Drop-In Center Youth Peer Support Specialist - Port - Military veterans preferred

The Youth Peer Support Specialist is a part of the Children’s Targeted Case Management Team and supports youth within the Green River Region. They use relevant personal stories to teach through experience, serving as a role model for clients identified as at risk or high risk for mental and/ or behavioral health issues. They ensure clients’ voices and choices are empowered according to the current System of Care. This person will themselves have received state-funded services from at least one child-serving agency and will demonstrate leadership and advocacy abilities in the field of behavioral health.

Essential Functions:

• Provides support to youth through sharing lived experiences in accessing mental health/ behavioral health supports.
• Uses lived experiences to teach through experience and serves as an appropriate role model for youth.
• Supports clients through attendance to mental/ behavioral health team meetings, ARC meetings, etc., upon request to ensure empowerment of youth voice and choice per system of care.
• Supports and guides youth in understanding youth culture, developing self-advocacy measures, and developing relationships with community partners in order to eventually advocate for themselves and access services more fully.
• Maintains up to date knowledge of youth-related mental and behavioral health issues.
• Maintains timely completion of required trainings, supervisions, meeting attendance, etc., at state and organizational levels
• Meets requirements of being a transition aged youth or young adult between the ages of 21-35 who has an emotional, social, behavioral, and/ or substance use disability and who has or is currently receiving state-funded services related to that disability from at least one child-servicing agency.
• Spearheads development of Youth Councils in Daviess and Henderson counties, as well as develops and facilitates at least one youth support group.
• Maintains, in a comprehensive manner, all required documentation pertinent to role, in written and/ or Avatar formats.
• Fosters collaborative working relationships among members of the leadership and management teams and programs.
• Other duties as assigned.

Education and Experience:

• High School diploma or GED.
• Meets the criteria as a youth having lived with an emotional, social, behavioral, and/ or substance use disability.
• Must be between the ages of 21-35.
• Must have successfully completed the Kentucky Family Leadership Academy.
• Must have completed a short essay discussing experience of having received state-funded services from at least one child-serving agency.
• Valid Driver’s License

Knowledge and Skills:

• Demonstrates experience with leadership and advocacy in the behavioral health field, both with individuals and groups.
• Demonstrates effort at self-directed leadership development.
• Good communication skills, both oral and written.
• Demonstrates relevant knowledge of pertinent community partners.
• Ability to make appropriate decisions and manage conflict.
• Ability to model appropriate behaviors for youth accessing service.

We offer:

• Competitive pay based on experience
• Free training
• Comprehensive benefits package including health insurance, dental, vision, long-term disability, and Teledoc
• Employer-paid life insurance and long-term disability
• Paid vacation and sick leave
• Holiday pay
• State Sponsored Pension and Retirement planning
• Mileage reimbursement for work-related driving
• Tuition reimbursement program
• Career development and growth opportunities
• Employee Assistance Program
• Employment Referral Program