Peer Support Specialist - PACT (Missoula, MT)

Aware•Missoula, MT

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, mentoring, and individualized support. The position is full-time, with starting pay of $21.00–$26.08 per hour.

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.
Ability and willingness to disclose a personal recovery story when appropriate for empowerment purposes.
Good interpersonal communication skills and ability to empathize with, relate to, and effectively work with participants in mental health services.
Ability to understand the community where the team is based and awareness of available community resources.
Ability to obtain the Peer Support Specialist Case Manager credential within six months of hire. Requirements include 40 total hours of training, an assessment completed no more than 90 days before submitting the application, submission of the application after training and assessment, and passing the required test once the application is approved.
Maintain the Peer Support Technician Case Manager credential.

Nice To Haves

Lived experience of mental health challenges, preferably including psychosis during youth; personal experience with psychosis is not required.
Ideally a young adult, though applicants of any age may be considered if they relate well to young people.

Responsibilities

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