Peer Support Specialist

Zoe Way Culture Youth and Family Peer Services

Location: Louisville, Kentucky Reports to: Clinical Director or designated qualified supervisor

Position Overview

Zoe Way Culture seeks a dependable, compassionate Peer Support Specialist who can use relevant lived experience to build trust, encourage hope, and help youth or families take an active role in their services. This position supports a youth behavioral health program serving children, adolescents, and families, including those involved in foster care.

Assignments follow the employee’s verified peer credential: youth peer support serves youth through shared personal experience; family peer support serves parents and family members through shared caregiving experience. Each track has distinct eligibility requirements. Professional boundaries, sound judgment, and reliable follow-through are essential.

Essential Responsibilities

· Build respectful relationships through active listening, encouragement, and purposeful sharing of lived experience. Use personal stories only when they support the participant’s goals and preserve appropriate boundaries.

· Help participants identify strengths, express preferences, prepare questions, and set practical goals. Reinforce self-advocacy, informed choice, and confidence in working with the care team.

· Provide approved individual or group peer activities appropriate to the assigned credential. Encourage connection, belonging, recovery, resilience, and participation in meaningful community activities.

· Help youth or caregivers prepare for team meetings and service transitions. Attend meetings when requested and authorized, and support the participant’s own voice in decisions.

· Help participants understand available resources and connect with the Case Manager for referrals, access barriers, and coordinated follow-up. Communicate concerns to the clinical team promptly.

· Document contacts, participant goals, support provided, response, and follow-up accurately and on time. Protect confidential information and use approved communication channels.

· Participate in supervision, team meetings, required training, and quality reviews. Offer constructive feedback about participant engagement and barriers affecting youth or family participation.

Safety and Professional Boundaries

Follow consent, confidentiality, safeguarding, and emergency procedures. Escalate safety concerns immediately and follow required abuse or neglect reporting procedures. Peer services do not include diagnosis, psychotherapy, independent clinical assessment, or medication advice. Avoid financial, social media, and personal relationships that compromise the peer role.

Required Qualifications

· High school diploma or GED and eligibility for the Kentucky peer support track assigned to this position. A master’s degree or independent clinical license is not required.

· Youth peer track: Meet Kentucky Youth Peer Support Specialist eligibility, including age 18–35, personal lived behavioral health experience, and receipt of relevant state-funded services through a child-serving agency. Complete the Kentucky Family Leadership Academy, approved youth peer training, required examinations, and Youth Peer Support 101 requirements.

· Family peer track: Be at least 18 and a self-identified parent or other family member with lived experience caring for a child or youth who received relevant behavioral health services through a child-serving agency. Complete the Kentucky Family Leadership Academy and approved family peer training, or an authorized training waiver.

· Hold the appropriate verified credential before providing assigned peer services. An adult, youth, or family peer credential does not automatically qualify the employee for the other tracks. Maintain required continuing education and credential records.

· Demonstrate respectful communication, emotional self-awareness, dependable attendance, basic electronic documentation skills, and the ability to accept supervision and work with people from varied backgrounds.

· Satisfy applicable background, registry, credential, and exclusion screening requirements. Complete organizational onboarding and credential verification with Zoe Way Culture.

Preferred Qualifications

An active credential in the assigned peer track; experience in youth or family advocacy, mentoring, community outreach, or foster care systems; and familiarity with Louisville-area resources. Relevant lived experience and demonstrated peer competencies are central to selection.

Supervision and Work Expectations

Participate in documented supervision by a qualified supervisor. Youth peer staff receive individual face-to-face supervision at least weekly during the first year and monthly thereafter. Family peer staff follow their required supervision arrangement. Maintain at least six hours of relevant annual continuing education after initial qualification. Community visits and approved evening activities may be assigned.

First 90 Days

· By day 30: Complete orientation and screening; verify the appropriate peer track; establish supervision and a training plan; and learn participant rights, documentation, and safety procedures.

· By day 60: Complete required role preparation, demonstrate appropriate boundaries and documentation, and begin approved peer activities after qualifications and service readiness are verified.

· By day 90: Complete credentialing with Zoe Way Culture and any applicable payer requirements. Maintain consistent participant follow-up and review engagement, participant feedback, and development goals with the supervisor.

Performance and Application

Success is measured through engagement, participant voice, dependable follow-up, accurate records, professional boundaries, and training compliance. Submit a resume, relevant credential information, and references. Personal treatment records are not requested as application materials.

Pay: From $18.00 per hour

Work Location: In person

Salary : $18