Peer Support Specialist - Adult
POSITION: Peer Support Specialist - Adult
REPORTS TO: Mental Health Program Manager
STATUS: Full-Time, Temporary, Non-Exempt
COMPENSATION: $21-23 per hour
BENEFITS: Medical, Dental, Vision, and Life Insurance; Employee Assistance Program; 403(b) Retirement Plan; Paid Holidays, Sick, and Vacation
LOCATION: Sacramento, CA (this position is not eligible for remote work)
JOB SUMMARY:
The Peer Support Specialist provides trauma-informed, recovery-oriented, LGBTQ+ affirming, and culturally responsive mental health support services, including peer counseling, information and referral, community resource navigation, and advocacy. The Peer Support Specialist will work closely with the Mental Health Clinicians and Mental Health Program Manager to ensure coordinated access to a continuum of services that meet the unique needs of each client. This position requires flexible hours including possible weekend and evening hours.
ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS:
1. Client advocacy, support, and harm reduction
2. Support program implementation, documentation, and compliance
3. Community outreach and engagement
Client Advocacy, Support, and Harm Reduction:
1. Provide community members with a safe and affirming space to deescalate their mental health or other crisis conditions.
2. Conduct client intakes, determine eligibility and referral for Center and community partner programs, and provide warm hand-offs with Center and community resources.
3. Provide appropriate referrals for mental health, substance use disorder, and other service needs in coordination with the Mental Health Clinicians and Mental Health Program Manager in alignment with the client’s goals.
4. Support community members with developing an action plan, accessing personal and community support to reach identified goals, and building skills that support making positive life choices regarding their own health and well-being.
5. Collaborate with Center program staff and community-based organizations to facilitate coordinated access to a continuum of services that are culturally appropriate, LGBTQ+ affirming, and meet the unique, whole-person needs of each client.
6. Plan and coordinate informational and therapeutic workshops and other programming that destigmatizes help-seeking, is LGBTQ+ affirming, and supports mental health wellness.
7. Maintain healthy boundaries with clients and seek professional guidance when needed.
8. Contribute to the Center’s efforts to raise public awareness, combat stigma around mental health and promote harm reduction.
9. Proactively seek opportunities to collaborate with partnering agencies on activities and events to further the Center’s mission and impact.
Support Program Implementation, Documentation, and Compliance:
1. Accurately and completely record client profile information, all services provided to clients, and client progress/successes in the client data systems daily per agency guidelines.
2. Provide regular written program progress reports, grant deliverable reports, and other data and program evaluation reports as directed by supervisors.
3. Build a robust referral database and standard operating procedures to assist clients in accessing LGBTQIA+ culturally affirming housing, medical and mental health service providers, legal aid, crime victim services, subsidized health insurance coverage, public assistance programs, government issued identification, and LGBTQ+ affirming business and professional services, faith communities, sports leagues, social and activist groups, and arts and cultural organizations, amongst others.
4. Collaborate with other organizations, case managers, and healthcare providers to achieve common goals of our mission, values, and strategic plan through meetings, training, and other events.
5. Develop relationships with service providers to ensure the Center’s community resource information bank is accurate, relevant, affirming, and accessible.
6. Coordinate meetings, activities, workshops relevant to the program.
7. Analyze program trends, identify issues, report outcomes, and recommend changes
8. Ensure ongoing programmatic excellence by establishing benchmarks, timelines, and the resources needed to achieve strategic goals, proactively driving improvements as necessary; set standards for accountability and measurements of success
9. Be part of a team of subject matter experts in mental health and substance use resources.
Community Outreach and Engagement:
1. Establish a schedule to provide ongoing outreach at access points including the Center’s respite spaces, residential programs, and in South Sacramento at the Marsha P. Johnson Center South.
2. Serve as a representative of the organization in collaborative partner networks and at related community events and activities as directed.
3. Serve as a Center liaison with the community, engaging with individual stakeholders, families, social service providers, cultural organizations, social and activist groups, and faith communities to educate and create brave spaces for the LGBTQ+ community.
4. Conduct outreach at community events, cultural events, and with other social service providers, focusing on events and organizations likely to encounter LGBTQ+ adults and older adults.
General Duties:
1. Support and advocacy on behalf of clients of the Center.
2. Functions as a critical member of the Mental Health Program Team and Health Services Department.
3. Staff and support events for the Center.
4. Participate in staff meetings, planning meetings, committee meetings, and other external collaborative meetings as needed.
5. Maintain strict confidentiality and the highest level of integrity and professional boundaries in relationships with all program leadership team members, staff, clients, media, and donors.
6. Cultivate, train, and supervise interns and volunteers that support programs.
7. Handle a variety of special projects and other related duties, as assigned.
QUALIFICATIONS AND EXPERIENCE:
1. Experience working with the LGBTQ+ community and familiarity with issues relevant to LGBTQ+ people.
2. Excellent interpersonal, verbal, and written communication skills.
3. Demonstrated ability to work effectively with people of diverse races, ethnicities, nationalities, sexual orientations, gender identities, socio-economic backgrounds, religions, ages, English-speaking abilities, immigration status, and physical abilities in an intersectional environment.
4. Ability to work independently and as part of a team.
REQUIREMENTS:
1. Passion for the Center’s mission and work to create a region where LGBTQ+ people thrive and a commitment to follow all policies and procedures of the organization.
2. Education: Bachelor's degree in social services or related field and two years of related work experience may be substituted for formal education.
3. CPR certification is preferred.
4. Computer/Office Equipment Skills: Superior proficiency working with Microsoft Office, particularly Outlook, Word, Excel, PowerPoint, OneDrive, and Teams. database systems, and social media tools.
5. Access to reliable transportation.
6. Availability: Monday through Friday, 9:30 a.m. to 6 p.m., and occasional evening and weekend hours as needed. Schedule is subject to change.
7. Physical Demands: The person in this position may be required to sit or stand for extended periods, maneuver tight storage space, move objects up to 25 pounds, ascend/descend stairs, operate office equipment, open and close filing cabinets, and boxes, observe visitors, and communicate messages by telephone.
8. Offers of employment may be contingent on satisfactory results of a criminal history background check.
9. Employees must be legally permitted to work in the United States.
10. The Sacramento LGBT Community Center is a drug free workplace, employees may be subject to a drug test.
11. Vaccination Requirement: All employees are required to be vaccinated for COVID-19 and are encouraged to stay up to date annually or obtain an approved medical or religious exemption. Documentation will be required prior to your first day of work.
This job description is not designed to cover or contain a comprehensive listing of activities, duties or responsibilities that are required of the employee. Duties, responsibilities, and activities may change, or new ones may be assigned at any time with or without notice.
ABOUT THE ORGANIZATION:
The Sacramento LGBT Community Center works to create a region where all LGBTQ+ people can thrive. We support health and wellness, advocate for equity and justice, and work to uplift a diverse and culturally rich LGBTQ+ community.
EQUAL OPPORTUNITY:
The Sacramento LGBT Community Center is proud to be an equal opportunity employer. All individuals, including those of color, women, persons with disabilities, and persons who are lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender or intersex are encouraged to apply. The Center maintains a policy of non-discrimination with respect to employees, volunteers, interns, and applicants. No aspect of employment will be influenced in any matter by actual or perceived race, color, religion, religious creed, ancestry, sex, age, national origin, marital status, ethnicity, sexual orientation, gender identity and/or expression, physical or mental disability (including HIV or AIDS), medical/mental condition, genetic information, veteran or military status, or any other basis prohibited by statute; nor as to any individuals associating with an individual of any legally protected class.
TO APPLY:
Please submit application materials through our career portal at saccenter.org/careers. No phone calls please. Posting will remain up until the position is filled.