About the Position:
Job Appointment: Regular
Work Schedule: Employees in this position will work four (4) 10-hour days with three (3) days off a week. Shifts include days, afternoons, and nights. Ability to work any shift and on any day of the week is essential. During training, your shift may change depending on the availability of the trainers. After completing probation, you will be able to bid on an open shift based on your seniority.
Work Location: 330 SW Curry St., Portland OR 97239
Benefits: Please check our benefits tab for an overview of benefits for this position
Language Pay Premium Eligible: This position is or may be eligible for Language Pay Differential for qualifying employees.
Application Material: Please click APPLY to submit your application via the City of Portland’s online portal. You will need respond to the supplemental questions and attach a resume.
About Portland Street Response (PSR):
Portland Street Response assists people experiencing mental health and behavioral health crises. The goal of Portland Street Response is to update our first responder system by providing an additional compassionate first response option when 911 is called on someone experiencing low-acuity behavioral health issues. PSR is dispatched by The Bureau of Emergency Communications (BOEC) to respond to non-life-threatening crises currently responded to by Police and Fire, such as behavioral health issues and welfare checks.
Program Values:
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PSR strives to uplift the dignity and worth of all Portlanders, particularly those who have been historically marginalized and criminalized, by ensuring timely and professional person-centered first response.
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PSR is situated both in the City of Portland’s first responder system, and in the broader continuum of crisis care. To ensure the best possible outcomes for our clients, we work collaboratively with community partners, health systems, and traditional first responders.
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PSR operates from a framework of Trauma-Informed Care with the recognition that adverse life experiences (including health systems and carceral trauma) create barriers for clients to connect with the care and supportive services they need to thrive in the community.
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PSR aims to respond to the complex care needs of individuals experiencing low acuity crises in the community.
This Program is Expected to:
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Reduce the number of calls traditionally responded to by Police where criminal activity is not present.
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Reduce the number of individuals transported to the emergency department for low acuity medical related issues that could instead be addressed in a pre-hospital care setting.
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Reduce the number of behavioral health and substance use/intoxication calls traditionally responded to by Police and Fire.
Position Summary:
The Peer Support Specialist (PSS) serves alongside an Emergency Medical Technician (EMT) and a Mental Health Crisis Responder, responding to low-acuity, non-life threatening 911 calls pertaining to behavioral health, substance use, and/or welfare checks. In addition to co-responding to 911 calls, the PSS will follow up with individuals as needed and provide support, recovery mentorship, advocacy, and/or education in overall health and wellness. The PSS is a specialized and distinct role on PSR multidisciplinary teams as they facilitate critical health and social service connections by sharing their lived experience receiving services and navigating complex systems in early recovery. In addition to direct client work, the PSS may also engage in outreach and community education. The PSS will report to a Community Health Supervisor.
Virtual Zoom Meet & Greet Opportunity
We may offer a virtual Zoom meet & greet, but do not have a date/time confirmed yet. If you would like to be notified if we hold this session, please email: karen.ehn@portland.oregon to receive further information.
Questions?
Karen Ehn, Recruiter
Bureau of Human Resources
karen.ehn@portlandoregon.gov
The following minimum qualifications are required for this position:
Experience working with diverse groups and clear understanding of cultural differences, especially as they relate to race, sexual orientation, gender-identity, socio-economic status, etc. and their intersections; Ability to identify one’s own bias and remedy microaggressions.
Ability to maintain appropriate boundaries and ethics while operating effectively within the peer scope i.e., sharing lived experience with addictions and/or mental health disorders and personal recovery story.
Ability to work effectively and collaboratively with colleagues of differing disciplines and in a variety of settings. May include, but are not limited to first responders, health agencies, and community services and organizations.
Ability to observe and recognize escalation by clients and to effectively respond and mitigate these issues when they emerge.
Ability to respect privacy and understand mandatory reporting.
Applicants must also possess:
(At least one of the following certifications is required at the time of hire
. Applicants may have more than one):
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Certified Peer Support Specialist by Oregon Health Authority or comparable jurisdiction -Or-
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Certified Peer Wellness Specialist by Oregon Health Authority or comparable jurisdiction -Or-
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MHACBO Certified Recovery Mentor certification
Although not required, you may have one or more of the following:-
One year of community-based experience providing advocacy and support which has included significant public contact;
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Personal lived experience with mental health, substance use, and/or houselessness/housing insecurity (must have two or more years of continuous sobriety and/or active recovery )
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Bi-lingual fluency;
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Experience working with or representative of diverse communities (Black, Indigenous, and People of Color, LGBTQ+, immigrant and/or refugee communities, etc.); or
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Experience in on-call, crisis, or emergency response.