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Behavioral Health Peer Support Specialist

Edwards, Colorado, United States

Vail Health has become the world’s most advanced mountain healthcare system. Vail Health consists of an updated 520,000-square-foot, 56-bed hospital.  This state-of-the-art facility provides exceptional care to all of our patients, with the most beautiful views in the area, located centrally in Vail. Learn more about Vail Health here.

About the opportunity:

The Peer Support Specialist at Vail Health plays a crucial role in providing trauma-informed, strength-based, and client-centered support to individuals experiencing a behavioral health acute crisis or navigating the continuum of Behavioral Health care. Crisis Peer Support Specialists provide direct emergency and crisis assessment services through our community-wide 24/7 crisis and co-mobile response in a manner that aligns with specific regulatory and contractual requirements set forth by our Regional Accountable Entity and the Behavioral Health Authority (BHA). This position also maintains a select caseload of high-acuity patients, services as the 2765 Clinical Team lead, and provides coverage as needed. The Peer Support Specialist provides direct patient care, as well as collaborates with a wide array of healthcare and community resources to ensure that clients receive comprehensive, equitable care and stay connected to healthcare services for optimal health outcomes.

What you will do:
  1. 24/7 Crisis Response: Provides direct patient care through participation in mobile crisis response (paired response) to assess individuals in behavioral health crises, ensuring evidence-based de-escalation, evaluation, triage, intervention, and safety planning.
  2. Behavioral Health and Crisis Evaluations: Conducts urgent, comprehensive mental health evaluations for individuals seeking acute behavioral health care, including crisis intervention and evidenced-based risk assessments across Vail Health Behavioral Health clinics, the Precourt Healing Center, and the community. Completes crisis evaluations in a manner compliant with internal, state, and legal regulations including the BHA rules governing crisis response. 
  3. Therapeutic Services: Provides trauma-informed and culturally responsive peer support services that are patient-centered and reduce barriers to engagement. This includes short-term support interventions, 7 day a week stabilization services, and crisis resolution in both community and clinic settings, ensuring individuals are supported during and after a crisis. This may include individual, family, couples, and group intervention across the entire service line or within the community. 
  4. Intensive Outpatient Support: Facilitates and supports group therapy sessions for adults and adolescents, delivering evidence-based interventions and case management. Assists in biweekly therapeutic or medical visits, treatment team meetings, or consultations.
  5. Co-Location and Immediate Care Access: Works in a co-located setting within the Edwards Community Health Campus to provide immediate access to high acuity behavioral health services and ensure smooth transitions between crisis stabilization and other levels of care. 
  6. Continuity of Care: Supports individuals as they transition from acute crisis stabilization to long-term care, ensuring appropriate referrals and continued support in outpatient settings. Coordinates post-crisis care with community-based providers, ensuring timely follow-up and engagement with ongoing treatment programs or case management.
  7. Collaboration and Coordination: Collaborates closely with law enforcement, paramedics, physicians, and other behavioral health professionals to create individualized treatment plans and ensure seamless care delivery across all levels of service. Collaborates with peer support specialists, case managers, and other critical staff to ensure holistic care and support for individuals in acute need.
  8. Documentation and Compliance: Maintains accurate, timely documentation of assessments, interventions, progress notes, and treatment plans, in accordance with clinical standards and regulatory requirements. All crisis documentation must be completed prior to completion of crisis shift and acute documentation must be completed within 24 hours. 
  9. Clinical and Documentation: Maintains excellence in clinical documentation in alignment with local, internal, state, federal, and regulatory standards and compliance. Maintains excellence in patient care delivery and is up-to-date on changing law, regulations, or research that may impact care delivery.  
  10. On-Call and Rotational Support: The role requires flexibility in shift scheduling, with on-call duties rotating on a regular basis to ensure 24/7 program coverage. Typical shifts may include days, evenings, nights, and weekends.
  11. Burnout Prevention: Clinicians rotate leading organizational wellness initiatives, including routine debriefing sessions and peer support programs designed to prevent burnout and promote work-life balance.
  12. Serves as a community leader providing outreach, education, engagement across the community as needed. 
  13. Role models the principles of a Just Culture and Organizational Values.
  14. Perform other duties as assigned. Must be HIPAA compliant.
This description is not intended and should not be construed to be an exhaustive list of all responsibilities, skills and efforts or work conditions associated with the job. It is intended to be an accurate reflection of the general nature and level of the job.
 
What you will need:
 
Experience:
  • Experience in health care or community settings preferred. 
  • Experience with fast moving and high acuity situations preferred. 
  • Experience working in a collaborative team setting is strongly preferred.
  • Knowledge of local behavioral health resources, substance use presentation and transitions to higher levels of care, co-response models, community services, and referral pathways preferred.
  • Eligible for Medicare, Medicaid, and third-party reimbursement.
License(s):
  • Current, valid Colorado driver’s license, with ability to pass Vail Health’s Department of Motor Vehicle Report required.
Certification(s):
  • Completion of OwnPath’s Crisis Professional Curriculum (CPC) 40 hour course prior to start date. 
  • Completion of Odyssey Training Center Crisis Training Curriculum prior to start date.
Computer / Typing:
  • Must possess, or be able to obtain within 90 days, the computers skills necessary to complete online learning requirements
    for job-specific competencies, access online forms and policies, complete online benefits enrollment, etc
Must have working knowledge of the English language, including reading, writing, and speaking English.
Education:
  • N/A

Anticipated Application Close Date: 01/06/2025

 

 

PRN (POOL) benefits include: Wellbeing reimbursement funds and 403(b) contribution eligibility

Pay is based upon relevant education and experience per hour.

Hourly Pay:

$30.02 - $37.52 USD

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I certify that all the information provided in this employment application is true and complete. I understand that any false information or omission may disqualify me from further consideration for employment and may result in my dismissal if discovered at a later date. I understand that Vail Health may request an investigative consumer report from a consumer reporting agency. I understand I have the right to make a written request within a reasonable time for the disclosure of the name and address of the consumer reporting agency so that I may obtain a complete disclosure of the nature and scope of the investigation. Vail Health may request information as to my character, reputation, personal characteristics and mode of living from my neighbors, friends, former employers, school and other. I authorize that investigation of any or all statements contained in this application and also authorizes whether listed or not, any person, school, current employers (except as previously noted), past employers and organizations to provide relevant information and opinions that may be useful in making a hiring decision. I consent to the release of any or all medical information as may be deemed necessary to judge my capability to do the work for which I am applying. I agree to immediately disclose to Vail Health any debarment, suspension, exclusion, conviction of a criminal offence, or other event that may make me ineligible to participate in federally funded healthcare programs. I understand and I will be required to successfully pass a drug screening examination. I hereby consent to a drug screening as a condition of employment.

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