Peer Support Specialist - PACT (Missoula, MT)

Aware•Missoula, MT

11h•Onsite

About The Position

AWARE is seeking a Peer Support Specialist to join its PACT team in Missoula, Montana. The role uses personal recovery experience to support adults, children, and families in their recovery and personal growth, helping them become active members of their communities. The specialist works from a strengths-based perspective and provides peer counseling, practical assistance, advocacy, coordination, mentoring, and individualized support. The position is full-time and pays $21.00–$26.08 per hour to start. The Peer Support Specialist draws on shared experiences to validate participants, encourage them to take responsibility for and actively participate in recovery, and provide support individually and in groups. The role also helps participants access daily necessities and community services, including health care, legal and advocacy services, financial supports, housing, money management, and transportation. The required Peer Support Specialist Case Manager credential must be obtained within six months of hire.

Requirements

High school diploma or HSE.
Past employment experience.
Two years of active participation in mental health self-help activities, peer support or peer advocacy programs, participant-run organizations, or similar experiences or programs.
Good interpersonal communication skills and the ability to empathize with, relate to, and work effectively with participants in mental health services.
Ability and willingness to disclose a personal recovery story when appropriate for empowerment purposes.
Obtain the Peer Support Specialist Case Manager credential within six months of hire: complete 40 hours of training, complete an assessment no more than 90 days before submitting the application, submit the application after training and assessment, pass the required test after approval, and maintain the credential.

Nice To Haves

Lived experience with mental health challenges, preferably including psychosis during youth; personal experience with psychosis is not required.
Being a young adult is preferred, though candidates of any age may be considered if they relate well to young people.
Understanding of the community served by the team and awareness of available community resources.

Responsibilities

Use personal recovery experience to support participants in all aspects of recovery.
Support the PACT team in working with participants from a strengths-based perspective.
Provide individual and group peer counseling and support, validating participants’ experiences and encouraging active participation in recovery.
Provide practical assistance, mentoring, advocacy, coordination, individualized side-by-side support, problem solving, direct assistance, and supervision.
Help participants obtain necessities of daily living and access medical and dental care, legal and advocacy services, financial supports and entitlements, housing subsidies, money-management services, and transportation.