Outreach and Peer Support Specialist

Job Title: Outreach and Peer Support Specialist

Reports To: Prevention Director

About CLARE|MATRIX:

CLARE|MATRIX is a nonprofit organization providing effective and compassionate treatment, recovery, and prevention services for alcoholism and substance abuse to individuals, families, and the community. Since 1970, CLARE|MATRIX has provided quality substance abuse and mental health treatment to men, women, and children in southern California. Through programs run by a compassionate, committed, results-oriented team of counselors, therapists, and administrators, CLARE|MATRIX continues to build its reputation as a leader in Evidence-Based Treatment practices and continues to break new ground in the areas of positive outcomes, outreach, research, and community involvement. Headquartered in Santa Monica, CA, CLARE|MATRIX maintains 7 facilities in the Southern California region; providing services to participants in a manner consistent with its Core Values: Compassion, Teamwork, Integrity, Empowerment, Adaptability and Equality.

Summary: The Outreach Navigator and Peer Support Specialist works on assigned grants and agency projects. Tasked with educating potential participants on C|M programming, services offered, SUD prevention and treatment options, they will work closely with the Project Director to identify individuals who may benefit from SUD treatment, case management and referral services and are experiencing homelessness. The Outreach Navigator and Peer Support Specialist will be assigned designated areas of the Santa Monica community to conduct outreach, may create and deliver presentations, educational seminars, attend community events, fairs and disseminate educational material. They will help to keep participants engaged by promoting relapse prevention and implementing peer support/harm reduction groups.

Primary Responsibilities and Duties:

• Build relationships with community organizations and agencies.
• Introduce grant criteria and goals to community partners and colleagues.
• Conduct street outreach in the Santa Monica area.
• Create and deliver presentations, educational seminars, and design social media campaigns for outreach efforts.
• Implement peer support groups, educational and life skills groups.
• Attend community events, fairs, disseminate brochures, etc. to promote services.
• Screen potential participants to ensure they meet grant criteria.
• Coordinate referral hand-offs to Admissions for a smooth admit process or AOD for referrals.
• Engage with each participant with respect and compassion while maintaining healthy boundaries.
• Support participants with recovery related activities including, but not limited to relapse prevention interventions, life skills, and whole person self-care.
• Facilitate correspondence between community partners and Admissions department.
• Efficiently and accurately track outreach data via spreadsheets.
• Actively participate in weekly supervision with Program Director.
• Attend and contribute during staff meetings.
• Other tasks as assigned by the manager.

Knowledge, Experience & Skills:

• Preferred Education: a minimum of a bachelor’s degree.
• Excellent organizational, verbal and written skills.
• The ideal candidate will have at least three years’ experience working with SUD and/homelessness population in behavioral health services delivery.
• Must have reliable transportation.
• Possess an understanding of issues related to substance abuse and mental health.
• State SUD counselor certification.
• Lived experience will be a plus.

Medical History:

All employees whose functions require or necessitate contact with client or food preparation shall complete a health screening report or a health questionnaire. Health screening report or health questionnaire will be provided upon hire. For all residential employees a health screening report be completed and signed off by a medical practitioner signature for clearance. All outpatient employees will complete at minimum a self-report screening questionnaire.

TB test are to be conducted under licensed medical supervision not more than 60 calendar days prior to or 7 calendar days after employment and renewed annually from the date of the last tuberculosis test. Staff with a known record of tuberculosis or record of positive testing shall not be required to obtain a tuberculosis skin test. Unless there is documentation that the staff completed at least 6 months of preventive therapy, the staff shall be required to obtain, within 45 calendar days of employment, a chest x-ray result and a physician’s statement that the incumbent does not have communicable tuberculosis and has been under regular care and monitoring for tuberculosis. A chest x-ray within the prior 6 months is acceptable. The physician’s statement shall be renewed annually.

Physical Demands:

While performing the responsibilities of the job, the employee is required to talk and hear. The employee is often required to sit and use their hands and fingers, to handle or feel. The employee is occasionally required to stand, walk, reach with arms and hands, climb or balance, and to stoop, kneel, crouch or crawl. Vision abilities required by this job include close vision.

These physical demands are representative of the physical requirements necessary for an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of the job. Reasonable accommodation can be made to enable people with disabilities to perform the described essential functions.

Work Environment:

This job will be primarily located at the CLARE|MATRIX’s offices in Santa Monica, CA. While performing the responsibilities of the job, these work environment characteristics are representative of the environment the job holder will encounter. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable people with disabilities to perform the essential functions of the job.