Peer Specialist - Relapse Prevention Team

Overview

Primary Goal of the Position

To engage and empower individuals at high risk of relapse by providing recovery-oriented peer support, strengthening treatment engagement, promoting community integration, reinforcing relapse prevention strategies, and supporting successful transitions from higher levels of care, thereby reducing psychiatric hospitalizations, crisis episodes, emergency department utilization, substance use relapse, homelessness, and involvement with the criminal justice system while improving long-term recovery outcomes.

Responsibilities

Recovery Engagement and Relapse Prevention

• Utilize lived experience to establish trusting, recovery-oriented relationships that promote hope, resilience, self-determination, and self-advocacy.
• Engage individuals transitioning from inpatient psychiatric hospitalization, Adult Outpatient Treatment (AOT), Crisis Stabilization Programs, Assertive Community Treatment (ACT), Intensive Day Treatment (IDT), First Episode Psychosis programs, Stepping Up, and other intensive behavioral health services.
• Conduct proactive outreach to individuals identified as high risk for psychiatric relapse, crisis service utilization, substance use relapse, homelessness, or treatment disengagement.
• Assist individuals in identifying personal strengths, recovery goals, wellness objectives, relapse triggers, early warning signs, and barriers to recovery.
• Support development and implementation of individualized recovery plans, Wellness Recovery Action Plans (WRAP), Illness Management and Recovery (IMR), Wellness Management and Recovery (WMR), crisis prevention plans, safety plans, and relapse prevention strategies.
• Reinforce recovery skills and coping strategies that promote stability, self-management, and long-term wellness.

Recovery Coaching and Peer Support

• Provide recovery coaching focused on increasing treatment engagement, personal accountability, and independent functioning.
• Model recovery through the appropriate use of lived experience while maintaining professional boundaries and adherence to the Alabama Certified Peer Specialist Code of Ethics.
• Encourage active participation in treatment, medication management, behavioral health services, substance use treatment, primary care, and wellness activities.
• Assist individuals in identifying meaningful goals related to employment, education, housing, relationships, health, and community participation.
• Promote self-advocacy by assisting individuals in preparing for treatment team meetings, expressing preferences, and participating in person-centered treatment planning.
• Support informed decision-making regarding treatment options, benefits, housing, employment, and community resources.

Community Integration and Resource Linkage

• Assist individuals in accessing community resources including housing, transportation, employment, education, food assistance, legal resources, financial benefits, and recovery supports.
• Educate individuals regarding available benefits including Medicaid, Medicare, SSI, SSDI, SNAP, and other community assistance programs.
• Assist individuals with obtaining identification, completing applications, renewing benefits, and securing documentation necessary for housing, employment, and community services.
• Teach practical community living skills including transportation planning, budgeting, shopping, medication routines, social skills, and independent living skills.
• Encourage participation in mutual support groups such as Alcoholics Anonymous (AA), Narcotics Anonymous (NA), SMART Recovery, Dual Recovery Anonymous, and other recovery-oriented community supports.

Care Coordination and Team Collaboration

• Participate as an active member of the interdisciplinary Relapse Prevention Team by collaborating with therapists, case managers, behavioral specialists, medical assistants, psychiatrists, nurses, primary care providers, and community partners.
• Attend treatment team meetings to advocate for the individual's recovery goals and preferences.
• Communicate changes in functioning, engagement, recovery progress, and identified barriers to the treatment team.
• Assist with appointment reminders, follow-up after missed appointments, and re-engagement of individuals who have become disconnected from treatment.
• Support continuity of care during transitions between levels of behavioral health and medical services.

Crisis Prevention and Early Intervention

• Assist individuals in recognizing early warning signs of psychiatric or substance use relapse.
• Reinforce the use of individualized crisis prevention plans, safety plans, and relapse prevention strategies.
• Encourage use of coping skills and natural supports before symptoms escalate.
• Immediately notify the Lead Therapist or appropriate clinical staff of significant changes in mental status, medication non-compliance, suicidal or homicidal ideation, substance use relapse, psychiatric decompensation, aggressive behavior, self-harm, homelessness risk, or other Red Flag Alert events identified by the Relapse Prevention Team.
• Participate in outreach efforts to re-engage individuals following missed appointments, crisis episodes, or hospital discharge.

Recovery Education

• Provide education and coaching on recovery principles, whole health, wellness, self-care, symptom management, relapse prevention, and healthy lifestyle practices.
• Teach wellness management strategies using evidence-informed recovery tools including WRAP, IMR, WMR, and other approved curricula.
• Promote understanding of the relationship between behavioral health, physical health, substance use recovery, and overall wellness.
• Educate staff, individuals served, and families (when appropriate) regarding the role and value of Certified Peer Support Specialists within a recovery-oriented system of care.

Documentation and Medicaid Compliance

• Complete all required documentation within 24 hours of service delivery in accordance with Alabama Medicaid Chapter 105, CCBHC standards, organizational policies, and applicable accreditation requirements.
• Maintain accurate, timely, person-centered documentation that demonstrates medical necessity, interventions provided, progress toward treatment goals, recovery outcomes, and individual participation.
• Document outreach activities, peer support interventions, care coordination, recovery planning, relapse prevention activities, and community contacts in the electronic health record.
• Maintain confidentiality in accordance with HIPAA, 42 CFR Part 2, and organizational policies.

Productivity, Performance Improvement, and Professional Development

• Maintain a minimum productivity expectation of five (5) patient contacts per day, unless otherwise directed by program leadership.
• Actively participate in multidisciplinary team meetings, Performance Improvement (PI) initiatives, program evaluations, and organizational committees as assigned.
• Participate in regular supervision and seek consultation regarding ethical concerns, role clarification, and clinical issues requiring licensed staff intervention.
• Complete all required training related to CCBHC standards, Alabama Medicaid, trauma-informed care, cultural competency, motivational interviewing, recovery-oriented practices, suicide prevention, and organizational policies.
• Maintain Alabama Certified Peer Specialist (CPS) certification and all required continuing education.

Professional Conduct

• Treat individuals, families, visitors, and coworkers with dignity, compassion, respect, and cultural humility.
• Protect individual privacy and confidentiality at all times.
• Demonstrate professionalism, integrity, accountability, and ethical behavior consistent with the Certified Peer Specialist Code of Ethics.
• Foster a welcoming, trauma-informed, recovery-oriented environment that values individual choice and person-centered care.
• Perform other duties as assigned that are consistent with the mission of the Relapse Prevention Team and AltaPointe Health.

Qualifications

Minimum Qualifications:

High School diploma or equivalent and Peer Specialist Certification through State of Alabama Department of Mental Health preferred, an/or obtained within 6 months of employment.  Must be 23 years of age, maintain a valid Alabama driver license and an acceptable driving record, and have proof of current liability insurance.

To be obtained within 6 months of employment:

• Knowledge of psychiatric disorders in the adult population
• Knowledge of cultural diversity
• Knowledge of behavior management, crisis intervention and interventions common to acute psychotic consumers; as well as, to non-violent crisis intervention practices
• Knowledge of psychiatric rehabilitation principles
• Knowledge of available community employment resources
• Knowledge of educational methods appropriate to adults with psychiatric disorder