Certified Peer Counselor

METROPOLITAN DEVELOPMENT COUNCIL•Tacoma, WA

1d•$19 - $25•Onsite

About The Position

The Certified Peer Counselor provides guidance, mentoring, and support with an emphasis on enhancing access to and retention in permanent supported housing. The incumbent will draw on common experiences as a peer to validate participants’ experiences and to provide empowerment, guidance and encouragement to take responsibility and actively participate in their own recovery. The (CPC) serves as a mentor to participants to promote hope and empowerment. Provide education and advocacy around understanding culture-wide stigma and discrimination against people with mental illness and develop strategies to eliminate stigma and support client participation in consumer self-help programs and consumer advocacy organizations that promote recovery. Teach symptom-management techniques and promote personal growth and development by assisting clients to cope with internal and external stresses. Coordinate services with other appropriate community providers. Provide recovery-oriented peer support to tenants to promote housing stability and safety. Uses lived experience to offer mentoring, encouragement, and side-by-side support to help tenants maintain safe and stable housing while operating within MDC housing guidelines and peer role boundaries. Support housing readiness and independent living skills through peer coaching. Assists tenants with apartment readiness activities such as organizing living spaces, basic cleaning, furnishing, and identifying household needs, using coaching and modeling rather than directive or enforcement approaches. Promote a safe and supportive residential environment in coordination with housing staff. Conducts floor, perimeter, and common-area checks and supports building safety procedures in collaboration with Case Management and Property Management, without assuming supervisory or enforcement authority. Engage tenants using trauma-informed, recovery-oriented communication practices. Builds rapport with tenants, communicates respectfully, and uses de-escalation and peer engagement strategies consistent with trauma-informed care principles. Provide peer support during building concerns or incidents within defined guidelines. Responds to tenant concerns and building issues by offering peer support, documenting incidents appropriately, and escalating concerns to management or emergency services in accordance with MDC policy. Support tenant access to community and internal resources through information and referral. Assists tenants by providing information, warm handoffs, and referrals to MDC services, community resources, and housing-related support, without determining eligibility or managing services. Encourage social connection and community engagement among tenants. Supports participation in peer-led, recreational, and community activities that promote social connection, reduce isolation, and encourage positive use of time. Assist with daily operational tasks that support the residential environment. Performs assigned building support tasks such as maintaining logs, answering phones, posting notices, assisting with supply inventory, and supporting contractors or vendors accessing building areas. Complete required documentation and administrative tasks accurately and timely. Maintains logs, incident reports, and other required documentation using established MDC forms and systems, ensuring confidentiality and professionalism. Participate in ongoing training and team collaboration. Completes required training, participates in team meetings, and contributes to shared goals while maintaining Certified Peer Specialist role integrity. Maintain professional peer boundaries and union-classified role expectations. Operates as a non-clinical, non-supervisory peer support position and performs other peer-appropriate duties consistent with classification and the collective bargaining agreement. Other duties as assigned.

Requirements

Certified Peer Counselor required with an updated application to be moved to the Certified Peer Specialist by the DOH required timeline
Apply for Agency Associated Counselor credential must be obtained with a pending status within 90 days
Some experience working with chronic street population or be currently enrolled in human or social services program at an educational institution.
Must have valid/current Washington State driver’s license, reliable personal transportation and insurance.
The incumbent must successfully pass a criminal background check which may include fingerprinting.
Physically able to climb flights of stairs and carry up to 40 lbs.
Must have personal skills to communicate effectively with tenants and the public; maintain professional boundaries with tenants.
Experience with diverse, low-income or special needs population
Ability to maintain confidentiality.
Able to complete concise reporting.
Working knowledge of computers and computer data entry processes

Responsibilities

Provide education and advocacy around understanding culture-wide stigma and discrimination against people with mental illness and develop strategies to eliminate stigma and support client participation in consumer self-help programs and consumer advocacy organizations that promote recovery.
Teach symptom-management techniques and promote personal growth and development by assisting clients to cope with internal and external stresses.
Coordinate services with other appropriate community providers.
Provide recovery-oriented peer support to tenants to promote housing stability and safety.
Uses lived experience to offer mentoring, encouragement, and side-by-side support to help tenants maintain safe and stable housing while operating within MDC housing guidelines and peer role boundaries.
Support housing readiness and independent living skills through peer coaching.
Assists tenants with apartment readiness activities such as organizing living spaces, basic cleaning, furnishing, and identifying household needs, using coaching and modeling rather than directive or enforcement approaches.
Promote a safe and supportive residential environment in coordination with housing staff.
Conducts floor, perimeter, and common-area checks and supports building safety procedures in collaboration with Case Management and Property Management, without assuming supervisory or enforcement authority.
Engage tenants using trauma-informed, recovery-oriented communication practices.
Builds rapport with tenants, communicates respectfully, and uses de-escalation and peer engagement strategies consistent with trauma-informed care principles.
Provide peer support during building concerns or incidents within defined guidelines.
Responds to tenant concerns and building issues by offering peer support, documenting incidents appropriately, and escalating concerns to management or emergency services in accordance with MDC policy.
Support tenant access to community and internal resources through information and referral.
Assists tenants by providing information, warm handoffs, and referrals to MDC services, community resources, and housing-related support, without determining eligibility or managing services.
Encourage social connection and community engagement among tenants.
Supports participation in peer-led, recreational, and community activities that promote social connection, reduce isolation, and encourage positive use of time.
Assist with daily operational tasks that support the residential environment.
Performs assigned building support tasks such as maintaining logs, answering phones, posting notices, assisting with supply inventory, and supporting contractors or vendors accessing building areas.
Complete required documentation and administrative tasks accurately and timely.
Maintains logs, incident reports, and other required documentation using established MDC forms and systems, ensuring confidentiality and professionalism.
Participate in ongoing training and team collaboration.
Completes required training, participates in team meetings, and contributes to shared goals while maintaining Certified Peer Specialist role integrity.
Maintain professional peer boundaries and union-classified role expectations.
Operates as a non-clinical, non-supervisory peer support position and performs other peer-appropriate duties consistent with classification and the collective bargaining agreement.
Other duties as assigned.