Certified Peer Specialist

Job Description:

Job Title: Certified Peer Specialist

Location: Independence, Missouri

Department: Recovery Services

Employment Type: Full Time

Shift: Tuesday- Saturday and/or Sunday- Thursday

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 Certified Peer Specialist in the Kansas City, Missouri area!

Our Certified Peer Specialist (CPS) provides recovery-focused support to individuals experiencing mental health challenges. Drawing upon their personal experience with mental illness, CPSs offer hope, inspiration, and guidance to those seeking to manage symptoms, navigate complex systems, and reclaim their lives. Key job duties of a CPS include empowering individuals to recognize their strengths, set goals, and make informed choices; advocating on behalf of consumers to improve systems and policies; and supporting individuals in advocating for themselves. By combining their own experiences with formal training, CPSs play a critical role in fostering growth, independence, and recovery among people navigating mental health challenges.

Living in the Kansas City area provides a wonderful blend of Midwestern charm and urban sophistication. Known for its world-class barbecue, jazz heritage, and professional sports teams, Kansas City offers a plethora of activities to entertain and engage residents. With a vibrant arts scene, an extensive park system, excellent school districts, a plethora of family-friendly attractions, and an affordable cost of living, the Kansas City area allows you and your loved ones to enjoy a high quality, balanced, and enjoyable lifestyle.

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.

Education, Experience, and/or Credential Qualifications:

• Must be a Certified Missouri Peer Specialist with at least a high school diploma or GED.
• Ability to read and interpret documents such as safety rules, operating and maintenance instructions, and procedure manuals.
• Ability to write routine reports and correspondence.
• Ability to communicate effectively before groups of clients, employees of the organization, family members, and other contacts in the community.
• Ability to add, subtract, multiply, and divide in all units of measure, using whole numbers, common fractions, and decimals.
• Ability to apply common-sense understanding to carry out instructions furnished in written, oral, or diagram form.
• Ability to deal with problems involving several concrete variables in standardized situations.
• Shall successfully complete all mandatory continuing education to maintain certificate and successfully complete CPR, First Aid, and CPI Training.
• Shall be able to establish effective relationships via telephone and personal contacts.
• Shall be able to follow direction and accept supervision.
• Shall have the ability to work with a variety of human problems and the competence to handle crisis intervention.
• Shall be able to enter clinical documentation into a computerized record system.

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.

Position Perks & Benefits:

Paid time off: full-time employees receive an attractive time off package to balance your work and personal life

Employee benefits package: full-time employees receive health, dental, vision, retirement, life, & more

Top-notch training: initial, ongoing, comprehensive, and supportive

Career mobility: advancement opportunities/promoting from within

Welcoming, warm, supportive: a work culture & environment that promotes your well-being, values you as human being, and encourages your health and happiness.

Brightli is on a Mission:

A mission to improve client care, reduce the financial burden of community mental health centers by sharing resources, a mission to have a larger voice in advocacy to increase access to mental health and substance user care in our communities, and a mission to evolve the behavioral health industry to better meet the needs of our clients.

As a behavioral and community mental health provider, we prioritize fostering a culture of belonging and connection within our workforce. We encourage applications from individuals with varied backgrounds and experiences, as we believe that a rich tapestry of perspectives strengthens our mission. If you are passionate about empowering local communities and creating an environment where everyone feels valued and supported, we invite you to join our mission-driven organization dedicated to cultivating an authentic workplace.

We are an Equal Employment Opportunity Employer.

Burrell Behavioral Health is a Smoke and Tobacco Free Workplace.