Posted Monday, April 20, 2026

Unison Behavioral Health Group; Waycross (GA); On-site; USD 22,124 - 29,797; Full time

Job summary

Unison Behavioral Health Group in Waycross, GA, is seeking a Youth Certified Peer Specialist (CPS-Y) who is a young adult aged 18 through 26 with personal experience in mental health or substance use conditions. The CPS-Y will provide emotional support, practical assistance, and connect peers with recovery resources.

This role entails working 40 hours weekly in a supportive environment, helping others understand that recovery is possible, and sharing personal experiences safely. Candidates must have a high school diploma or GED, and a sincere connection with their recovery journey.

Qualifications

• Must be 18-26 years old with valid Georgia ID.
• Strong desire to identify with mental health or substance use condition.
• Ability to manage personal care and share recovery story safely.

Responsibilities

• Provide emotional support to youth and young adults.
• Connect individuals with wellness resources and support.
• Model recovery principles and behaviors to peers.

Skills

Living recovery experience

Ability to share personal recovery story

Knowledge of mental health and substance use conditions

Education

High school diploma or GED

Job description

Posted Tuesday, April 21, 2026 at 4:00 AM

Salary: $16.06-$21.63/hour (WILL VERY BY EDUCATION LEVEL)

Job Description

Youth Certified Peer Specialist (CPS-Y) – An individual who is a young adult, age 18 through 26, with experience living with a mental health or substance use condition or both, who has received behavioral health services as a youth, is willing and able to self‑identify as a person living with a behavioral health condition and is prepared to use that experience in helping other youth/young adults living with similar behavioral health conditions.

The CPS‑Y offers emotional support, shares knowledge, works with individuals to identify tools of wellness, resiliency and recovery available for everyday life, provides practical assistance, and connects people with resources, opportunities and communities of support. Youth CPSs are not counselors, caseworkers or clinicians. Every candidate is required to take and pass a test to get certified as a CPS‑Y.

Job Responsibilities

Will work 40 hours weekly.

Competencies

• Peer specialist must be living in recovery and able to publicly describe and model to others the things that they learned that helped them to wellness.
• Describe what you have had to overcome to get where you are today.
• Describe some of the things that you do daily to keep yourself on the path of recovery.
• Describe what your diagnosis means, how it impacted your life and what things you did to change that.
• Help others understand that recovery is possible.

Required Minimum Qualifications

• Be 18-26 years of age (valid Georgia ID); have a high school diploma or GED.
• Have a mental health (MH) condition, substance use disorder (SUD), or a co‑occurring diagnosis; and a strong desire to identify themselves as a person living with a mental illness or substance use diagnosis.
• Be able/willing to actively seek and manage your own appropriate care.
• Be able to share their own personal story in a safe and appropriate way.
• Must be well grounded in recovery wellness.
• One year between diagnosis and application to training.
• If the individual has a substance use condition, there must be one year continuous abstinent from substance use.