Position Summary:

The Peer Support Specialist is a front-line staff working with our emergency shelter clients. The Peer Support Specialist is to have lived-experience of challenges with homelessness and housing in order to deliver our services in a non-judgmental way. They assist clients by facilitating relationships of understanding and trust between clients and Housing Navigators. This position provides services to persons who are currently homeless and often have a mental illness and also may have co-occurring substance abuse issues.

Qualifications:

• Have lived experience in the experience of homelessness and housing instability
• High school diploma or general education degree (GED); or an equivalent combination of education and experience
• Commitment to Housing First, Harm Reduction, Person-Centered, and Consumer-Choice models of care
• Ability to apply common sense understanding to carry out detailed but uninvolved written or oral instructions
• Ability to read and comprehend simple instructions, short correspondence and memos. Ability to write simple correspondence, complete paperwork
• Bilingual/Bicultural (English/Spanish) (preferred)
• Strong interpersonal communication skills and an ability to provide services to persons who are low-income and/or homeless
• Ability to handle stressful situations in a fast-paced environment and intervene/deescalate crisis situations
• Ability to build connections and inspire clients

Physical Requirements:

While performing the duties of the job, the position is frequently required to stand; walk; use hands to finger, handle, or feel; reach with hands and arms; climb or balance; stoop; kneel; crouch; or crawl, and occasionally sit. The position must occasionally lift and/or move up to 75 pounds and is subject to the use of Universal Precautions as required by the blood borne Pathogens Exposure Control Plan.

Nature and Scope of Position:

This position provides services to clients in a shelter environment who are currently homeless and may have a mental illness and also may have co-occurring substance abuse issues. This position assists Housing Navigators and Housing Support Counselors in facilitating clients to move forward in achieving other more permanent community housing, as well as obtaining documents, employment search and similar tasks. The position requires the ability to be pleasant, patient, compassionate and consistent with clients.

Environmental and Working Conditions:

This position regularly works with clients who are intoxicated, under the influence of unknown substances, may be affected by communicable diseases, and/or appear affected by serious mental health problems. The environment is fast-paced and may include stressful and crisis situations.

Job Responsibilities:

• Assist with the smooth functioning of the case management operation and its connection to the clients
• Coordinate and assist clients with upkeep of appointments with Case Managers
• Motivate and encourage clients applying the Housing First Model
• Assist clients to use computers in basic housing and employment searches
• Work with the 211 Coordinated Access Network established procedures for people seeking shelter that come to the door or call on the phone
• Make sure smoking is in designated outdoor areas only
• Record client altercations, problems, policy deviations, fire alarms, client concerns, repairs needed and other information to be communicated to staff
• Complete incident reports completely for all out of the ordinary situations, including, but not limited to, staff/client altercations, client/client altercations, fighting, unresolved conflicts, calling the police or ambulance. The incident report will minimally contain: who; what; when; where
• Other duties as needed/assigned