Lead Peer Support Specialist - Iowa Peer Center

Heartland Family Service•Council Bluffs, IA

3h•$16 - $19•Hybrid

About The Position

This position is held by a person who is in their own recovery from a serious mental illness and/or substance use disorder. Your lived experience isn’t just welcomed here, it’s the heart of what you bring to this work. As a Lead Peer Support Specialist, you’ll walk alongside clients in their recovery journey, meeting them where they are literally and figuratively. You’ll carry an active caseload and deliver services out in the community, while also stepping into a leadership role: mentoring fellow peer staff, helping coordinate outreach, and supporting the day-to-day flow of the team. This role is for someone who knows what it means to navigate systems, rebuild independence, and find their way — and who wants to help others do the same.

Requirements

Certified Peer Recovery Support Specialist (PRS)
Two years of paid or volunteer experience supporting individuals with serious and persistent mental illness
Valid driver’s license with an acceptable driving record

Nice To Haves

Wellness Recovery Action Planning (WRAP) training preferred

Responsibilities

Draw on your own lived experience to connect authentically with clients and provide support that truly meets them where they are.
Engage clients as active partners in their own recovery, not just recipients of services.
Provide one-on-one support in community settings, helping clients build symptom-management skills, develop independence, and move toward their personal goals.
Help clients access and effectively use primary care, dental, and other health services, encouraging a whole-health approach to wellness.
Organize and lead individual and group activities that support social connection, skill-building, and community belonging.
Support clients in planning meaningful leisure time — evenings, weekends, and holidays included.
Provide care coordination by connecting clients to community resources and additional supports.
Mentor and coach fellow peer support staff, modeling effective, recovery-oriented service delivery.
Help the Peer Center Coordinator maintain the team calendar, including scheduling peer staff one-on-ones and outreach activities.
Actively participate in case consultations, bringing the peer perspective to the table as a strong, valued voice.
Build and sustain positive relationships with community partners to expand where and how peer support is offered.
Pitch in at the Peer Center as needed — we’re all in this together.
Maintain a dynamic personal self-care plan and share it as a model for clients and peers.
Complete documentation and billing accurately and on time.
Foster a welcoming, trauma-informed atmosphere in all settings.
Show up reliably, treating your schedule as a commitment to the people who count on you.
Follow agency policies, procedures, and program requirements.
Continue growing through training opportunities, both internal and external.
Look for ways to connect the agency to the broader community — building relationships and goodwill wherever you go.
Perform other program-related duties as assigned.