Peer Support Specialist

Job Description

Job Description:\n\nJob Title: Peer Support Specialist_3.3 Residential \nType and FLSA Status: Non-Exempt \nReports To: Clinical Director \nSalary: $21-$24/ hour\nLast updated: 08.2026\n\nABOUT HER CAMPAIGN\nHER Campaign is a faith-based nonprofit organization dedicated to supporting individuals impacted by substance use disorders, trauma, and co-occurring mental health needs, including survivors of human trafficking. Since our founding in 2016, HER Campaign has supported individuals through crisis intervention, stabilization, and various stages of recovery and restoration.\n\nOur mission is to empower individuals to heal, grow, and discover purpose through a continuum of care that integrates safe environments, trauma-informed practices, therapeutic support, spiritual support, and community connection. We are committed to creating environments where individuals can stabilize physically, mentally, emotionally, and spiritually while being supported in their journey toward healing, recovery, and long-term restoration.\n\nRooted in the belief that “Hospitality Comes First,” HER Campaign fosters a culture of dignity, respect, compassion, accountability, and excellence. We believe every individual deserves to be treated with honor and provided with the support, resources, and opportunities necessary to pursue healing and a future of hope.\n\nThrough its affiliated licensed entities, HER Campaign supports the development and operation of substance use disorder and related supportive services designed to meet the needs of individuals with substance use disorders, including individuals with co-occurring mental health needs. Programs may also serve individuals with trauma histories and other complex needs, including survivors of human trafficking. Services are provided through appropriately licensed entities in accordance with applicable state licensing requirements, regulatory standards, payer requirements, and evidence-based practices, including the ASAM Criteria when applicable.\n\nHER Campaign provides mission alignment, organizational leadership, administrative infrastructure, and operational support to strengthen the delivery of safe, effective, compassionate, and person-centered services across its programs and locations.\n\nPROGRAM PHILOSOPHY\nHER Campaign supports trauma-informed, person-centered, strengths-based, and holistic recovery environments that recognize the integration of mental, emotional, physical, social, and spiritual well-being.\n\nPrograms are designed to meet individuals where they are and provide appropriate support based on their needs, goals, level of care, and recovery journey. Services are delivered in a manner that promotes dignity, safety, accountability, personal responsibility, connection, and hope.\n\nLicensed substance use disorder services are provided through affiliated licensed entities in accordance with applicable state licensing requirements, regulatory standards, payer requirements, and evidence-based practices, including the ASAM Criteria when applicable.\n\nSpiritual support may be incorporated into services and activities consistent with the individual's preferences and goals. Participation in spiritual activities is voluntary and client-centered.\n\nPOSITION OVERVIEW \nThis position requires current Certified Behavioral Health Peer Support Specialist (CBHPSS) certification for the provision of Medicaid-reimbursable peer support services. The Peer Support Specialist position serves as a non-clinical, lived-experience support role within an ASAM Level 3.3 Clinically Managed High-Intensity residential treatment program. Peer Support Specialists provide recovery-oriented engagement, mentorship, and encouragement to residents experiencing substance use disorders, co-occurring behavioral health conditions, and trauma-related challenges.\n\nThis position supports residents by promoting hope, connection, accountability, and engagement in treatment services within a structured residential milieu. Peer Support Specialists use lived experience with recovery to model healthy coping strategies, recovery behaviors, and personal growth in a way that supports resident stabilization and engagement.\n\nThis is a non-clinical peer support role that does not provide therapy, counseling, diagnosis, treatment planning, or clinical assessment services or perform clinical assessments, screenings, or evaluations. The Peer Support Specialist functions within a structured residential treatment milieu as part of an interdisciplinary treatment team and works under the direction of the Clinical Director and qualified clinical staff, maintaining a strictly non-clinical scope while supporting engagement in recovery-oriented services.\nPeer Support Specialists collaborate with clinical and program staff to support resident engagement in treatment services and goals developed by qualified clinical staff and contribute to a recovery-oriented residential environment consistent with ASAM 3.3 standards. Peer Support Specialists may only provide services for which they are properly credentialed and authorized. All Medicaid-reimbursable peer support services must be performed in accordance with current CBHPSS certification requirements and organizational billing and documentation standards.\n\nThe Peer Support Specialist functions under the supervision of qualified clinical staff and within the scope of practice established by Montana Medicaid, CBHPSS certification standards, organizational policy, and applicable regulatory requirements. The Peer Support Specialist does not independently provide clinical services, make treatment decisions, conduct assessments, establish diagnoses, or develop treatment plans.\n\nKEY RESPONSIBILITIES \nPeer Engagement & Recovery Support\n\n \n Provides non-clinical peer support by drawing on shared lived experience to validate client experiences, promote hope, and encourage active participation in recovery-oriented services and treatment engagement.\n \n Serves as a recovery mentor and provides client lived-experience perspective to the interdisciplinary team regarding engagement in services, treatment participation, and recovery experiences.\n \n Helps clients build a stable recovery lifestyle by encouraging participation in supports, healthy habits, and community recovery resources.\n \n Models recovery-oriented behaviors and supports engagement in recovery capital development.\n\nCrisis Support & Safety Escalation (Non-Clinical)\n\n \n Provides peer-based support during crisis and relapse vulnerability through encouragement, emotional support, and connection to clinical staff and community resources.\n \n Supports de-escalation through non-clinical engagement and coping encouragement (does not independently manage or clinically intervene in behavioral health crises).\n \n Communicates observed changes in client engagement, presentation, or safety concerns to qualified clinical staff for review and potential intervention.\n\nResource Navigation & Community Linkage\n\n \n Assists clients in connecting with housing, healthcare, entitlements, legal services, transportation, and other community recovery resources.\n\nIntake, Orientation & Program Engagement Support\n\n \n Provides peer-based support during initial client arrival and orientation by welcoming new clients and sharing lived-experience perspectives to reduce anxiety, increase comfort, and support engagement in the residential environment.\n \n Provides support during non-clinical orientation activities such as facility tours, introduction to daily routines, and review of general program structure under the direction of clinical and program staff.\n \n This role does not participate in clinical admissions, assessments, screening, or treatment planning decisions.\n\nADL Support & Recovery Skill Modeling\n\n \n Provides peer support and recovery modeling related to activities of daily living (ADLs), including routine development, organization, transportation, grocery shopping, hygiene, and basic life skills within a recovery-oriented setting.\n\nDocumentation & Confidentiality\n\n \n Maintains confidentiality of substance use disorder treatment information in accordance with HIPAA, 42 CFR Part 2, and organizational confidentiality policies, including appropriate handling of protected health information and release of information requirements.\n \n Documentation reflects observed interactions and peer support activities without clinical assessment, interpretation, diagnosis, or treatment planning content.\n \n Maintains strict confidentiality and limits access to protected health information (PHI) to authorized personnel only.\n\nTeam Collaboration & Program Development Support\n\n \n Provides lived-experience input to support development of recovery-oriented group topics and engagement strategies under clinical supervision.\n \n Maintains professional peer role boundaries and refers clinical, safety, or treatment-related concerns to qualified staff.\n \n Supports the therapeutic residential environment by modeling recovery behaviors, encouraging participation in scheduled programming, and promoting a safe, respectful, and recovery-oriented community culture.\n\nEXPERIENCE/EDUCATION \n\n \n Current Montana Certified Behavioral Health Peer Support Specialist (CBHPSS) certification, or other credential recognized by the State of Montana for the provision of Medicaid-reimbursable peer support services, is required at the time of hire and must be maintained throughout employment.\n \n Verification of required certification/credentialing must be provided prior to hire and maintained in the employee personnel file in accordance with organizational credentialing procedures.\n \n Continued employment in the Peer Support Specialist role is contingent upon maintaining active certification/credentialing and ongoing eligibility to provide Medicaid-reimbursable peer support services. Failure to maintain required certification, credentialing, or eligibility may result in removal from peer support duties, reassignment, or termination of employment.\n \n High school diploma or GED required. Additional education in behavioral health, social services, or a related field is preferred but not required.\n \n Lived experience with recovery from substance use, mental health challenges, trauma, or co-occurring conditions is required and serves as the foundation of the peer support role.\n \n Minimum of one year of experience in behavioral health, residential care, peer support, recovery-oriented services, or a related field is preferred but not required.\n \n Must be at least 18 years of age.\n \n Must be able to meet the physical and emotional demands of a residential behavioral health environment, including working evenings, weekends, holidays, and varied shifts as needed.\n\nTraining and Health Requirements\nEmployee must complete required onboarding and ongoing training as a condition of employment, including but not limited to:\n\n \n Trauma-informed care training and application in clinical practice\n \n Crisis intervention/de-escalation training (CPI or equivalent)\n \n CPR and First Aid certification (must remain current)\n \n Program-specific clinical, documentation, and compliance training\n \n 42 CFR Part 2 confidentiality requirements\n\nEmployee must also meet the following conditions of employment:\n\n \n Successful completion of all required background checks (including criminal background, registry checks, and exclusion list screening as applicable)\n \n Negative tuberculosis (TB) screening prior to or upon hire, with ongoing testing as required by program policy or public health guidance\n \n If assigned to duties involving client transportation or driving on behalf of the program, employees must possess a valid driver’s license, maintain an acceptable driving record, and meet agency insurance requirements.\n\nSKILLS/COMPETENCIES \nLived Experience & Peer Practice\n\n \n Ability to utilize lived experience appropriately to build rapport, trust, and engagement.\n \n Knowledge of recovery-oriented principles and recovery capital development.\n \n Ability to provide empathetic, non-judgmental, non-clinical peer support.\n\nProfessional Boundaries & Role Clarity\n\n \n Ability to maintain professional boundaries within a residential treatment environment.\n \n Ability to recognize and refer to clinical, safety, or treatment-related concerns appropriately.\n \n Maintains fidelity to the peer support role by ensuring all services remain strictly non-clinical and fully within CBHPSS scope of practice, maintaining clear role boundaries at all times.\n\nCommunication & Documentation\n\n \n Strong interpersonal and communication skills.\n \n Ability to accurately document peer interactions in objective, factual language.\n \n Ability to maintain confidentiality (HIPAA, 42 CFR Part 2).\n\nTeamwork & Environment\n\n \n Ability to function within an interdisciplinary treatment team.\n \n Ability to remain calm and supportive in emotionally intense residential environments.\n \n Commitment to trauma-informed, recovery-oriented care.\n\nTraining & Compliance\n\n \n Participates in ongoing supervision, training, certification maintenance, and professional development activities required to maintain CBHPSS certification and competency within the peer support role.\n \n Knowledge of organizational policies and residential program expectations.\n\nPHYSICAL AND WORK ENVIRONMENT\nThis position performs work in office, program, remote, and community settings as assigned. The employee may be required to sit, stand, walk, travel between program locations, attend meetings, and respond to operational or clinical needs consistent with the responsibilities of the position.\n\nThe position requires the ability to communicate effectively in person, by telephone, and electronically; operate computers and electronic health record systems; review and prepare documentation; and respond appropriately to urgent or crisis situations requiring consultation, decision-making, or other responsibilities within the scope of the position.\n\nThe work environment may include exposure to emotionally intense situations involving individuals experiencing trauma, substance use disorders, mental health concerns, or behavioral health crises. The employee is expected to maintain professionalism, support safety practices, maintain appropriate professional boundaries, and promote a trauma-informed environment.\n\nEMPLOYMENT DISCLAIMER\nThis Position Description is intended to describe the general nature, scope, and level of work performed by this position. It is not intended to be an exhaustive list of all duties, responsibilities, qualifications, or requirements associated with the position.\n\nThe Company reserves the right to modify this Position Description at any time based on organizational needs, program requirements, regulatory requirements, accreditation standards, or changes in professional practice.\n\nThis Position Description does not create an employment contract or alter the at-will employment relationship establi