Careers

About the Agency
NAMI Fox Valley is the Fox Valley based affiliate of the National Alliance on Mental Illness. The agency works to support and empower everyone touched by mental illness, to eliminate stigma, and to nurture recovery through a wide variety of education, support, and outreach programs. We envision a community free of stigma that supports and promotes mental health and recovery.

About the Iris Place Program
The agency’s Iris Place Peer Run Respite program, which is funded primarily through a contract with the State of Wisconsin, provides a safe and welcoming environment with an opportunity for individuals experiencing emotional distress or crisis to grow and change through the support of others with lived experience. Iris Place’s 5-bedroom peer run respite center is run by and for individuals who identify with lived experience with mental health and/or substance-use challenges. The program provides 24/7 peer support, linkages to community resources, and improved outcomes and quality of life for callers and guests.

Position Summary
Iris Place Peer Companions provide peer support to guests and callers through sharing of their own lived experience with mental health and/or substance-use challenges. Peer Companions are responsible for supporting peers with crisis prevention and diversion from hospitalization, ensuring a safe and welcoming environment for guests and those who call by phone, providing one-on-one and group peer support, complying with all policies and procedures, providing linkages to community resources, and utilizing their lived experience to support the needs and wants of guests and callers. Other tasks, including household chores and office duties, are expected as well.

Essential Position Duties
The essential position duties include the following, though other duties may be assigned:

• Providing peer support and advocacy to callers and guests
• Being knowledgeable about the programs and services offered by NAMI Fox Valley, as well as other programs and services in the community, and assisting peers in accessing and connecting with resources.
• Screening potential guests and overseeing guest registration and checkout
• Supporting guests in working toward their Wellness Vision and goals/wants/needs for their stay
• Following and maintaining the values, policies, and procedures of Iris Place
• Maintaining accurate records of activities, including outcome data
• Attending regular staff meetings and one-on-one meetings with supervisors
• Performing household chores and office duties

Qualifications
To perform this job successfully, an individual must be able to perform each essential position duty satisfactorily. The requirements listed here are representative of the knowledge, skill, and/or ability required. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential position duties.

• Identify with lived experience with mental health and/or substance-use challenges and be willing to utilize their lived experience in providing peer support
• Possess deep knowledge and experience with peer support (certification as a Peer Specialist preferred)
• Positive philosophy toward wellness and recovery
• Demonstrated ability to approach and support individuals through intentional listening, compassion, and understanding/knowledge of the mental health system and community resources
• Ability to work effectively and handle multiple concurrent tasks and projects with minimal supervision
• Possess excellent customer service skills
• Be able to professionally present self and maintain positive relationships through both internal and external communication
• Ability to work with a variety of individuals
• Demonstrate ethical behavior, cultural awareness and ability to build trust and rapport in all activities involving individuals of diverse backgrounds
• Follow the Wisconsin Certified Peer Specialist Code of Ethics
• Possess basic computer skills including word processing, data entry and e-mail, and Internet
• Ability to lift a minimum of 15 pounds in order to complete household chores such as laundry, shoveling and salting sidewalks, and taking trash to the dumpsters

Values
Iris Place is values-based, and there is an expectation that staff, volunteers and guests will hold the values of the space. Peer Companions are expected to fully understand and uphold the values of Iris Place.

Our Values:

• We believe that healing happens in relationships.
• We believe in hope and that recovery is possible for everyone.
• We believe in respect for self and others.
• We believe in creating a space that is welcome and healing.

Preferred (NOT required) Peer Support Experience

• Peer Specialist Certification
• Recovery Coach Training Certificate
• Emotional CPR
• Intentional Peer Support
• Mental health or substance use recovery support group facilitation

Shift Coverage
The individual in this position typically will be responsible for covering four eight-hour shifts per week (may include weekends and holidays), typically 2pm to 10pm.

The individual also will be responsible for attending monthly staff meetings and other periodic meetings and trainings falling outside the hours of their regular shifts. The individual may occasionally be asked to cover additional peer companion shifts as the need arises.
Compensation
The starting wage for this position is $15.00 per hour.
Benefits include paid vacation time and sick time.
NAMI Fox Valley does not offer health insurance or retirement benefits at this time.

To apply: Please send a cover letter and resume to Paula Verrett, Iris Place Program Director, at paula@namifoxvalley.org

NAMI Fox Valley is an equal opportunity employer. All employment decisions at NAMI Fox Valley are based on business needs, job requirements and individual qualifications, without regard to race, color, religion or belief, national, social or ethnic origin, sex, age, disability, sexual orientation, gender identity and/or expression, family or parental status. NAMI Fox Valley values diversity and encourages applications from all qualified individuals.