SUMMARY (BASIC PURPOSE OF THE JOB) The Mental Health Associate II provides the following services (as defined by state of Georgia service guidelines) for individuals with Mental Illness or Addictive Disease: Community Support Services; Discharge Planning; Therapeutic Recreation and Vocational Rehabilitation (if certified to do so). This position may include working in a clinic, community or hospital setting. Community work may include working in shelters, homes, work sites, schools, etc. SUMMARY (ESSENTIAL JOB DUTIES) Community Support Services consist of rehabilitative skills building, the development of environmental supports and resources coordination considered essential to assist a person in improving functioning, gaining access to necessary services and in creating environments that promote recovery. Activities include: 1. Identification, with the person, of strengths which may aid him/her in achieving recovery, as well as barriers that impede the development of skills necessary for functioning in work, with peers, and with family/friends; 2. Support to facilitate enhanced natural supports (including support/assistance with defining what wellness means to the person in order to assist them with recovery-based goal setting and attainment); 3. Assistance in the development of interpersonal, community coping and functional skills (which may include adaptation to home, adaptation to work, adaptation to healthy social environments, learning/practicing skills such as personal financial management, medication self-monitoring, symptom self-monitoring, etc.); 4. Encouraging the development and eventual succession of natural supports in living, learning, working, other social environments; 5. Assistance in the acquisition of skills for the person to self-recognize emotional triggers and to self-manage behaviors related to the behavioral health issue; 6. Assistance with personal development, work performance, and functioning in social and family environments through teaching skills/strategies to ameliorate the effect of behavioral health symptoms; 7. Assistance in enhancing social and coping skills that ameliorate life stresses resulting from the person's mental illness/addiction; 8. Service and resource coordination to assist the person in gaining access to necessary rehabilitative, medical, social and other services and supports; 9. Assistance to the person and other supporting natural resources understanding and self-management (including medication self-monitoring); 10. Any necessary monitoring and follow-up to determine if the services accessed have adequately met the person's needs; 11. Identification, with the individual and named natural supporters, of risk indicators related to substance related disorder relapse, and strategies to prevent relapse. This service is provided in order to promote stability and build towards functioning in their daily environment. Stability is measured by a decreased number of hospitalizations, by decreased frequency and duration of crisis episodes and by increased and/or stable participation in community/work activities. Performs all requirements necessary to obtain authorization (initial registration) for reimbursement purposes. Discharge Planning involves coordination of aftercare (which may include housing placement) following hospitalization, or a temporary observation stay. SUMMARY (ESSENTIAL JOB DUTIES - CONTINUED) Peer Support Services This service provides structured activities within a peer support center that promote socialization, recovery, wellness, self-advocacy, development of natural supports, and maintenance of community living skills. Activities are provided between and among individuals who have common issues and needs, are consumer motivated, initiated and/or managed, and assist individuals in living as independently as possible. Activities must promote self-directed recovery by exploring consumer purpose beyond the identified mental illness, by exploring possibilities of recovery, by tapping into consumer strengths related to illness self-management (including developing skills and resources and using tools related to communicating recovery strengths, communicating health needs/concerns, self-monitoring progress), by emphasizing hope and wellness, by helping consumers develop and work toward achievement of specific personal recovery goals (which may include attaining meaningful employment if desired by the individual), and by assisting consumers with relapse prevention planning. Therapeutic Recreation and Vocational Rehabilitation (if certified to do so). JOB REQUIREMENTS Bachelor's degree in one of the helping professions such as social work, community counseling, counseling, psychology, or criminology. Minimum of three (3) years of experience, one (1) year with the SPMI and/or Addictive Disease population. Preferred candidate will have certified Therapeutic Recreation Specialist (CTRS) or Certified Rehabilitation Counselor (CRC) by the Commission on Rehabilitation Counselor Certification, or Certified Psychosocial Rehabilitation Professional (CPRP) from the United States Psychosocial Rehabilitation Associations (USPRA)