Intern

At The Centers, meaningful work is grounded in a culture where people feel valued. As a 2026 USA TODAY Top Workplaces winner, the organization is nationally recognized, based entirely on employee feedback, for trust, purpose, and care. This position plays an important role in advancing our mission and supporting the communities we serve.

Under supervision of the Clinical Director of SUD and Peer Support Supervisor, the Peer Support Specialist Intern will be a current or former recipient of mental health services and/or substance use disorder services, should have self-knowledge and self-awareness of his or her mental health diagnosis/illness and/or substance use disorder, and willing to use and share his or her personal, practical experience, knowledge, and first‑hand insight to benefit the team and its clients.

The Peer Support Specialist Intern shall shadow current peer supports to learn to perform the duties of a peer support including provide peer counseling and consultation to individual clients, families, and team members; act as a liaison with community resources; carry out rehabilitation and support functions; and assist in treatment, substance abuse services, education, support and consultation to families and crisis intervention.

Essential Duties and Responsibilities

• Models skills for and provides consultation to fellow team members.
• Collaborates effectively, while using interpersonal skills and abilities, with individuals with mental health illnesses and their families, agency referrals, and other service providers in the community.
• Serves as a mentor to clients to promote hope and empowerment while providing skills to link clients to employment and/or skill building, which leads to employment.
• Provides expertise and consultation from a mental health consumer perspective to team members concerning clients’ experiences on symptoms of mental illness, the effects and side effects of medications, clients’ responses to and opinion of treatment, and clients’ experiences of recovery.
• Help clients identify, understand, and combat stigma and discrimination associated with mental illness and substance use, develop strategies to reduce self-stigma.
• Increases awareness of and support for client participation in client self‑help programs and consumer advocacy organizations that promote recovery.
• Assists other team members to identify and understand culture‑wide stigma and discrimination against people with mental illnesses and substance use and develop strategies to eliminate stigma within the organization.
• Provides services to clients in multiple settings including jail, shelters, streets, hospitals, and homes.
• Facilitates referrals to employers in the community and/or link with our internal programs as needed, substance use disorder care and treatment (including low‑threshold, medication‑assisted treatment, and evidence‑based psychological and behavioral treatments) and essential support services (including transportation, mental health services, and El Barrio).
• Assists clients in identifying and coping with mental illness and/or substance use by encouraging clinical engagement practices and techniques in addition to community activities.
• Encourages and supports clients through the development of mental capacity for independence and healthy independent decision making, related to but not limited to the living situation, hygiene, personal care, household skills, medication administration, social skills, job readiness skills, coping techniques, etc.
• Observes and reports behavior, attitude, mood swings, mental health, substance use, and/or healthcare needs

Other Non‑Essential Duties and Responsibilities

• Other duties as assigned

Qualifications

The following minimum qualifications are required:

• (1) self‑identified as an individual with a serious mental illness who is currently or formerly a recipient of mental health services;
• (2) in the process of his/her recovery, and
• (3) completed training in wellness management and recovery interventions.

Education

• High School Diploma or GED

License or Certification

• CPR certification, first aid and non‑violent crisis intervention training within 60 days of hire.

Experience

• n/a

The Centers is an Equal Opportunity Employer and all qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to age, race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, national origin, disability status, protected veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by law.