Peer Support Specialist (Crisis Walk-in Center) ($28-$32/hr + 4 Days Off Each Week)

WEA CA PC • Indio, CA

11h • Onsite

About The Position

As a Peer Support Specialist, you are the "warm welcome" and the living proof that recovery is not just possible, but happening right now. Working the Anchor Shift (Mon–Wed), you serve as the front-line expert for adults entering our Crisis Walk-In (CWI) center during its highest-impact hours. You aren't just a staff member; you are a Peer-Expert who uses your own lived experience with mental health or substance use recovery to build immediate, non-clinical rapport with neighbors in their most vulnerable moments.
In this role, you bridge the gap between crisis and stability. You will work alongside a multidisciplinary clinical team, ensuring that every individual is met with dignity rather than a diagnosis. Whether you are de-escalating a tense situation, helping a participant navigate the complex "Front Door" of the behavioral health system, or co-creating a safety plan, your primary tool is your authentic story. You are here to replace fear with hope and to ensure that no one walks their recovery path alone.

Requirements

• Must have personal, lived experience with mental health challenges and/or substance use recovery.
• Must be comfortable and skilled at using your own recovery journey as a professional tool to inspire hope and model stability for others.
• Must possess (or obtain within 6 months of hire) a valid Medi-Cal Peer Support Specialist Certification issued by the California Mental Health Services Mental Health Services Authority (CalMHSA).
• High School Diploma or GED equivalent or higher is required.
• Ability to remain grounded and empathetic in a fast-paced, high-intensity clinical environment.
• Strong verbal and written skills for documenting peer notes and collaborating with a multidisciplinary clinical team.
• A deep commitment to serving a diverse population in the Coachella Valley with dignity and respect.
• Must be able to pass a standard background check and drug screening (consistent with healthcare facility requirements).
• Must have reliable transportation to the Indio site for 7:00 AM shift starts.

Nice To Haves

• Ability to provide peer support in fluent Spanish qualifies for a stackable pay differential.
• Existing training in Intentional Peer Support (IPS), WRAP (Wellness Recovery Action Plan), or Motivational Interviewing.

Responsibilities

• Serve as the primary point of contact for adults entering in distress, using lived experience to model calm and hope while lowering the "temperature" of the room.
• Utilize non-clinical, peer-based de-escalation techniques (such as the "Intentional Peer Support" model) to build immediate rapport and prevent the need for more restrictive interventions.
• Monitor the "Front Door" energy, proactively engaging with participants who appear overwhelmed or anxious before a crisis peaks.
• Facilitate the creation of individualized Safety Plans that focus on the participant's strengths, triggers, and preferred coping strategies—not just "contracting for safety."
• Support participants in the vulnerable hours following a clinical assessment, helping them process their experience and internalize their immediate stabilization goals.
• Introduce participants to wellness tools (like WRAP or similar frameworks) that they can take home as tangible resources for self-management.
• Personally assist participants in navigating the "Front Door" of social services, housing resources, and outpatient programs.
• Act as the liaison between the CWIC and community-based peer organizations, ensuring participants have a "peer-to-peer" connection waiting for them upon discharge.
• Educate participants on how to advocate for their own needs within the behavioral health system, empowering them to become active participants in their care.
• Participate in multidisciplinary team huddles to provide the peer perspective on participant care, ensuring the team sees the person behind the crisis.
• Maintain accurate, timely, and person-centered documentation that reflects the participant’s progress and the unique value of the peer intervention.

Benefits

• Paid for a full 40-hour week while working 36 hours.
• Four consecutive days off each week (Thursday–Sunday).
• No "on-call" shifts, no last-minute schedule rotations, and no surprise overtime.
• Regular, peer-specific supervision and debriefing.
• Ongoing training in advanced peer practices.
• Support for continuing education units (CEUs).
• $500 sign-on bonus if you have your active CA PSS Certification in hand on your start date.

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Mid Level
• Education Level: High school or GED
• Number of Employees: 1-10 employees