Youth Peer Support Specialist

Job Description

Job Description

Join our team as a Youth Peer Support Specialist! Are you a passionate advocate with firsthand, lived experience navigating mental health? If so and you're excited about making a difference in the lives of young people, apply with a copy of your resume and cover letter!

Position Summary :

The Youth Peer Support Specialist provides strength-based, recovery-oriented peer support services to children and adolescents experiencing serious emotional disturbance (SED) or serious mental illness (SMI). The ideal candidate is a young adult with personal lived experience of SED / SMI prior to age 21 who has achieved a level of stability in their recovery and is ready to empower, mentor, and advocate for youth navigating similar behavioral health challenges. This role plays a key part in engaging youth in services, promoting wellness and resiliency, and fostering hope for recovery.

Key Responsibilities :

• Use lived experience to build rapport, provide mentorship, and offer encouragement to youth with SED / SMI.
• Actively engage youth in their own recovery and treatment planning processes.
• Provide support and coaching to promote healthy decision-making, emotional regulation, and goal setting.
• Help youth develop effective self-advocacy, communication, and coping skills.
• Assist youth in identifying and accessing community resources, peer supports, and wellness activities.
• Facilitate individual or group peer support sessions in various settings such as clinics, schools, or homes.
• Model recovery, resilience, and healthy lifestyle choices.
• Support youth in navigating systems such as mental health, child welfare, juvenile justice, and education.
• Document services in an Electronic Health Record system in compliance with program and agency standards.
• Promote a youth-driven, culturally competent, trauma-informed approach to care.
• All other duties as assigned.

Qualifications :

Transportation Responsibilities :

Work Environment & Schedule :

In-Service Training & Continued Education Requirements :