Peer Support Specialist

Peer Support Specialist

The current vacancy is in the Shasta County Health and Human Services Agency Behavioral Health and Social Services Branch. Oral exam is tentatively scheduled August 2026. Responses to supplemental questions required. Final filing date: August 05, 2026, at 05:00 PM. Salary information: $3,214 - $4,103 approximate monthly / $18.54 - $23.67 approximate hourly.

About Shasta County: Shasta County offers all the amenities of the big city while retaining a comfortable small-town atmosphere. With its natural beauty, affordable housing, excellent educational system, abundance of recreational opportunities, and excellent quality of life, Shasta County is a great place to live, work, and raise a family.

About the Department: The Shasta County Health and Human Services Agency (HHSA) partners with the community to protect and improve the health and wellbeing of Shasta County residents. HHSA is organized into four branches: Behavioral Health & Social Services, Public Health, Economic Mobility, and a centralized Administration Services. HHSA promotes optimal health for all. The frail, the abused, the mentally ill, and those without resources look to HHSA for services and resources to meet their basic needs, and to protect their health and safety.

About the Position: Under general supervision and in cooperation with professionals and paraprofessionals, learn to perform a variety of paraprofessional services in the community or clinic setting; act as a resource and support system for participants; provide liaison functions between participants and service providers; support self-empowerment of participants to act on their own behalf regarding their needs; provide services to participants and their family members/caregivers, both individually and in group settings, and perform related work as required.

Distinguishing Characteristics: The Peer Support Specialist is a paraprofessional class and is distinguished from licensed and case management personnel in that the Peer Support Specialist does not assume primary responsibility for participants. The Peer Support Specialist performs a variety of less complex functions in the Health and Human Services Agency.

Ideal Candidate: The ideal candidate will have strong team-building skills with a collaboration mindset. They will have strong boundaries and the ability to interact professionally with community partners. They will have lived experience with mental illness, substance use disorder, and/or lived experience with child welfare foster care system personally or within a family system. They will have strong verbal and written skills. The ideal candidate will have in-depth, personal understanding and experience with successful and ongoing recovery. They will be familiar with community resources. They will have a passion for helping others access the services and support they need. This applicant will be excited to connect and engage with diverse Shasta residents with the services that are available to support recovery. They will also serve as a constant reminder that recovery is possible by sharing their recovery experience with Shasta County clients and community members.

Examples of Essential Duties

Duties may include, but are not limited to, the following: Act as a resource and provide direct assistance and guidance to participants of the related programs; coordinate services for participants; supports and engages participants in productive activities which promote growth toward a successful outcome; provide support and advocacy to help participants stabilize and benefit from treatment and services; support participants in combating negative self-talk, overcoming fears, and solving problems; provide assistance and mentoring on a one-on-one basis with participants; act as a resource for participants/family members/caregivers regarding services, referral information, and guidance in understanding agency policies and procedures; support participants in articulating, setting, and accomplishing goals; participate as a team member in the collaboration of assessment and treatment of participants; facilitate connections for participants/family members/caregivers to other community resources or providers; follow agency protocol when delivering programmatic guidance, as well as making referrals to health care providers and relevant programs within the community when the participants' issues are not within the Peer Support Specialist's scope of work; participate in reciprocal education with other providers to support integration of peer support within provider teams; facilitate educational and support groups for participants/family members/caregivers; communicate with community based organizations on behalf of participants, family members, and other related parties as part of connecting and engaging them in services within the community; provide case management services; assist with related paperwork and tasks; provide support during legal hearings; provide transportation for appointments, interviews, court hearings, etc.; collect relevant data during assessments and interventions within the scope of work; maintain accurate and current documentation; and attend regularly scheduled meetings and trainings.

Support the work of professional staff; assist with trainings in accordance with local and state policies; assist in quality control assurance activities, evaluation of documentation, inventory of equipment and supplies, and team meeting facilitation; facilitate the provision of programmatic services to participants and corresponding education as necessary; assist with the facilitation of participant classes and peer support groups; accompany licensed staff into the community to participate in support of participants, family members, and caregivers during crisis responses; provide evidence based resources for the safety of participants; collaborate with staff and community partners; promote positive relationships and open communication between participants, family members, caregivers and other staff; and may promote programmatic services through public speaking engagements in the community, as well as personal contacts with prospective participants, family members, and caregivers.

Qualifications

It is the responsibility of applicants to identify in their application materials how they meet the minimum qualifications listed below. Knowledge of: Basic knowledge of programmatic issues faced by participants; counseling techniques; the principles of wellness, resiliency, and recovery; the power of beliefs/values and how they support or work against recovery; the steps necessary to establish healing relationships; the importance of self-care; may acquire knowledge of federal, state, and local program policies, and procedures; knowledge of local community resources available to participants, family members, and caregivers which may require referral; cultural issues and factors in service delivery; confidentiality and ethical standards; and working knowledge of computers, social media platforms, texting, and telephone communication skills.

Ability to: Understand and interact sensitively, effectively, and professionally with persons and participants from diverse cultural, socioeconomic, educational, ethnic, and professional backgrounds, including supervisors, managers, co-workers, professionals, other agencies, and members of the public; communicate effectively; articulate the difference in treatment goals vs. recovery goals; co-facilitate a variety of group activities that support and strengthen recovery; deal with conflict and difficult interpersonal relations in the workplace; disseminate information on the benefits of services within the various programs; support participants with excellent customer service; provide transportation; effectively work with people in crisis situations; provide support and coaching to participants; communicate rules and objectives; handle multiple tasks; organize and prioritize; follow written and oral instruction; use computers and related software, databases, and social media platforms; work effectively as part of a team; and maintain confidentiality standards for all participants.

Minimum Qualifications: Having been a participant of the related program and/or having personal experience of a consumer (e.g. family member and/or care giver) of the services provided by the related program.

Special Requirements: Possession of a valid California driver's license.

Supplemental Questions: Responses to the following must be submitted with a completed application.

1. Please explain your personal and/or family experience with mental illness, substance use disorder, child welfare and/or foster care as required for this position. If none, please type N/A.
2. Have you ever received services from a Peer Support Specialist and/or related program? If "Yes," please indicate when you were a participant and what type of training and program. If "No," please type NA.
3. Please explain your knowledge of the recovery community in Shasta County. If none, please type N/A.
4. Please describe your knowledge and/or experience of peer mentoring/support. If none, please type N/A.
5. Please describe how you maintain your own personal and ongoing recovery goals. If none, please type N/A.
6. We are recruiting for multiple Peer Support Specialist positions including Adult Mental Health, Children's Mental Health, and Child Welfare and Recovery Coach. Which of these programs do you see yourself working in and why?
7. I acknowledge this position requires an appropriate California driver's license. Yes/No

Physical Demands and Work Environment

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

While performing the duties of this job, the employee is regularly required to stand, walk, talk or hear, and taste or smell. The employee frequently is required to use hands to finger, handle, or feel objects, tools, or controls. The employee is occasionally required to climb or balance; and stoop, kneel, crouch, or crawl.

The employee must regularly lift and/or move up to 10 pounds. Specific vision abilities required by this job include close vision, distance vision, color vision, and peripheral vision.

While performing the duties of this job, the employee is occasionally exposed