Peer Support Specialist - JOHS

Job Description

Job Description

The Peer Company (TPC)

Joint Office of Homeless Services (JOHS) Team

PSS Job Description

PAY SCALE : $25.00 per hour.

FTE : 1.0 FTE (40 hours per week)

HOURS AND LOCATION : M-F 8 : 00am – 4 : 00pm, home office Recovery Campus 8935 SE Powell Blvd, Portland, OR 97266

This position is out in the field and in all types of weather conditions.

BENEFITS : This is a benefited position as outlined in The Peer Company Employee Handbook

TITLE : Peer Support Specialist

REPORTS TO : EVOLVE Program Manager

DEPARTMENT : EVOLVE

JOB SUMMARY :

The trained and experienced Peer Support Specialist (PSS) / Certified Recovery Mentor (CRM) offers comprehensive outreach and peer support to people living in unsanctioned encampments. Support is guided by the lens of lived experience as a person who has similar life experiences.

As a part of the multi-disciplinary team, this PSS engages directly with people experiencing homelessness to facilitate connection and engagement with health and social services and other services and supports the people being served are seeking. PSSs support people in taking the next step in the care continuum by talking directly with people in the field, finding out what they need, identifying programs, resources, and services that will best meet those needs, and removing obstacles to accessing those programs, resources, and services. Goals include helping people experiencing homelessness enter shelter; develop trusting relationships with their medical or behavioral health home; and access food and material resources.

QUALIFICATIONS :

Values Alignment : The Peer Company strives to honor cultural and spiritual diversity in the communities we serve as well as honoring Voice and Choice through trauma-informed practices with a Social Justice lens. Our values of Voice and Choice mean we believe in the person’s right to make their own decisions and that people are the “experts” in their own lives. We have an unwavering belief in every person’s ability to learn, grow, and recover.

Being committed to Social Justice means being committed to constantly assessing our organizational values and the extent to which we are modeling or falling short of them. It also means listening to feedback from our stakeholders and others who have interacted with our organization and taking the time to understand and reflect on those interactions. This commitment is extended from the organization, as well as each employee of TPC.

Education : High school diploma or equivalent required.

Background Check : A criminal background check will be conducted by The Peer Company in accordance with the TPC background check policy. A criminal record does not necessarily exclude an individual from employment with TPC.

Pre-Hire Drug Screen : As part of The Peer Company’s commitment to fostering a safe, productive, and professional workplace, we require pre-hire drug screenings for all potential employees. The screening will be conducted in accordance with The Peer Company’s drug screening policy, as well as applicable state and federal laws.

Experience :

• Identifies as having at least 2 years of lived experience in recovery with addiction challenges (may include both addiction and mental health challenges)
• Experience with mental health recovery is desirable and highly valued
• Understands the principles of trauma informed care, recovery, consumer-involvement, and trauma-informed care

Licensure / Certification :

Skills :

GENERAL ACCOUNTABILITIES AND ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS

The above accountabilities represent work performed by this position and are not all-inclusive. The omission of a specific accountability will not preclude it from the position if the work is similar, related, or a logical extension of the position.

Employment with The Peer Company is "at-will." This means employees are free to resign at any time, with or without cause, and The Peer Company may terminate the employment relationship at any time, with or without cause or advance notice. As an at-will employee, it is not guaranteed, in any manner, that you will be employed with The Peer Company for any set period of time.

The Peer Company is an Equal Opportunity Employer. Employment opportunities at The Peer Company are based upon one's qualifications and capabilities to perform the essential functions of a particular job. All employment opportunities are provided without regard to race, religion, sex, gender identity, pregnancy, childbirth or related medical conditions, national origin, age, Veteran status, disability, genetic information, or any other characteristic protected by law.