UNIV - Part Time Program Assistant (Peer Recovery Doula) - Psychiatry: Women's Reproductive Behavioral Health (WRBH) Division - MUSC

Work Schedule: Monday - Friday, Hours to be Determined Upon Hire

Job Duties:

35% - Serve as a statewide mentor to Peer Recovery Doula Trainees to ensure consistent best practices and patient care in accordance with relevant standards. Offer peer support and provide mentorship for other members of the Doula Team. Provide consultation to team members to assist in understanding the role of the Peer Recovery Doula.

20% - Monitor performance and outcomes related to full spectrum community-based doula services provided to individuals with perinatal substance use disorders throughout the pregnancy and the postpartum period. To fulfil these duties, the Peer Recovery Doula is expected to:

• Work closely with the clinical and research teams to establish referral pathways in the community that they serve. This includes educating partners about doula services and benefits for their patients.
• Respond to referrals and initiate contact as early in pregnancy as possible (before 24 weeks)
• Visit pregnant and parenting women in their homes and other settings on a regular schedule throughout pregnancy and up to 12 months after delivery.
• Offer recovery-focused prenatal education. Prepare individual for hospital labor and delivery experiences and for new parenting role. Work with the individual to identify community support services, facilitate and coordinate successful linkage to resources. The individual will assist patients and family members with understanding how to utilize community services and help the individual to problem solve. Peer Recovery Doula may provide warm hand-off to community providers.
• Attend and support the mother and family through labor and delivery and the few hours after delivery
• Visiting mother-baby pair within 24 hours of discharge
• Maintaining postpartum contact for 6-12 months to support breastfeeding, guide infant care, and providing continued emotional support.
• The doula will also advocate and monitor mother / baby pair’s medical needs and develop of relationships with community partners including medical care providers.

20% - Complete required documentation. Support clinical and research team with outreach. To fulfil these duties, the Peer Recovery Doula is expected to:

• Work alongside the research team to assist in data collection

• Participate in ongoing reflective supervision as Doula Mentor

10% - Assist members of the doula team in gathering and maintaining up to date patient and family recovery resources and information for relevant service areas.

10% - Serve as a patient advocate to reduce the stigma of perinatal substance use disorders. The individual will act as a resource to other clinical team members on recovery support. This includes assisting in targeted outreach and relationship building with community partners, particularly those that serve vulnerable and under-resourced populations.

5% - Attend required staff and partner meetings. The individual will work closely with statewide partners and community organizations. 

Preferred Training and Experience Requirements: The candidate must be actively engaged in his/her own recovery program with a minimum of three years demonstrated personal recovery and sustained abstinence from alcohol and/or drug use. The candidate must have prior experience in a Peer Support role.

Individual must have completed 1) the SC course for Certified Peer Support Specialists and 2) Certified as a Doula through one of the following training organizations: Childbirth and Postpartum Professional Association, DONA International, HealthConnect One, International Childbirth Education Association (ICEA), Birthworks or Birth Arts International. The applicant should demonstrate excellent interpersonal skills, the ability to relate to patients and health professionals, as well as an ability to develop professional working relationships with partner agencies. The candidate must possess excellent listening, verbal, and written communication skills, as well as good problem-solving skills. Basic computer skills are required. The ability to juggle many tasks and the ability to satisfy both travel requirements and on-call requirements is needed. Comfort going into people’s homes and experience working with substance use disorders and pregnant mothers is expected.