One of Georgia’s largest behavioral healthcare providers, Highland Rivers Behavioral Health provides compassionate, professional treatment and recovery services to adults, children, families and veterans affected by mental health issues, substance abuse and addiction, and intellectual and developmental disabilities. Our purpose is to help every individual recover and live independent, successful and fulfilling lives.

The Listening, Inspiring, and Guiding Healthy Transitions (LIGHT) Program is an Early Treatment Program (ETP) that provides transitional services to individuals in Cobb County. The LIGHT Program is a team based, multi-element approach to treating transition age youth and young adults, ages 16-30 years old with FEP (First Episode Psychosis).

Highland Rivers is seeking a Certified Peer Specialist with either Parent or Youth Certification.

Responsibilities include:

• Engage and assist youth/young adults in identifying strengths which aid and barriers that impede the recovery process.
• Facilitates peer support group sessions with youth/young adults in a clinic setting, community and/or home based setting
• Assists youth/young adults in gaining skills to promote the recovery process (self-advocacy, developing natural supports, etc.)
• Provide ongoing emotional support, modeling and mentoring during various phases of the service/support planning process.
• Help youth/young adults better understand choices offered by service providers.
• Assist youth/young adults with the acquisition of the skills and knowledge necessary to sustain an awareness of their needs as well as his/her strengths.
• Support, model, and coach youth/young adults to help with their level of engagement in all health-related processes.
• Cultivate the youth/young adult’s ability to make informed, independent choices which will include others who have been through similar experiences.
• Assist the youth/young adult in understanding the various system processes and how these relate to the recovery process and their valued role.
• Assist the youth/young adult in understanding what a behavioral health diagnosis means and what a journey to recover may look like.
• Assist the youth/young adult in understanding the role of prescribed services and medication in diminishing/managing the symptoms of the condition while increasing resilience and functioning in living with the condition.
• Identify the importance of self-care, addressing the need to maintain family whole health and wellness in order to ultimately support the youth.
• Document client progress and interventions in the electronic health record system within established time frame for quality of care and billing purposes.
• May assist with coordination of the services and activities of additional support programs and community integration activities as well as child & adolescent services treatment programs.
• Maintains confidentiality for all indirect/direct service in accordance with agency policies and HIPPA policies.
• Other responsibilities and tasks as may be assigned.

• High school diploma or GED
• 1 - 3 years of experience in a social services related position.
• Must be a Certified Peer Specialist with Parent or Youth certification.
• Computer skills, organizational and teaching skills, ability to work with minimal supervision.
• Must be able to pass background investigation, drug screen and have good 7yr. motor vehicle report.
• Bi-Lingual abilities a plus