Job Details

About the Company: Richmond Area Multi-Services (RAMS) is a private, non-profit mental health agency that is committed to advocating for and providing community based, consumer-guided services. RAMS offers behavioral health, social, vocational, and educational services that aim to meet the needs of the diverse communities in the City. Our agency is recognized by the local and national social service community as having expertise in providing culturally competent mental health services to the underserved, with expertise in working with the Asian & Pacific Islander and Russian-speaking populations.

Program Overview: A core program within RAMS' Division of Peer-Based Services, the RAMS Peer Wellness Center (PWC) is a peer-run drop-in center to support the recovery and wellness of clients accessing the SF Behavioral Health Services system of care. Funded by the San Francisco Dept. of Public Health through the Behavioral Health Services Act, the PWC supports individuals in their mental health and substance use recovery journeys through on-site services (and limited virtual services), including: peer support & recovery groups, skill-building groups, resource linkage, one-on-one peer counseling, monthly cultural events, and opportunities for psychoeducation and group activities, and more. The PWC is located in the mid-Market neighborhood and serves a diverse community of individuals from across San Francisco.

Job Summary: The Peer Counselor at the PWC provides trauma-informed and culturally responsive peer counseling services, including: participant engagement, facilitation of recovery, support, and activity-based groups, skills building workshops, referrals to community resources, cultural celebrations, and more. The Peer Counselor contributes to a safe and healthy environment, modelling the principles of wellness & recovery to help participants reduce isolation, build community, and become empowered to actively and collaboratively participate in their own care and recovery. As assigned, the Peer Counselor may additionally facilitate support and/or activity groups off-site at other community-based organizations within San Francisco's system of care.

Status: (1) Full-Time, 40 hours per week, may include weekend and/or evening hours.

(1) Part-Time, 20 hours per week, may include weekend and/or evening hours.

Primary Responsibilities Include:

• Facilitate recovery support groups, peer counseling group, activity-based groups, and skill-building workshops.
• Skillfully engage participants who are experiencing mental health issues, alcohol and/or drug use, poverty, homelessness, and/or other barriers to stability and employment, utilizing supportive counseling, overdose prevention strategies, and a strengths-based approach.
• Together with the team, help manage the Peer Wellness Center milieu by creating and maintaining a safe and welcoming environment where person-centered care is a top priority.
• Provide community-based resource information and linkage for clients in need of benefits, behavioral health treatment, and medical care.
• Assist with the community-based group facilitation team to extend services into the community, providing recovery support groups and activity groups at other partner sites in the system of care, including but not limited to: residential treatment centers and supportive living programs, as well as hospitals and other clinical settings.
• Support participants through individual services, as needed, including: one-on-one support sessions and individualized wellness reviews in support of the participant's health goals.
• Assist the program in holding special events and outreach activities, including cultural celebrations and open houses (both on-site and in the community).
• Collaborate with care providers, as appropriate, and other related services for participant well-being. This may include attending care planning meetings, preparing necessary documentation and reports, and regular communication with care providers
• Assist participants in accessing, navigating, and following up on the use of resources in the community, including: transportation, housing, decision-making, assistive technology, language, government programs, cultural adjustment, immigration services, food assistance, legal assistance, women's services, medical assistance, mental health services, vocational services, and education programs, and any other services that may support the participants on overcoming external barriers to well-being and self-sufficiency
• Maintain timely administrative and service documentation and records related to participant care and program-related monitoring, in accordance to standards specified by RAMS policies and oversight agencies (e.g. Dept. of Public Health)
• Develop and maintain clear, open, timely, cooperative, and diplomatic communications and working relations with all staff, participants, and partner agencies
• Engage in proactive and productive teamwork in a collaborative and flexible manner.
• Serve as model of professional standards for participants
• Participate in supervision meetings, wellness reviews, staff meetings, in-service training and other staff development activities
• Perform other duties as assigned

• At least a High School Diploma, or equivalent (GED, CHSPE Certificate), REQUIRED. Associate of Arts (AA) degree or higher from an accredited institution, very strongly preferred
• At least 2-3 years of direct personal "lived" experience with the community behavioral health system, REQUIRED
• Must be able to travel to and from Peer Wellness Center and other locations within San Francisco

• Completion of a mental health certificate program or equivalent education, very strongly preferred
• Minimum of two years of peer counseling or related experience, particularly working with diverse constituencies, very strongly preferred
• Applicants with ability to provide bilingual & culturally competent services in Spanish, Cantonese, Vietnamese, Russian, or Tagalog, highly preferred due to needs of the populations served
• Familiarity with community behavioral health systems of care in San Francisco, including the philosophy of care, levels of care for clinical services, and the delivery of such services
• Knowledge of San Francisco community resources/services (including health, mental health, substance abuse, vocational, housing, food, etc.) highly preferred
• Familiarity with Wellness and Recovery Model, the Support Employment Model, and other evidenced based practices such as Wellness-Recovery Action Planning (WRAP), Seeking Safety, and more
• Familiarity with working in a dynamic, activity-based, drop-in center environment is a plus
• Knowledge with service delivery documentation (including counseling planning) and HIPAA standards
• Ability to effectively triage clients upon first contact at reception de-escalating situations as appropriate and creating a plan of action in support of the client's best interest
• Ability to prioritize, multitask, and perform & complete duties with minimal supervision, both independently and as part of a team
• Strong commitment to the philosophy, goals, & mission of RAMS in providing community-based, culturally competent, and consumer-guided mental health services to the community
• Commitment to engaging in professional development activities such as trainings, continuing education seminars, case conferences, and reviewing up-to-date material, etc., as related to treatment strategies for the consumer populations served by DPH-BHS
• Strong interpersonal skills and ability to work effectively, function independently, and interact professionally with a diverse, multicultural, and interdisciplinary staff of all levels
• Friendly, service-oriented demeanor