Peer Specialist Jobs

About The Position

Requirements

• High school diploma
• Lived experience of mental health challenges, preferably including experience with psychosis.
• Peer Certification preferred. If required by funder, Certified Recovery Peer Advocate.
• Lived experience of mental health challenges, preferably including experience with psychosis during youth.
• Ability to relate well to all ages, cultures, and backgrounds.
• Understanding of the community in which the team is based, with an awareness of available community resources.
• Demonstrated positive and productive progress toward personal recovery.
• Good interpersonal communication skills.
• Ability to empathize with, relate to, and effectively work with participants of mental health services.
• One-Two years of active participation in mental health self-help activities, peer support or peer advocacy programs, or participant-run organizations or similar experiences or programs.
• Ability/willingness to disclose their recovery story (where appropriate) for the purposes of empowerment.
• Excellent judgment and ability to understand boundaries when working with participants of mental health services.
• Willingness to adhere to on-call cell phone system for crisis intervention, emergencies, and other situations requiring immediate action.
• Willing and able to complete any additional assigned duties.

Nice To Haves

• Peer Certification
• Basic computer skills (e.g. MS Office suite and Windows)

Responsibilities

• Facilitate engagement with tenants and undertake outreach activities to promote community awareness of S:US services.
• Encourage help-seeking behaviors and advocate for the population served to maximize their full potential.
• Understand, share, and discuss multiple frameworks for understanding life experiences, such as psychosis, with participants and the S:US team.
• Intentionally use language to listen, understand, and make space for complex personal stories of recovery and resilience.
• Advocate with and for program participants both in the larger community and on the team.
• Collaborate with participants to clarify their personal visions and develop their wellness toolkit.
• Support participants in strengthening their self-awareness, building life skills, and connecting to resources and community.
• Positively influence the team culture by advocating for clients, promoting a friendly approach, and encouraging the use of recovery-oriented language.
• Help build an environment that operates from a belief in the human potential to grow and an understanding of human diversity.
• Maintain open and frequent communication with the team, including reporting safety and other concerns.
• Keep notes on visits with program participants as required.
• Co-collaborate on reporting with the program participant.
• Adhere to on-call cell phone system for crisis intervention, emergencies, and situations requiring immediate action.
• Complete any additional assigned duties given by Program Director, Assistant Program Director, Regional Director and/or Vice Presidents.

Benefits

• Health and wellness resources
• Generous PTO
• Professional development