Peer Liaison- Vocational Services

Shepherd Center•Atlanta, GA

13h•Hybrid

About The Position

The Peer Liaison serves as a professional member of Shepherd Center's interdisciplinary rehabilitation team by using personal lived experience of spinal cord compromise to provide hope, encouragement, education, and practical guidance to patients and families facing similar life-changing spinal cord injuries or diagnoses. Through authentic peer relationships, the Peer Liaison helps individuals envision life beyond rehabilitation, supports adjustment to disability, encourages participation in therapy and education, promotes community reintegration, and models successful long-term adaptation. The Peer Liaison complements clinical care by offering a perspective that can only come from lived experience. This role requires professionalism, sound judgment, healthy personal adjustment, and the ability to intentionally use one's own experiences to benefit others while maintaining appropriate boundaries.

Requirements

Demonstrated successful adjustment to life with a spinal cord injury, including meaningful community participation and the ability to serve as a role model for others.
Ability to intentionally and professionally use lived experience to build authentic peer relationships, foster trust, educate, encourage, and support patients and families.
Excellent interpersonal, communication, and active listening skills.
Demonstrated empathy, emotional maturity, professionalism, and sound judgment.
Ability to maintain confidentiality and establish appropriate professional boundaries.
Efficient computer skills and ability to learn electronic documentation.
Ability to collaborate effectively within an interdisciplinary healthcare environment.

Nice To Haves

Experience providing peer mentoring, advocacy, volunteer leadership, or community education.
Experience presenting to groups or facilitating support groups.
Knowledge of disability resources, adaptive recreation, community services, and independent living.
Intermediate proficiency with Microsoft Office applications.

Responsibilities

Establish supportive peer relationships with patients and family members through shared lived experience.
Assess Peer Support needs and collaborate with the interdisciplinary team to promote optimal patient and family outcomes.
Share personal experiences in a thoughtful, patient-centered manner that inspires hope while respecting each individual's unique recovery journey.
Encourage participation in therapies, education classes, support groups, and other rehabilitation opportunities.
Meet regularly with patients and families and accurately document peer interactions.
Facilitate inpatient Peer Support programming, self-care education, and community meetings.
Participate in co-treatment sessions with clinical staff when appropriate to demonstrate adaptive strategies, community living skills, and activities of daily living.
Model healthy community participation, self-advocacy, and long-term adjustment following injury or illness.
Identify patients and family members who may become future peer volunteers following successful community reintegration.
Assist with volunteer orientation, mentorship, and ongoing support as assigned.
Participate in community outings, educational presentations, conferences, outreach activities, and public speaking opportunities.
Contribute to research initiatives, quality improvement activities, and program evaluation as requested.
Support outreach and communication efforts, including digital and social media initiatives when appropriate.
Foster an environment of dignity, inclusion, empathy, and respect for every patient and family served.
Demonstrate professionalism, integrity, accountability, and compassion in every interaction.
Exercise sound judgment and maintain appropriate professional boundaries while using lived experience therapeutically.
Communicate effectively with patients, families, volunteers, and interdisciplinary team members.
Manage multiple responsibilities while maintaining excellent organizational skills and attention to detail.
Protect confidential information and comply with HIPAA and organizational privacy standards.
Support Shepherd Center's mission, vision, values, and pillars of excellence.
Maintain compliance with organizational policies, accreditation standards, and safety requirements.
Report safety concerns, incidents, and potential risks according to established procedures.