THIS IS AN INTERNAL "ONLY" JOB POSTING, AVAILABLE TO CURRENT MONTGOMERY COUNTY GOVERNMENT EMPLOYEES.

This position is open only to:

1. Current Montgomery County Government employees;
2. Montgomery County employees who were affected by reduction-in-force and currently have RIF priority rights;
3. Active Montgomery County local fire and rescue department volunteers with at least 50 points under the length of service award program;
4. Active Montgomery County Customized Employment Public Interns, QUEST Interns, Project SEARCH Interns or former Montgomery County Customized Employment Public Interns, QUEST Interns, or Project SEARCH Interns within 24 months of completion of internship.

The expected salary range for this role upon hire is $60,513- $85,308.

WHO WE ARE

Montgomery County is located adjacent to Washington, D.C., and with over one million residents, is the most populous County in the State of Maryland. The County is also the most diverse County in the State and ranks among the top ten most diverse Counties in the nation. Montgomery County contains many major U.S. government offices, scientific research and learning centers, and business campuses.

The Department of Health and Human Services is responsible for delivery of the County’s public health and human services that meets the needs of our community’s most vulnerable children, adults, and seniors. The Department provides services through more than 120 programs at more than 20 locations. With over 2,000 employees, the Department of Health and Human Services is the largest County Department.

As a Department, we believe health and wellness of the county can only be achieved by ensuring that every resident has fair opportunities to reach their fullest potential. This means access to quality housing, transportation, education, employment, health care, human services, safe neighborhoods, and healthy food. HHS provides critical services for residents who face a variety of obstacles in achieving their full potential. HHS plays an essential role in building a healthy and strong community.

WHO WE ARE LOOKING FOR

The Crisis Center is currently recruiting for an enthusiastic individual for the position of Community Service Aide III/Peer Support Specialist with experience in mental health and substance use disorders who enjoys working with a diverse population of all ages and a wide range of psychiatric diagnoses and co-occurring disorders. If you have inpatient psychiatric, emergency room, residential or group home experience or have served on a mobile crisis team, our clients could benefit from your skills. If you want to improve your confidence and skill in assessing risk, this is the best program in the county to help you accomplish that goal. Self-motivated, flexible individuals who enjoy crisis work are encouraged to apply.

This position includes working at the main Crisis Center site and/or satellite locations. The primary duties include participating on a mobile crisis outreach team (MCOT) providing outreach to clients in need of mental health and/or substance abuse treatment and providing ongoing support/follow-up for clients identified during a mobile crisis outreach (MCOT) visit.

The MCOT environment will include some community outreach, working at one or more satellite locations and co-conducting assessments outside, inside, on the street, often going up and down many steps, in inclement weather or poor conditions.

Other duties include participating in answering phones in the operations room and providing information, resources and education to clients or consumers about mental health and/or substance abuse treatment, providing ongoing support for clients participating in the Residential Crisis Services program (RCS) which includes participating in daily routines/therapeutic milieu, facilitating meal prep, putting away laundry, co-leading groups, quick cup urines, escorting clients to medical appointments and encouraging residents’ continued participation/engagement to successful program completion.

Responsibilities for this Crisis Center CSA III, Certified Peer Recovery Specialist Position work as a multidisciplinary team member sharing direct service responsibilities with other Crisis Center staff. These positions are considered essential personnel for the Department of Health and Human Services during county emergencies.

Minimum Requirements

Experience: Three (3) years of experience providing delivery of social, health and/or public assistance services.

Education: Completion of high school or High School Certificate of completion recognized in the State of Maryland.

Equivalency: An equivalent combination of education and experience may be substituted.

Interview Preference Criteria

• Some para-professional experience as a mental health or substance use disorder practitioner working with individuals experiencing co-occurring disorders, persistent mental health or substance use disorders.
• Experience working in a crisis center, hospital emergency room, and/or any other 24/7 setting providing behavioral health services.
• Experience working in a residential treatment setting or an inpatient psychiatric hospital setting.
• At least 1 year of experience providing peer recovery support services to individuals with co-occurring disorders, persistent mental illness and/or victimization and trauma.
• Experience providing crisis intervention and/or peer recovery support services during community wide emergencies such as natural disasters, serious accidents, and or other emergency situations that might include fatalities.
• Experience providing mobile outreach response to psychiatric emergencies that may include death.
• Multilingual Spanish Basic Preferred.