Peer Support Specialist
Job Title: Peer Support Specialist
Apply on line at http://www.alohacare.org/Careers/Default.aspx
The Company:
AlohaCare is a local, non-profit health plan serving the Medicaid and Medicare dual eligible population. We provide comprehensive managed care to qualifying health plan members through well-established partnerships with quality health care providers and community-governed health centers. Our mission is to serve individuals and communities in the true spirit of aloha by ensuring and advocating access to quality health care for all. This is accomplished with emphasis on prevention and primary care through community health centers that founded us and continue to guide us as well as with others that share our commitment. As Hawaii’s third-largest health plan, AlohaCare offers comprehensive prevention, primary and specialty care coverage in order to successfully build a healthy Hawaii.
The Culture:
AlohaCare employees share a passion for helping Hawaii’s most underserved communities. This passion for helping and caring for others is internalized and applied to our employees through a supportive and positive work environment, healthy work/life balance, continuous communication and a generous benefits package.
AlohaCare’s leadership empowers and engages its employees through frequent diversity, recognition, community, and educational events and programs. AlohaCare has a strong commitment to support Hawaii’s families and reinforces a healthy work/home balance for its employees. Because AlohaCare values honesty, respect and trust with both our internal and external customers, we encourage open-door, two-way communication through daily interactions, employee events and quarterly all-staff meetings. AlohaCare’s comprehensive benefits package includes low cost medical, dental, drug and vision insurance, PTO program, 401k employer contribution, referral bonus and pretax transportation and parking program.
These employee-focused efforts contribute to a friendly, team-oriented culture which is positively reflected into the communities we serve.
The Opportunity
Position Summary:
Responsible for supporting and encouraging peer members in the development of goal-setting for recovery and resiliency and working towards new coping skill development, learning self-monitoring techniques, and practicing ways to problem solve. As a role model, the Peer Support Specialist supports members during their recovery, bringing them together into self-help groups and encouraging them toward self-reliance in the community.
Primary Duties and Responsibilities:
- Performing initial outreach to conduct education and welcome call as needed
- Schedule and attend member home visits and provider visits, if needed. Coordinate with the RN or SW Health Coordinators to complete required Initial and annual member reassessments. The Peer Support Specialists will execute planned non-clinical intervention(s) directed by the licensed clinician, which include but are not limited to facilitating timely access to services, ensuring there are no barriers to care and medications, identifying and providing transportation assistance, if needed, etc., on behalf of the member and provider.
- Scheduling and completing required initial and annual health care assessments
- Providing needed member education and assisting with coordinating referrals to appropriate services.
- Documenting in an electronic database assessment information and health coordination activities
- Monitoring assessments and claims to identify any signs of health status changes
- Coordinating and collaborating with interdisciplinary care team members including providers, family members, caregivers and community agencies to support members in maintaining or improving their current health status
- Participating in internal interdisciplinary care team meetings
- Coordinating with appropriate operational departments as required by the member’s needs (e.g., Medical Management, Transition of Care, disease Management, Care Coordination, Service Coordination, Travel, etc.) and network physicians/providers to facilitate timely access to available and authorized services
- Assisting the member with maintaining eligibility and connections with other programs the member may quality for
- Performing member outreach calls in collaboration with Quality Improvement projects and Care Coordination activities related to HEDIS and STAR ratings
- Assisting the member with accessing translation services when needed and requested
- Performing other duties as assigned by supervisor and/or manager
- Responsible to maintain AlohaCare’s confidential information in accordance with AlohaCare policies, and state and federal laws, rules and regulations regarding confidentiality. Employees have access to AlohaCare data based on the data classification assigned to this job title.
Required competencies and qualifications
- High School Diploma
- Hawaii Certified Peer Specialist (HCPS) certification through AMHD.
- Minimum of five (5) years of work experience
- Cultural diversity and experience
- Strong oral, written and interpersonal and communication skills, including telephone etiquette
- Strong listening skills
- Strong multi-tasking skills
- High energy level and ability to perform repetitive tasks in a fast paced work environment
- Quick learner with the ability to absorb and retain detailed information
- Working knowledge of Microsoft office (outlook, work, excel)
- Requires operation of general office equipment to include: PC, company phone, intermediate skill using Microsoft programs: word, excel, outlook, and fax/copy machine
- Strong customer service skills
- Possession of valid driver’s license with access to a reliable insured automobile
Preferred Requirements
- Bilingual in Ilocano, Tagalog and/or Korean preferred
- Ability to complete multiple tasks to ensure timeliness standards are met
- Ability to work independently with minimal direction
Physical and Environmental Demands:
- Sedentary Work: Exerting up to 20 pounds of force occasionally and/or a negligible amount of force frequently or constantly to lift, carry, push, pull, or otherwise move objects. Sedentary work involves sitting most of the time, but may involve walking or standing for brief periods of time.
- Inside working conditions
- No environmental hazards
- Requires operation of general office equipment to include PC
AlohaCare is committed to providing equal employment opportunity to all applicants in accordance with sound practices and federal and state laws. Our policy prohibits discrimination and harassment because of race, color, religion, sex (including gender identity or expression), pregnancy, age, national origin, ancestry, marital status, arrest and court record, disability, genetic information, sexual orientation, domestic or sexual violence victim status, credit history, citizenship status, military/veterans status, or other characteristics protected under applicable state and federal laws, regulations, and/or executive orders.