Peer Specialist - Watkins, CO - 10864

Job Description

Job Description

This position will be posted for a minimum of 5 days

 

The mission of the Colorado Coalition for the Homeless is to work collaboratively toward the prevention of homelessness and the creation of lasting solutions for homeless and at-risk families, children, and individuals throughout Colorado. The Coalition advocates for and provides a continuum of housing and a variety of services to improve the health, well-being, and stability of those it serves.

 

Our Philosophy of Service: We believe all people have the right to adequate housing and health care. We work to remove the barriers that restrict access to these rights. Society benefits when adequate housing and health care are available to everyone. We create lasting solutions to homelessness by: 

·         Honoring the inherent dignity of those we serve, affirming their capabilities and fostering their hope that a better life is possible. 

·         Building strong, caring and trauma-informed communities through the integration of housing, health care and supportive services. 

·         Advocating for social and racial equity, inclusion and diversity, and challenging the status quo in partnership with our workforce members and those we serve. 

·         Achieving excellence through continuous quality assurance, innovation and professional development. 

·         Using resources judiciously and effectively.  

 

 

Through lived experience that includes recovery from substance use, homelessness, and/or effective treatment of mental health conditions, the Peer Specialist offers insight & first-hand knowledge to support clients, families, and their integrated teams. You will work to support clients with various challenges to overcome obstacles and achieve their goals by focusing on strengths, empowerment, and advocacy. 

 

*Due to grant funding lived and recovery experience is required

Additional Requirement

• Valid driver’s license required. This requirement may be waived, if necessary, based on overall candidate experience and current needs of the business and/or role.

Coalition Benefits 

• Choice of HMO or PPO health insurance coverage options: full-time employees contribute only 1% of their earnings for their own HMO health coverage and no more than 4% of their earnings for coverage of eligible dependents. We’re proud to offer same-and opposite-sex domestic partner coverage. 
• Choice of dental insurance or discount plan. 
• Vision insurance.  
• Flexible spending accounts for health care / dependent care / parking expenses. 
• Free basic life and AD&D insurance coverage. 
• Employee Assistance Program , a problem-solving resource available to you and your household members. 
• Dollar-for-dollar retirement plan matching contributions up to 5% of earnings with 3-year vesting. 
• Extensive paid time-off, including 9 holidays, 12 days of sick leave, and three weeks of vacation for new full-time employees in their first year. 

 

The effective date for your benefits will be the first of the month following your date of hire.

Essential Job Functions 

• Provides mentorship and support to clients through personal lived experience to build skills in goal setting & problem solving with an emphasis on individual strengths, resilience, and empowerment.
• Facilitates counseling and activities for clients in recovery from substance use disorders in individual or group settings to promote connection and agency.
• Helps clients coordinate & navigate critical services including healthcare, housing assistance, and behavioral health in partnership with internal teams & outside community partners.
• Transport and/or escorts clients to scheduled appointments at Coalition properties and elsewhere as needed.
• Collaborates alongside Coalition staff to foster trusting relationships with clients and ensure services provided are timely while aligned to individual goals.
• Responsible for ongoing client outreach within the community to monitor needs that are recovery oriented.
• Ensure timely & accurate use of all company systems as required while maintaining complete up-to-date records and any future upgrades as directed.

 

Qualifications Summary 

• Completion of accredited Peer Specialist training program highly preferred. Ability to enroll and/or complete training program within the first 6 months of employment
• Bi-lingual English-Spanish and/or ASL preferred but not required.
• Prior peer mentoring experience serving individuals experiencing behavioral health challenges and/or homelessness highly preferred.
• Must be a person with lived experience including substance use disorders and/or mental health challenges. 
• Must have a minimum of 1-year continuous recovery from relevant lived experience described above and maintain recovery throughout employment. 
• Demonstrates a clear understanding of confidentiality protocols & adheres to privacy laws/organizational policies regarding sensitive information.
• Engages in meaningful & authentic interactions through active listening, trauma-informed care, and empathy that promote trust. 
• Recognizes professional boundaries and identifies potential conflicts of interests to maintain ethical standards in interactions with clients, coworkers, and stakeholders.
• Establishes trust and rapport with individuals, even in challenging or sensitive situations, to foster openness and respect.
• Actively advocates for the needs & rights of individuals/families to ensure access to necessary services, resources, and support systems identified by the clients they serve.
• Demonstrates awareness and continuously seeks to learn & apply inclusive language that respects diverse identities, backgrounds, and experiences.
• Collaborates cross-departmentally with other Coalition Peer Specialists to grow & contribute to the success of program objectives, culture, & a positive working environment.
• Adheres to all state, county, and organization policies/laws regarding mandatory reporting.
• Must be able to adhere to process protocol.
• Ability to effectively interface and utilize technology to complete work.
• Must be able to communicate effectively with others.
• Must be able to remain calm, think clearly, and apply sound judgement in high-pressure situations.

Department Overview & Requirements

• Sage Ridge will serve as a recovery center dedicated to individuals who have or are currently facing homelessness, focusing on providing a whole-person recovery experience, The goal is to offer sobriety and recovery services, grounded in Trauma-Informed Care, while promoting community integration and wellness. The Peer Specialist fosters hope and empowerment, providing emotional support, recovery education, and resource navigation within a trauma-informed, person-centered, and culturally competent environment. This facility operates 24/7, requiring Peer Specialist present at all times. Shifts are as follows: 7 am – 3:30 pm; 3 pm – 11:30 pm; 11 pm – 7:30 am. Schedules will run from Sunday through Thursday and Tuesday through Saturday. On Wednesdays, we will have all the staff present. This day will be used for department meetings, training, etc. 

WHERE A CANDIDATE IS PLACED IN THE COMPENSATION RANGE DEPENDS ON TOTAL RELEVENT YEARS OF EXPERIENCE

 

Employee must be able to perform essential job functions with or without reasonable accommodation and without posing a direct threat to safety or health of self or others. To perform this job successfully, an individual must be able to perform each essential function satisfactorily. Employee will perform job according to applied laws. The requirements listed above are representative of the knowledge, skill, and/or ability required. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

We offer a full suite of benefits for our eligible employees and their dependents. We’re proud to offer same-and opposite-sex domestic partner coverage.

• Health Insurance - HMO or PPO 
• Dental plans, vision insurance, flexible spending accounts, supplemental life insurance
• Company paid basic life and AD&D insurance coverage, Employee Assistance Program, 403(b) retirement savings matching,
• Extensive paid time-off, including holidays, sick leave, and vacation

The effective date for your benefits will be the first of the month following your date of hire.

 

The Colorado Coalition for the Homeless is committed to delivering services, making employment-related decisions, selecting volunteers, and selecting vendors without regard to age over 40, race, sex, color, religion, creed, national origin, ancestry, disability, genetic information, marital status, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, pregnancy, medical condition related to pregnancy, military status, or any other applicable status protected by law.