LFS Mission Statement: 
Lutheran Family Services expresses God’s love for all people by providing quality human care services that build and strengthen individual, family and community life.

LFS Values:
Respect all people, families and communities.  The pursuit of excellence is achieved through the education of staff and the celebration of diversity, collaboration and change.  Integrity, accountability and teamwork are values that guide our communication and work in a manner that upholds the Agency’s reputation and Christian value base.

Job Purpose:  Serve as a member of the Assertive Community Treatment (ACT) team who has experience as a recipient of mental health services for severe and persistent mental illness.  This employee will be expert in the recovery process, symptom management, and client choice, as well as model appropriate skills and behaviors 

Essential Job Duties:
Service Delivery
Peer to Peer duties:
• Provide peer counseling and support to promote hope and empowerment, advocacy, problem solving.
• Provide guidance and encouragement to clients to take responsibility and actively participate in recovery.
• Assist clients to identify, understand, and combat stigma and discrimination associated with mental illness and develop strategies to reduce self-stigma.
• Complete comprehensive assessments as assigned.
• Assist in the provision of ongoing assessment of clients’ mental illness symptoms and clients’ response to treatment.
• Suggest appropriate changes in treatment plans to ensure that immediate and appropriate interventions are provided.
• Work side-by-side with clients, assisting and supporting them in performing household activities such as housecleaning, laundry, grocery shopping, food storage and preparation. 
• Provide work-related supportive services, such as assistance securing necessary clothing and grooming supplies, wake-up call, transportation.
• Assist clients to find and maintain a safe and affordable place to live. This may include apartment hunting, finding a roommate, cleaning, furnishing and decorating, and procuring necessities.
• Assist and support clients with personal hygiene and grooming; nutrition education and assistance with meal planning, grocery shopping, and food preparation.
• Ensure that clients have adequate financial support
• Teach money management skills
• Assist and support clients to have and effectively use a personal primary care physician, dentist, and other medical specialists.
• Develop Master Treatment plans and treatment plan reviews as assigned with the input of the ACT team.
• Assist the client to socialize and plan and carry out leisure activities on evenings, weekends, and holidays.
• Organize and lead individual and group social and recreational activities to help clients structure their time, increase social experiences, and provide opportunities to practice social skills.

Team member duties:
• Provide expertise and consultation from a mental health consumer perspective to the team concerning clients’ experiences on symptoms of mental illness, the effects and side-effects of medications, clients’ responses to and opinions of treatment, and clients’ experiences of recovery.
• Collaborate with the team to promote a team culture in which each client’s point of view, experiences, and preferences are recognized, understood, and respected, and in which client self-determination and decision-making in treatment planning are maximized and supported.
• Assist team members to identify and understand culture-wide stigma and discrimination against people with mental illness and develop strategies to eliminate stigma within the team.
• Serve as a liaison between the team and consumer-run programs such as self-help groups and drop-in centers.

Record Keeping
• Follow agency and program requirements for record keeping
• Assist with Continuous Quality Improvement activities

Community and Church Relations
• Participate in appropriate community committees and projects to strengthen the Agency’s image and enhance the quality of community life.
• Maintain positive working relationships with appropriate public and private human services organizations.
• Maintain positive relationships with pastors and congregations appropriate to the services delivered and service area.

Professional Growth and Development
• Participate in regular supervision sessions for the purpose of reviewing cases, discussing treatment strategy, and monitoring client progress.
• Continue personal and professional growth and development through reading, research, workshops, seminars and other strategies that will broaden knowledge.

Professionalism and Confidentiality
• Keep all client names, information and other Agency business confidential.
• Guard client confidentiality in waiting areas, during phone contact, and in handling of records.
• Insure that all office and record security procedures are followed.

Interpersonal Relationships
• Maintain a positive respectful demeanor in all contacts with staff and the public.
• Seek needed guidance in handling difficult client situations and establishing priorities for the job.
• Work to build positive productive relationships with other staff.
• Other duties as assigned.
           

Job Requirements:
• In order to perform the job duties, a minimum requirement is having a severe and persistent mental illness; should have self-knowledge to manage their mental illness and be well along in their recovery
• High school diploma required; college degree in a human services field preferred.                   
• Will have an active medication aide registration or will complete required training to achieve.
• At least two years of paid or volunteer work experience with adults with severe and persistent mental illnesses.
• Must have good oral and written communication skills.
• Must have a strong commitment to the right and the ability of each person with a severe mental illness to live in normal community residences, work in market jobs, and have access to helpful, adequate, competent, and continuous supports and services. 
• Must have skills and competence to establish supportive trusting relationships with person with severe and persistent mental illnesses and respect for client’s right and personal preferences in treatment.
• Must be able to read, hear, walk, sit, stand, kneel, ascend and descent stairs, push, pull, lift, carry and reach as is customary in the activities experienced in daily living.  
• Valid Nebraska Driver’s license, proof of liability insurance and ability to drive for agency business.
• Commitment to the mission of Lutheran Family Services.