Peer Support Specialist

Trilogy Careers • Chicago, IL

7d • Onsite

About The Position

The Peer Support Specialist provides peer-based engagement, de-escalation, and recovery support during mobile crisis encounters. Drawing on lived experience with mental health or substance use challenges, this role helps individuals feel safe, understood, and willing to participate in services. The Peer Support Specialist partners with the Crisis Counselor to support stabilization and connection to care, while the Crisis Counselor retains responsibility for clinical assessment and decision-making. Through this collaboration, the Peer Support Specialist strengthens the individual's ability to understand, accept, and engage with the identified care plan.

Requirements

• Lived experience with mental health challenges, substance use, or involvement with behavioral health or crisis systems required.
• High school diploma or GED required.
• CRSS certification preferred; must obtain CRSS certification within organizational expectations.
• Ability to work a flexible schedule including evenings and weekends consistent with program operational needs.
• Reliable transportation and valid driver's license required.
• Ability to work effectively in community settings and respond to mobile crisis calls across designated service areas.
• Complete all required documentation within established timelines and in accordance with agency, grant, regulatory, and accreditation requirements.
• Adhere to all IDHS, HFS, CESSA, CARF, CCBHC, DBHR, organizational, and program-specific requirements.
• Complete required orientation activities.
• Complete required agency training.
• Complete crisis-specific training requirements.
• Complete grant-required training activities.
• Maintain required certifications and credentials.
• Participate in ongoing professional development.
• Follow established intake procedures.
• Follow crisis response workflows.
• Follow documentation workflows.
• Follow communication protocols.
• Follow deployment and dispatch procedures.
• Follow organizational policies and operational procedures.

Nice To Haves

• Associate or bachelor's degree in a human services field preferred.
• Experience in peer support, community-based services, or behavioral health preferred.
• Knowledge of recovery principles, trauma-informed care, and harm reduction approaches.

Responsibilities

• Lead the human connection on scene so that clinical assessment can occur effectively.
• Reduce emotional intensity, increase cooperation, and help the individual participate in the plan that is clinically determined.
• Establish rapport and psychological safety with the individual and involved supports.
• Apply lived experience and recovery-oriented strategies to reduce fear, resistance, or withdrawal.
• Model grounding, coping, and emotional regulation skills during the encounter.
• Assist the individual in expressing needs, preferences, and concerns.
• Support voluntary participation in services whenever clinically appropriate.
• Help organize the scene to reduce chaos, overstimulation, or safety risk.
• Assist family members, natural supports, or bystanders in understanding the situation.
• Identify immediate practical barriers such as transportation, childcare, shelter, medication access, or communication needs.
• Provide observations to the Crisis Counselor regarding the individual's behavior, communication, and readiness for services.
• Help the individual understand what is happening and what options are available.
• Encourage participation in the assessment process without conducting the clinical evaluation.
• Help translate the clinical plan into understandable and achievable steps.
• Reinforce coping strategies and strengths identified during the encounter.
• Increase the individual's commitment to follow-up services and community supports.
• Facilitate warm handoffs to providers, natural supports, or community resources.
• Help the individual prepare for the next step in care.
• Reduce barriers to attending or engaging with recommended services.
• Assist individuals with navigating behavioral health, substance use, medical, social service, housing, and community-based resources as appropriate.
• Support coordination and communication with referral partners, treatment providers, hospitals, law enforcement, schools, and community organizations, as directed by the Crisis Counselor.
• Participate in follow-up outreach, engagement, and re-engagement efforts to support continuity of care and reduce future crisis utilization.
• Maintain assigned direct service expectations and productivity standards established by the organization.
• Participate in all assigned shifts, crisis response deployments, and follow-up activities as scheduled.
• Complete all required documentation within established timelines and in accordance with agency, grant, regulatory, and accreditation requirements.
• Adhere to all IDHS, HFS, CESSA, CARF, CCBHC, DBHR, organizational, and program-specific requirements.
• Participate in multidisciplinary staffing, supervision, and quality improvement activities.
• Maintain agency vehicles, equipment, and supplies in accordance with organizational standards.
• Report maintenance, safety, or equipment concerns promptly.
• Ensure readiness for field response activities.
• Contribute to a culture of professionalism, accountability, collaboration, and respect.
• Engage in constructive problem-solving.
• Address conflict professionally and through appropriate channels.
• Support a psychologically safe work environment.
• Demonstrate teamwork and shared responsibility for program success.
• Represent the Crisis Program and Trilogy Behavioral Healthcare professionally during community events, outreach activities, meetings, trainings, and all interactions with community partners.
• Contribute to continuous quality improvement through participation in program development, data collection, performance improvement initiatives, audits, documentation standards, and service excellence activities appropriate to their role.

Benefits

• FREE Virtual Primary Care, Urgent Care, and Mental Health Counseling for ALL Employees
• PAID Maternity/Paternity leave
• Medical Insurance (BCBS of IL)
• Dental Insurance
• Vision Insurance
• Life Insurance
• Long-Term & Short-Term Disability
• Pet Insurance
• FSA (Health, Dependent Care, Transit)
• Telemedicine
• EAP
• 403(b) Retirement Plan with Employer Match

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Entry Level
• Education Level: High school or GED