Peer Specialist | Psychiatric Inpatient Therapies | Full-time | Days

Build your career as a Peer Specialist at UF Health in beautiful Gainesville, Florida where Nature and Culture meet. Our thriving community is known for its unique blend of natural beauty, innovation, cultural energy, and recreation. UF Health is consistently ranked among the nation’s best hospitals and we are committed to excellence in healthcare. Our patients and our people are at the center of everything we do. Make UF Health your next career destination.

The Peer Specialist role provides practical advice, suggestions, and strategies of recovery to patients as an empowering helper with perspective of being a recipient of mental health services in the past. They also provide one-on-one, group sessions, and conversations in the general milieu with patients focused on current recovery and tools used to be successful. This position will utilize Peer Specialists to provide hope, support, and education, and assist patients in setting recovery goals. Peer Specialists are considered members of the treatment team and will provide input on the patient's care. This position will be required to document in the patient's chart, provide Q15 minutes checks, 1:1 Monitoring, Escorting patients off-unit/off-campus activity, assist Mental Health Technicians and Mental Health Specialists with psychoeducation groups, provide peer-led groups, provide mentoring, and engage in therapeutic milieu monitoring and safety management. Peer Specialists will also be part of the Trauma-Informed Care initiatives relating to patient care improvements. They will additionally participate in on-going Quality Improvement (QI) activities, including sitting on unit QI task force committees. This position requires the ability to work as part of a team under the supervision of social services staff, Nursing staff, and the Director of Clinical Services.

Schedule

FTE: 1.0

Hours: 8:30am-5:00pm

Days: Variable

Location: Gainesville, FL

Must successfully pass an AHCA Level 2 screening for this position:  https://info.flclearinghouse.com/

Education

Required: High School Diploma or equivalent

Experience

Required:

• Minimum four years relevant experience; OR
• Associate's degree or equivalent with a minimum two years relevant experience; OR
• Bachelor's degree or equivalent with a minimum one year relevant experience
• Relevant experience include types of peer mentoring, working with at-risk populations, volunteering at a local crisis center, patient care at a hospital, or experience working directly with a population similar to ones listed here.
• Candidates must be in sustained recovery from a mental health condition for a minimum of two years and be comfortable sharing personal lived experiences.

Preferred: Additional trainings that would be beneficial and desirable for the position is Motivational Interviewing training, Mental Health First Aid training, NAMI facilitator training, WRAP (Wellness Recovery Action Plan) training, and/or Crisis Center Phone Counselor training.

Preferred: Experience as a peer specialist on an inpatient psychiatric unit.

Licensure/Certification/Registration

Required: State of Florida Certification as a CRPS (Certified Recovery Peer Specialist) or CRSS (Cert Recovery Support Specialist is preferred AND will be REQUIRED within 18 months of starting the position.