Youth Peer Support Specialist
Ramey-Estep / Re-group
Summary
The Youth Peer Support Specialist (YPSS) uses personal lived experience to engage children, adolescents, and their caregivers in Boyd, Carter, Elliott, Greenup, and Lawrence counties referred to RE's NEKY Children Crisis-to-Community Regional Telebehavioral Health Spoke. As a member of the Collaborative Care team, the YPSS helps youth and families stay connected to care after a referral, crisis, emergency department visit, or hospital discharge by providing peer support, outreach, resource navigation, and re-engagement, while adhering to Kentucky's regulatory standards for youth peer support services.
Job description
Function
The Youth Peer Support Specialist (YPSS) uses personal lived experience to engage children, adolescents, and their caregivers in Boyd, Carter, Elliott, Greenup, and Lawrence counties referred to RE's NEKY Children Crisis-to-Community Regional Telebehavioral Health Spoke. As a member of the Collaborative Care team, the YPSS helps youth and families stay connected to care after a referral, crisis, emergency department visit, or hospital discharge by providing peer support, outreach, resource navigation, and re-engagement, while adhering to Kentucky's regulatory standards for youth peer support services.
Essential Duties and Responsibilities
- Share relevant personal experiences to build trust, hope, and engagement with youth and caregivers referred through primary care, schools, EMS, hospitals, and community partners.
- Contact youth and families promptly after referral, including within 24 to 72 hours after a crisis, emergency department visit, or hospital discharge, to explain services, schedule appointments, and confirm attendance.
- Serve as a role model, demonstrating effective coping strategies, resilience, and recovery.
- Empower youth and caregivers to voice their preferences in the development and implementation of their care plans.
- Participate in Collaborative Care team meetings and case reviews to share the youth's perspective and advocate for their needs.
- Help families overcome barriers to care, including transportation, medication access, benefits, housing, food insecurity, school disruption, and caregiver stress, through warm handoffs to community resources.
- Re-engage youth and families after missed appointments or loss of contact, and support continued engagement at 7, 30, 60, and 90 days.
- Help youth and families set up and use telehealth services, including loaned tablets and hotspots.
- Coordinate with schools, Family Resource and Youth Services Centers, and community partners to support youth in the program.
- Enhance youth self-advocacy skills and confidence.
- Educate primary care and community partners about youth culture and the value of peer support to improve service delivery.
- Gather youth and caregiver feedback to support program quality improvement.
- Complete required documentation, including contacts, social needs referrals, and follow-up outcomes, within required timeframes to support grant reporting.
- Complete other duties as assigned.
Working Conditions/Environment
Holidays, weekends, evenings, and extra hours may occasionally be required. Community-based position with daily local travel across Boyd, Carter, Elliott, Greenup, and Lawrence Counties. Work with youth and families who may be in crisis or experiencing acute distress. Environment varies between office, telehealth, in-home, schools, primary care offices, and other community-based settings.
Requirements
- High School Diploma or GED required
- Lived experience as a youth receiving mental health or substance use services, or involvement in foster care, residential, or other DCBS or DJJ setting is required
- Must be between the ages of 18 and 35 per state regulations governing this service
- Excellent interpersonal and communication skills
- Strong problem-solving and critical-thinking abilities
- Must maintain a valid Driver's License and insurability
- Proficiency with Microsoft Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and other applications used by the organization or regulatory agencies
- Must be able to utilize telehealth platforms and electronic health records on a laptop or tablet
- Ability to understand and relate to the needs of clients from diverse backgrounds
- Ability to read, write and converse in English
- Successful completion of a pre-employment drug screen
- Successful completion of a background screening
- Successful completion of a TB skin test or proof of a negative chest x-ray or other documentation
- Successful completion of Excellent Foundations
- Maintain 40 hours of annual training
- Complete program training in Collaborative Care workflows, suicide risk identification, trauma-informed care, crisis escalation protocols, HIPAA, and 42 CFR Part 2 privacy, and telehealth technology
- Maintain CPR/1st Aid training
Benefits
- 401(k) Matching
- Paid Leave
- Health Insurance
- Dental Insurance
- Vision Insurance
Company overview
Ramey-Estep / Re-group is a behavioral health organization specializing in comprehensive mental health care services. The company operates as a healthcare provider focused on delivering evidence-based treatment programs for individuals and families dealing with mental health challenges, substance abuse issues, and behavioral disorders. With a strong commitment to community-based care, Ramey-Estep / Re-group provides a continuum of services including residential treatment, outpatient counseling, crisis intervention, and prevention programs. The organization emphasizes trauma-informed care and holistic approaches to mental wellness, serving diverse populations across multiple locations. Their clinical teams consist of licensed professionals including psychiatrists, psychologists, therapists, and social workers who collaborate to develop personalized treatment plans. As a key player in the behavioral health sector, Ramey-Estep / Re-group maintains partnerships with healthcare systems, educational institutions, and community organizations to expand access to quality mental health services and promote mental health awareness in the regions they serve.