. The FolkTime saga continues, and you're invited to be part of the journey!
Pay: $24.00 - $25.00 per hour
Benefits:
- Bereavement leave
- Dental insurance
- Flexible schedule
- Health insurance
- Life insurance
- Paid time off
- Retirement plan
- Vision insurance
People with a criminal record are encouraged to apply
Work Location: In person
