ChristianaCare is looking to hire a Part Time Peer Counselor for an early intervention program, Project Engage in Newark, DE!

Project Engage is an early intervention and referral to substance use disorder treatment program designed to help hospital patients who may be struggling with alcohol or drug use. Project Engage collaborates with hospital staff to identify and connect patients with community-based substance use disorder treatment programs and other resources.

Work Schedule:

• 9am-1pm
• Sunday, Thursday, Friday, Saturday

PRIMARY FUNCTION:

Project Engage Peer Counselor, also known as an Engagement Specialist, is a peer with lived experience recovering from a mental health or substance use disorder (SUD). S/he is responsible for engaging individuals who present at Christiana Care and who, through screening, are determined to need additional assessment and intervention for their substance use disorder. The Peer Engagement Specialist works with other Peer Engagement Specialists, Social Workers, Project Engage administrative staff, hospital clinical team caring for the patient, community-based SUD treatment provides, to identify SUD treatment resources, make linkages, and provide coaching to ensure that patients are linked to appropriate services upon discharge from the hospital. Peer Engagement Specialists provide support that is trauma-informed and will work on an interdisciplinary team and provide advocacy, insight, and support to other team members and service recipients about the resources available and the successes and challenges faced by individuals who are recovering from SUDs. Provision of direct patient care comprises more than 75% of the job.

PRINCIPAL DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES:

• Works with the staff of Project Engage and the hospitals to identify individuals who have signs and symptoms of substance use to screen, assess, and, as necessary, link those individuals to treatment in the community following discharge.
• Uses lived experience with a substance use disorder to engage and direct individuals who are in the hospital to acknowledge need for treatment and agree to service linkages, and assists in supporting individuals to move ahead on their recovery paths.
• Engages patients at the bedside and conducts motivational interviewing to understand patient barriers and direct patient to get the appropriate level of care.
• Provides education on the dangers of drug and alcohol use for all patients not ready to receive SUD treatment. This includes educating patients, friends and/or family members on Narcan safety and use and providing Narcan to them.
• Document engagements each day on required forms and communicate pertinent information regarding patient engagements at the end of each day.
• Assess patient stage of change and help clients to accept help which emphasizes their strengths by sharing their own personal story and provide mutual support, hope, reassurance and advocacy
• Promotes recovery through modeling his/her own person story, self-confidence, achievements, and self-determination, and the use of natural supports such as self-help and 12 Step Programs
• Maintains accurate and timely documentation and keeps other staff informed of all changes in the status of patients as described in Project Engage manual.
• Adheres to all Christiana Care policies and confidentiality requirements including Project Engage manual.

EDUCATION AND EXPERIENCE REQUIREMENTS:

• High school diploma or equivalent
• The Peer Counselor is an individual who has a unique perspective because of his/her own experience with SUD or mental health disorder. S/he must be willing to self-disclose as appropriate and to attend training leading to certification as a Certified Peer Recovery Specialist within one year of hire.
• One year experience working in the mental health field in voluntary or paid position.

KNOWLEDGE, SKILL, AND ABILITY REQUIREMENTS:

• Knowledge regarding substance use disorders and the methods used to assess and treat substance use disorders.
• Ability to use Motivational Interviewing to engage individuals, including those who are in the pre-contemplation stage of their SUD, to consider addressing the problem.
• Ability to provide supportive counseling and case management services.
• Skilled in 21st century technology to communicate with patients and staff (i.e. ipads, applications)
• Completion of Peer Recovery Specialist certification training within one year of hire

EEO Statement: Christiana Care Health System is an equal opportunity employer, firmly committed to prohibiting discrimination, whose staff is reflective of its community, and considers qualified applicants for open positions without regard to race, color, sex, religion, national origin, sexual orientation, genetic information, gender identity or expression, age, veteran status, disability, pregnancy, citizenship status, or any other characteristic protected under applicable federal, state, or local law.

UPDATE: ChristianaCare is committed to prioritizing the health and safety of our patients and caregivers. As we continue to meet the needs of our caregivers and our community through the COVID-19 pandemic, our commitment to health and safety requires that we take new steps to ensure a safe environment for medical care for our patients and a workplace that avoids preventable harm for our caregivers. For this reason, vaccination for COVID-19 is required for all caregivers at ChristianaCare and is considered a safety standard that is job-related and consistent with business necessity for all caregivers.