CTHCA Peer Counselor, MB-50113

CONFEDERATED TRIBES OF THE COLVILLE RESERVATION•, WA

2d•$33 - $39•Onsite

About The Position

The Peer Counselor provides peer-to-peer support to individuals and families affected by behavioral health challenges, substance use, grief, trauma, recovery, or significant life crises. The role uses appropriate lived experience to offer empathetic, nonjudgmental, culturally responsive support while respecting each person’s choices, privacy, and boundaries. The counselor recognizes when clinical, medical, or emergency intervention is needed and follows established escalation and safety procedures without working outside the position’s scope. The position works independently in the field while maintaining communication with supervision and following established procedures. It serves individuals and families in Tribal and community settings, communicates with providers, first responders, community partners, and CTHCA team members, and uses electronic health records and other technology for communication and documentation. The position is located in Inchelium, Washington, reports to the Clinical Director, and may require a flexible schedule, including evenings, nights, weekends, holidays, and on-call response as assigned. The posting lists an hourly salary range of $32.96–$38.59 DOE; the job-details header separately lists $33.29–$38.59 per hour.

Requirements

High school diploma or equivalent.
Relevant lived experience supporting effective peer-to-peer connection with individuals or families affected by behavioral health challenges, substance use, grief, trauma, recovery, or significant life crisis.
Ability to obtain and maintain required peer-support certification or credentialing, if applicable to assigned duties or funding requirements.
Successfully complete required background checks and meet CTHCA employment requirements.
Valid Washington State driver’s license; ability to travel throughout the CTHCA service area and meet applicable CTHCA vehicle insurance requirements.
Ability to work a flexible schedule, including evenings, nights, weekends, holidays, and on-call response as assigned.
Knowledge of peer-support principles, trauma-informed care, grief and loss, crisis response, recovery, resilience, and community-based support, or ability to obtain this knowledge through required training.
Ability to provide empathetic, nonjudgmental support to people experiencing intense grief, trauma, fear, anger, confusion, or emotional distress.
Ability to remain calm, dependable, and professional in emotionally charged, unpredictable, or high-stress situations.
Ability to recognize when immediate clinical, medical, or emergency intervention is needed and follow escalation and safety procedures without acting outside the position’s scope.
Ability to use lived experience appropriately while maintaining professional boundaries and respecting others’ experiences and choices.
Knowledge of local behavioral health, substance use, grief, medical, social service, cultural, and community resources, or ability to learn available resources.
Ability to recognize and respond appropriately to verbal and non-verbal social cues and respect requests for privacy, space, or an end to an interaction.
Sound judgment and respect for personal and cultural boundaries; ability to provide support without being intrusive, pressuring engagement, overstaying, or imposing personal beliefs or expectations.
Ability to work effectively with people from diverse backgrounds and provide culturally responsive support in Tribal and community settings.
Strong verbal and written communication skills.
Ability to maintain confidentiality, exercise sound judgment, document objectively, and manage sensitive information appropriately.
Ability to work independently in the field while maintaining communication with supervision and following established procedures.
Ability to use electronic health records, email, Microsoft Office applications, mobile devices, and other technology required for communication and documentation.
If the position is safety sensitive, successful completion of pre-employment drug testing; the position is also subject to reasonable-suspicion and post-accident drug testing.
Tribal member and Indian preference applies; preference also applies to honorably discharged veterans who are minimally qualified.

Responsibilities

Provide empathetic, nonjudgmental peer support to individuals and families experiencing grief, trauma, behavioral health challenges, substance use, recovery, or significant life crises.
Use personal lived experience appropriately as a peer-support tool while maintaining professional boundaries and respecting others’ experiences and choices.
Meet individuals and families where they are, accept their choices and responses without judgment or blame, and recognize when to offer support, step back, or refer for additional assistance.
Recognize verbal and non-verbal cues, including when individuals or families need privacy or space or wish to end an interaction.
Recognize when immediate clinical, medical, or emergency intervention is needed and follow established escalation and safety procedures.
Communicate respectfully with individuals, families, providers, first responders, community partners, and CTHCA team members.
Maintain confidentiality, document objectively, and manage sensitive information appropriately.
Work independently in the field while maintaining communication with supervision and following established procedures.
Travel throughout the CTHCA service area as needed.
Complete required peer-support training and obtain or maintain any required certification or credentialing, if applicable to assigned duties or funding requirements.