Peer Specialist

Position Overview

Scope Of Role: Supporting independence and community inclusion, S:US' Treatment Services division promotes person-centered services that focus on recovery. We apply evidence-based practice, data-driven accountability, compassion and dedication to our work. Our mission to bring opportunity to all includes recognizing and amplifying the diverse strengths of the people we serve and our teams. We strive to instill respect and integrity into each interaction and support the voices of the people we serve.

Essential Duties & Responsibilities: Engagement: • Create a sense of community through the mutual sharing of lived experiences. • Create professional boundaries when working with participants. • Maintain a caseload. • Supervise peer specialist. • Facilitate engagement with teams by forging strong connections with participants and families. • Undertake outreach activities designed to promote community awareness of S:US services. • Encourage help-seeking, and at times serving as a bridge between team members and participants when they experience ambivalence about treatment or other services. • Develop authentic, meaningful relationships with individuals and families through empathy, listening and collaborating with genuine curiosity and interest. • Understand, share and discuss multiple frameworks for understanding life experiences with participants and the rest of the S:US team. Peer Specialists intentionally use language in the service of listening to understand and making space for complex personal stories of recovery and resilience.

Advocacy and Support: • Advocates for and facilitate access to needed health care services, proactively addressing potential barriers such as missed appointments, transportation, fear and stigma, and communication with professional staff. • Advocate with and for program participants both in the larger community and on the team. • Facilitate individual and group-based educational, recovery, wellness and skill building opportunities including: wellness self-management; WRAP; peer support; harm reduction; and other social or leisure activities. • 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 outside of the S:US team. • Work actively within the team itself to help build an environment that operates from a belief in the human potential to grow and an understanding of human diversity. • Accompany individuals to appointments and community/leisure activities. • Carry a small caseload, as needed.

Pre-Crisis and Crisis Support: • Providing reassurance and support to an individual in distress or crisis. • Employing non-clinical crisis support, especially after periods of hospitalization or incarceration. • Assisting the individual with putting their wellness, crisis plans or recovery plan into action. • Accompanying, supporting, and advocating on behalf of an individual in an emergency room or crisis unit or preparing to be admitted to detox, residential or other service to deal with crisis. • Providing short-term post-crisis support to an individual who has been discharged from an emergency room, crisis unit, or crisis respite residence, or incarceration.

Communication: • Peer Specialists maintain open and frequent communication with the team. This includes reporting safety and other concerns to team members. • Responsible for timely and accurate documentation including documentation of interactions with guests, services provided, critical information and events, contacts with collaterals and referrals, as required by S:US and program policies. • Actively participate in agency and staff team meetings, individualized/team supervision, coaching and professional development activities. • Attend all required trainings. Maintain the highest levels of confidentiality. • Participate in required training and professional development activities. • Perform other duties as required.

Community Participation: • Utilizing shared personal experience to support skill development that guides the individual towards a more independent life in the community. • Exploring community spaces that promote integration, inclusion, and participation (bridging from the individual's home to the community). • Supporting the individual in attending community activities and appointments when requested. • Assisting the individual to help connect to long-term natural supports that enhance the quality and overall security of life.

Key Performance Standards • Communication: Ability to communicate effectively with individuals and team members, appreciating their social, cultural, religious and ethnic backgrounds and their age, gender and abilities.

• Integrity: Uphold personal and professional ethics and values, considering the values of the organization and respecting the culture, beliefs and abilities of individuals we serve.

• Person-Centered: Support the person's independence, choice and control, by providing only as much support as the person needs to engage in behavior of his/her choice provide specific skills that will help the person to be more independent.

• Continuous Quality Improvement: Foster a culture of continuous improvement. Regularly search for information and implement solutions to solve problems, improve quality/service, efficiency, effectiveness and/or reduce costs. Use a systematic approach manage change in a way that clarify priorities and reduce concern experienced by others.

• Engagement: Use strong interpersonal skills to help individuals feel comfortable and motivated by using language and an approach that helps overcome barriers or stigma. Involve care managers or other team members when appropriate to help individuals and families engage fully in their care.

Qualifications

Required Education and Experience • Certification or Provisional certification as a Certified Peer Specialist (CPS) OASAS and or OMH /CRPA certification • Active participation in self-help activities, peer support or peer advocacy programs, or participant run organizations or similar experiences or programs required. • Must have lived experience with the Mental Health and/or Substance Use Treatment system and willingness to share personal experience appropriately and respectfully. • Understanding of the community in which the team is based with an awareness of available community resources. • Experience working with families and youth /children. The Peer Specialist should also be someone who has made positive and productive progress toward his or her own recovery. • Demonstrate good interpersonal communications skills and the ability to empathize with, relate to and effectively work with participants. • Must possess the ability/ willingness to disclose their recovery story (where appropriate) for the purposes of empowerment. • Excellent judgment/ ability to understand boundaries when working with participants is required. • Have a clear understanding of community diversity and needs. Ability to document and translate member needs with a trauma informed, and culturally competent lens. Ability to utilize critical thinking, problem-solving and de-escalation skills to assist with creating and maintaining an environment that promotes recovery. Ability to utilize various computer programs, specifically Microsoft Word and Excel. Bilingual a plus. A Minimum of High School Diploma or equivalent or higher required.

Company Overview

S:US IS AN EQUAL OPPORTUNITY EMPLOYER

Join a team of employees who care about the wellbeing of others. We believe in fostering a culture built on our core values: respect, integrity, support, maximizing individual potential and continuous quality improvement. From health and wellness resources to generous PTO, professional development, and more, explore all that we offer on our Benefits Page and see how S:US invests in you.

We believe in fostering a culture built on our core values: respect, integrity, support, maximizing individual potential and continuous quality improvement.

All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, disability, age, sexual orientation, national origin, veteran status, or genetic information and including all other statuses protected by Federal, State and Local laws. S:US is committed to providing access, equal opportunity and reasonable accommodation for individuals with disabilities in employment, its services, programs, and activities, including allowance of the use of services animals. To request reasonable accommodation or if you believe such a request was improperly handled or denied, contact the Leave Team at View email address on click.appcast.io.

ID

2026-18720

Work Location

In Person