Peer Support Specialist

Description

Department: Youth & Community Wellness  

Program: Housing our Youth 

Status: Regular, full-time, non-exempt 

Pay Rate: $21.87 per hour 

Location: Victorian Heights 

Schedule: Monday – Friday: 8:30 a.m. - 5 p.m. 

Who we are 

SBCS (formerly South Bay Community Services) transforms communities to support the well-being and prosperity of children, youth, and families. For more than 50 years, we’ve worked throughout San Diego to provide safe shelter, transitional housing, intervention prevention programs, mental health support, and many other services that meet the ever-changing needs of our communities. 

Our organization is dedicated to offering high-quality services and ensuring all services align with the community's needs. To best serve our communities, SBCS partners with various grassroots organizations throughout California to develop innovative strategies that enhance services, empower clients, and ensure that culturally appropriate and trauma-informed care is offered. SBCS provides a wide range of services tailored to meet each client's unique needs. At SBCS, our client-centered approach highlights the importance of respect, empathy, and compassion when interacting with all community members.  

As a mission-driven organization, our work is centered around providing exceptional, face-to-face support to our clients and community members to foster trust, accessibility and personal connection that are critical to our mission.  

About YOU

You are an advocate and champion of nurturing communities where families can pursue their dreams and fulfill their potential. 

You are dedicated to and energized by engaging directly with individuals and communities.  

You care deeply about the well-being and prosperity of ALL children and youth throughout San Diego. 

You want to become a part of an energetic and effective team, and contribute your expertise, creativity, and insights to a unique role encompassing program management, development, and direct counseling services for at-risk children, adolescents, and families.  

About our organization

SBCS is home to a committed team of 470 dedicated employees and volunteers who diligently serve all of San Diego County. Having offered services for 52 years, SBCS is committed to providing hope and support for numerous young children, individuals, and families facing adversity. With an annual budget of $68 million, SBCS continues to be a beacon of assistance in the community.  

Competitive and Sustainable Employee Pay Package:

SBCS offers competitive pay and additional benefits for full-time employees, including generous vacation time, holidays, health, vision, dental, flexible spending accounts, an employee assistance program, discount programs, public service forgiveness loan, and an excellent retirement plan with matching contributions.  

Responsibilities:  

Under the supervision of the Program Director, the Peer Support Specialist provides program assistance, guidance, crisis support, and administrative support to Housing Our Youth (HOY). This position will assist with participant engagement, resource navigation, and participant groups while using appropriate research methods to conduct duties, lead group exercises, develop professional rapport with participants, and monitor participant progress throughout the duration of the program. Services will be in keeping with the agency goals, objectives, mission, and style provided within a team framework. Social Worker is responsible for working within the team in developing team goals and objectives and in meeting those goals and objectives 

Duties: 

• Build trusting, supportive relationships with youth and young adults experiencing or at risk of homelessness. 
• Foster a safe, nonjudgmental environment that promotes empowerment, self-determination, and personal growth. 
• Utilize shared lived experience to enhance program engagement, advance interventions, and increase participant satisfaction. 
• Provide administrative and intervention support to program staff, including preparing agendas and activities for groups, assisting with documentation and data collection, supporting meetings and events, facilitating groups, and leading youth activities. 
• Support the collection, organization, and analysis of program data required for reporting purposes. 
• Identify and connect youth to community resources such as emergency shelter, transitional housing, healthcare, education, and employment opportunities. 
• Assist participants in developing individualized goals related to housing stability, life skills, education, and wellness. 
• Provide guidance on navigating daily living, budgeting, self-care, and healthy relationships. 
• Collaborate closely with case managers, housing navigators, and mental health clinicians to ensure coordinated service delivery. 
• Participate in case conferences, team meetings, and community collaborations to support a holistic approach to care. 
• Facilitate peer-led support groups and life skills workshops focused on empowerment, recovery, and resilience. 
• Respond to participants in crisis using trauma-informed care principles, de-escalation techniques, and mental health first aid strategies. 
• Provide emotional support and connect youth to appropriate crisis or emergency services. 
• Demonstrate cultural humility and sensitivity to diverse backgrounds, identities, and experiences. 
• Apply trauma-informed principles in all interactions to promote safety, healing, and trust. 
• Engage in youth recruitment, outreach, and advocacy activities to increase program visibility and accessibility. 
• Provide aftercare, follow-up, and stabilization support services to participants as they transition into stable housing. 
• Maintain professional, supportive relationships with participants while upholding program boundaries and ethics. 
• Meet with participants regularly to assess needs, provide supportive services, and apply evidence-informed curricula as appropriate. 
• Perform administrative tasks as assigned, including maintaining proper documentation, file organization, and audit readiness. 
• Attend all agency required meetings and trainings. 
• As other duties assigned. 

Requirements

• High school diploma or GED equivalent required. 
• Lived experience or familiarity with challenges common among transition-age youth (TAY) required. 
• Experience supporting youth with Independent Living Skills, including financial aid, college admission, GED preparation, housing, and transportation. 
• Knowledge of community resources, referral processes, and local support networks. 
• Excellent interpersonal and communication skills, with the ability to quickly build rapport and maintain positive relationships. 
• Serves as a positive adult role model with the ability to establish appropriate boundaries and provide guidance in high-stress or crisis situations. 
• Demonstrated ability to respond effectively to critical incidents, including the ability to act swiftly in emergencies. 
• Ability to work with a diverse population, possess cultural sensitivity, and maintain appropriate boundaries with clients. 

PHYSICAL DEMANDS:

• Mentally and emotionally:?Ability to work under deadlines, various projects and dealing with clients in crisis and difficult situations. 
• Must be able to remain in a stationary position during shift.  
• Moves throughout the building.  
• Moves, raises, or lowers (includes upward pulling) an object or equipment up to 50 lbs.  
• Transports an object, from 20 to 50 lbs. across the facility, for various needs. 
• Ability to exert force upon an object so that the object moves away from the force.  
• Ability to exert force upon an object so that the object moves toward the force (includes jerking)  
• Ascending or descending stairs and ladders when applicable. Body agility is emphasized.  
• Balancing: Maintaining body equilibrium to prevent falling when ascending, descending, traversing.?  
• Stooping: Bending body downward and forward by bending spine at the waist, requiring full use of the lower extremities and back muscles.  
• Handling: Seizing, holding, grasping, turning, or otherwise working with objects or office machinery.  
• Communicating: Expressing or exchanging ideas. Communicating is important for those activities in which workers must impart information to clients or to the public, and in those activities in which they must convey detailed or important instructions to other workers accurately, or quickly.  

The statements contained herein describe the scope of the responsibility and essential functions of this position but should not be considered to be an all-inclusive listing of work requirements. Individuals may perform other duties as assigned. Nothing in this job description restricts management’s right to assign or reassign duties and responsibilities to this job at any time unless restricted by a negotiated contract 

Accessibility Accommodation

SBCS is committed to providing access, equal opportunity and reasonable accommodation for individuals with disabilities in employment, its services, programs, and activities.  

Equal Employment Opportunity 

We are an equal opportunity employer, and all qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, age, sexual orientation, gender identity, genetic information, parental status, national origin, disability status, protected veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by law. Equal Opportunity Employer/Program – Auxiliary aids and services are available upon request to individuals with disabilities. 

At-Will Employment Status

Please note that all employment with SBCS is at-will, which means your employment may be terminated at any time by you or SBCS, without cause or advance notice. The terms and conditions of any employment may also be modified. 

Salary : $68