Peer Support Specialist

JOB TITLE:Peer Support Specialist
REPORTS TO: Youth Leadership Development Coordinator

SUPERVISES: N/A

FSLA STATUS: Salaried, Non-Exempt

DEPARTMENT: 1440 Housing

LOCATION: Boulder, CO

ABOUT TGTHR:

TGTHR (formerly Attention Homes), has established a continuum of care aiming to ensure that youth feel safe, affirmed, comfortable, secure and valued. TGTHR has been committed to ending youth homelessness for 55 years by providing youth with access to a place to live, employment, education, wellness and a supportive community.

For more information, visit TGTHR.org.

If you would like to know more about TGTHR’s values, click here.

SUMMARY OF POSITION:

TGTHR seeks a Peer Support Specialist with lived experience with homelessness and mental health and/or substance misuse and is housed and in recovery. The Peer Specialist is willing to use and share their personal, practical experience, knowledge, and first-hand insight to benefit clients and their support team. The Peer Support Specialist will provide assistance, support, and advocacy for clients, identifying life choices and helping them overcome obstacles to achieve their goals. Focusing on the clients’ strengths, the Peer Support Specialist will promote personal growth, development, and recovery. Using their lived experience, the Peer Support Specialist will support clients with the transition from homelessness to being housed. This position reports to the Youth Leadership Development Coordinator and will be provided with clinical supervision from the Director of Behavioral Health and Wellness.

Key Area #1 - One to One Peer Support

• Provides individual Peer Support, drawing on common experiences as a peer, to validate clients’ experiences and to provide guidance and encouragement to clients to take responsibility and actively participate in their own recovery.
• Helps clients identify, understand, and combat stigma and discrimination associated with mental health, substance misuse and homelessness and develop strategies to reduce self-stigma.
• Maintains a work environment that is marked by respect for others; that values inclusiveness, and that fosters cooperation and teamwork.
• Appropriately responds to crises as they arise in a trauma-informed manner.
• Solicits, listens and responds to client feedback about services.
• Assist chronically homeless individuals in transition into and maintain supportive housing up to one-year post move.
• Facilitates connections to substance misuse programs and to on-site/telehealth mental health resources.

Key Area #2 - Group Support

• Works to create a supportive working environment that encourages trauma-informed and culturally competent interactions that build collaboration and create a kind and respectful atmosphere.
• Provides group Peer Support, drawing on common experiences as a peer, to validate clients’ experiences, and to provide guidance and encouragement to clients to take responsibility and actively participate in their own recovery.

Key Area #3 - Data Collection and Documentation

• Maintains and ensures the confidentiality of all client information.
• Completes all necessary documentation in a timely manner.
• Completes all required forms and reports in a complete and timely manner.

Key Area #4 - Professionalism and Teamwork

• Understands and follows the related policies and procedures of the organization.
• Attends required meetings and regular supervision, focusing on mastering the core competencies of the Peer Support Specialist profession.
• Attends and participates in formal and informal staff meetings and addresses client and program issues.
• Provides excellent internal and external customer service and communicates in a professional, timely, and effective manner.
• Actively participates, collaborates, and contributes to the multidisciplinary team to promote a team culture in which each client’s point of view, experiences, and preferences are recognized, understood and respected, and in which client self-determination and decision-making in service planning are maximized and supported.

Other Responsibilities

• Complete other special duties and tasks as assigned by management.
• We are a dynamic and growing team and at times everyone is required to do a bit of everything. You may be asked to take on other responsibilities from time to time, but these should not get in the way of your ultimate responsibility which is supporting the clients.

Required:

• Prior or current recipient of mental health, substance and/or homeless services, with the ability to role model recovery.
• Participation in their own recovery by way of active membership in a consumer advocacy or self-help group, plus TWO (2) years or more in recovery is preferred. All pathways are honored.
• At least one (1) year of being successfully housed is mandatory
• Time management with the ability to meet a timeline
• Excellent written and verbal communication
• Administrative Skills/ Experience in operating computerized office equipment and telephones.
• Conflict Mediation/Resolution Skills
• Ability to relate to people from diverse backgrounds and experience
• Trauma-Informed approach
• Creativity and flexibility
• Resilience and the ability to stay calm and focused while working under pressure
• Anti-racist, anti-oppression lens
• Education: High School Diploma or GED required
• Proof of COVID-19 vaccine or are able to receive one within seven weeks of hire
• Ability to sit for long periods of time while also performing typing duties.
• Ability to lift a minimum of 30 lbs.
• Ability to lift, bend, stoop, kneel, crouch, push and other strenuous activities.
• Moving up and down stairs throughout shift
• Reliable transportation is required

Preferred:

• Bilingual: English/Spanish is a plus
• One year or more of volunteer and/or paid experience is preferred
• Prior experience working with youth and/or vulnerable populations
• Customer service experience
• At least one (1) year of case management experience
• Experience with Salesforce

Don’t meet every single requirement?

At TGTHR we are dedicated to building a diverse, inclusive and authentic workplace, so if you’re excited about this role but your past experience doesn’t align perfectly with every qualification in the job description, we encourage you to apply anyways. You may be just the right candidate for this or other roles.

BENEFITS AND COMPENSATION Full time $45,760-$52,000/yr

TGTHR supports employees with ongoing training and offers competitive compensation and benefits.

• Medical, Dental, Vision (TGTHR pays 85% of employee only premiums)
• Basic Life and Accident Insurance (TGTHR pays 100% of employee only premiums)
• Paid Time Off / Paid Sick Leave / Paid Parental Leave / Paid Bereavement Leave
• Holiday Pay & Floating Holiday
• Employee Assistance Program / Counseling Services
• Stipend for Development and Educational Opportunities
• 403(b) Retirement Plan with up to 3% match
• Employee Referral Bonus
• Paid Training
• Flexible Work Environment
• Staff Appreciation Events

TGTHR is pleased to provide professional growth opportunities for full time employees pursuing their LPC or MFT licensure. In exchange for providing counseling services in programs, employees will receive on sight individual and group supervision at no cost to the employee.

TGTHR is a drug-free workplace. Candidates and employees must be able to pass a criminal check.

TGTHR is an Equal Opportunity Employer and prohibits discrimination and harassment of any kind. We are strategically invested in creating an equitable, diverse, just, and inclusive work environment. For more information on our justice, equity, diversity and inclusion (JEDI) efforts, visit our website https://tgthr.org/