Job Title: Homeless Initiative Peer Support Specialist

Qualifications: Must have strong interpersonal, organizational, and oral/ written communication skills, as well as knowledge of community resources for mental health, recovery, and homelessness support. The peer specialist may have a college degree in a human services field, or a high school diploma/GED. Certified Peer Support Specialist (CPSS) or eligible for certification. Lived experience with mental health challenges/treatment, recovery from substance use disorder (SUD), and/or homelessness, with at least one year in sustained recovery, and is willing to use and share his or her personal, practical experience, knowledge, and first-hand insight to benefit the team and its consumers. Submit to and pass a background check and drug screen.

Summary

The Homeless Initiative Peer Support Specialist will use their lived experience with mental health challenges, recovery from substance use disorders (SUD), and/or homelessness to provide peer-based support, outreach, and advocacy. This role is designed to foster recovery, promote mental health stability, connect individuals to resources, and support their journey toward self-sufficiency. Working collaboratively with community partners, the Peer Support Specialist will engage individuals in recovery and mental wellness efforts while addressing barriers to housing and stability.

Principal Duties and Responsibilities

Provide compassionate, strength-based support to consumers based on lived experience with mental health and recovery.

Help consumers identify personal goals and create actionable plans for mental health/recovery and self-sufficiency.

Advocate for consumer’s needs while empowering them to develop self-advocacy skills and independence.

Conduct outreach to engage individuals experiencing homelessness, mental health challenges, and SUD.

Visit shelters, community spaces, and other locations to provide information about the program and services.

Build rapport with potential consumers and connect them to mental health, recovery, and housing resources.

Collaborate with case managers and community partners to ensure consumers are connected to housing, employment, mental health care, SUD treatment, and other necessary resources.

Facilitate referrals and support follow-through with appropriate services.

Educate consumers on the principles of mental health recovery, SUD treatment, and wellness management.

Lead or co-facilitate peer-led recovery groups, mental health workshops, and supportive activities.

Provide resources and guidance for mental health stabilization, including coping strategies and self-care practices.

Offer immediate emotional and peer-based support to consumers experiencing mental health or recovery-related crises.

Connect consumers to appropriate crisis services and follow up to ensure continued safety and support.

Maintain accurate and timely records of consumer interactions, outreach efforts, and progress in accordance with program guidelines.

Prepare regular reports on outreach, client outcomes, and resource utilization as required by supervisors.

Assist in maintaining a clean, safe, and welcoming environment for consumers and staff.

Participate in staff meetings, training sessions, and professional development activities.

Provide support for special projects, community events, or initiatives as assigned by the supervisor.

Adapt to changing program needs and assist with duties outside of the core job description as necessary.

Provide an average of 50% direct billable time per month as established by the Agency.

Additional Responsibilities

The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations will be made to enable the individual with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

• Physically able to reach, push, pull, stoop, bend, stand, walk and lift up to 25 pounds.

• Possess a valid Driver’s License, reliable transportation, and maintain a safe driving record if required for job performance.

  Required Job Skills

• Willing to work flexible hours and to travel within the region serves. Good communication and writing potential, with the ability to communicate and relate well to parents, children, and professionals, including ability to listen well, to negotiate, and to remain objective.

• A non-judgmental attitude toward mental health & recovery consumers.

• Ability to work with families from diverse cultural, religious, racial and socioeconomic backgrounds.

• Demonstrate flexibility and problem-solving skills-ability to deal with situations that arise.

• Personal characteristics that include common sense, ability to adhere to policies, procedures and code of ethics, healthy boundaries, enthusiastic, team player, willingness to learn, open minded, ability to transfer leadership in an empowering way.

  Work Environment

  The work environment characteristics described here are representative of those an employee encounters while performing the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations must be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform essential functions.

  While performing the duties of this job, the employee occasionally works in outside weather conditions, may be off-site from normal office location or placed at a Residential Program.

  The noise level in the work environment is mild to moderate.

  Environmental Data and Job Hazards

• Hours of work are structured 7.5 - 8.0 hour blocks of time but may be subject to irregular and/or flexible hours based on needs or demands.

• Position may require duties to include routine or reasonable anticipated tasks or procedures where there is a degree of actual or potential exposure to blood or other infectious materials.

• All staff are required to participate in yearly trainings regarding infection control and safety in the environment including hazardous waste and bloodborne pathogens.

• All new staff must attend training regarding handling physical, verbal threats, acts of violence or other escalating and potentially dangerous situations including when police need to be summoned.

• All staff must be certified in Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation within one month of employment and maintain the certification, if providing direct care. First Aid training may be required.

  Psychiatric Treatment and Dual Diagnosis Recovery Services

  Assist in the provision of ongoing assessment of consumers’ mental illness symptoms and consumers’ response to treatment. Suggest appropriate changes in treatment plans to ensure that immediate and appropriate interventions are provided in response to changes in consumers’ mental status or behavior in which put consumers’ mental status or behavior in which put consumer at risk (e.g., suicidality)

  Assist in the provision of direct clinical services to consumers on an individual, group, and family basis in the office and in community settings to teach symptom-management techniques and promote personal growth and development by assisting consumers to cope with internal and external stresses.

  Assist in the provision of individual and group treatment in the office and in community settings in a stage-based treatment model that is non-confrontational, considers interactions of mental illness and substance use disorder, and has consumer-determined goals.

  Shared duties with clinical and support staff in the provision of rehabilitation services.

  Structuring Time and Employment

  Perform mentoring, problem solving, encouragement and support on and off the job site.

  Provide work-related supportive services, such as assistance securing necessary clothing, meals, grooming supplies, wake-up calls, and transportation.

  Activities of Daily Living Services

  Provide ongoing assessment, problem solving, side-by-side services, skill teaching, support (prompts assignments, encouragement), and environmental adaptations to assist consumers with activities of daily living.

  Assist consumers to find and maintain a safe and affordable place to live, apartment hunting, finding a roommate, landlord negotiations, cleaning, furnishings, decorating, and procuring necessities (telephone, furniture, utility hook-up).

  Assist and support consumers to organize and perform household activities, including house cleaning and laundry.

  Assist and support consumers with personal hygiene and grooming tasks.

  Provide nutrition education and assistance with meal planning, grocery shopping and food preparation.

  Ensure that consumers have adequate financial support (help to gain employment and apply for entitlements).

  Teach money-management skills (budgeting and paying bills) and assist consumers in accessing financial services (e.g., professional financial counseling, emergency loan services).

  Help consumers to access reliable transportation (obtain a driver’s license, car and car insurance, arrange for cabs, use public transportation, find rides).

  Assist and support consumers to have and effectively use a personal primary care physician, dentist, and other medical specialists as required.

  Social and Interpersonal Relationships and Leisure Time

  Provide side-by-side support, coaching and encouragement to help consumers socialize (going with a consumer to community activities, including activities offered by consumer-run peer support organizations).

  Assist consumers to plan and carry out leisure time activities on evenings, weekends, and holidays.

  Organize and lead individual and group social and recreational activities to help consumers structure their time, increase social experiences, and provide opportunities to practice social skills.

  Support

  Provide practical help and supports, mentoring, advocacy, coordination, side-by-side individualized support, problem solving, direct assistance and supervision to help consumers obtain the necessities of daily living including medical and dental health care; legal and advocacy services; financial support such as entitlements (SSI, SSDI, veterans’ benefits); housing subsidies (HUD Section 8); money-management services(e.g., payee services); and transportation.

   

Powered by JazzHR