Certified Peer Support Specialist (Durham, NC)

Pathways to Life, Inc; Durham (NC); On-site; USD 36,000 - 48,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Healthcare insurance (medical, dental,

Job summary

Pathways to Life, Inc. is seeking a dedicated Peer Support Specialist to provide recovery‑oriented support and advocacy. The role focuses on helping beneficiaries access resources, promote wellness, and engage with community programs.

The candidate should hold a DHHS-approved PSS training, NC registration, and paraprofessional credentials, with a commitment to person-centered care and collaboration with the treatment team.

Qualifications

• Must have completed a DHHS-approved PSS training course (40 hours) and have 1 year of demonstrated recovery time.
• Must be registered with the NC Substance Abuse Board and receive supervision from CCS or CSI; credentialed as paraprofessional according to 10A NCAC 27G.
• Paraprofessional level providers may not substitute for on-site services by a qualified professional.

Responsibilities

• Provide peer support services using recovery-oriented approaches.
• Collaborate with beneficiaries to identify barriers to accessing community resources or treatment.
• Coordinate with program supervisors to create supervision plans and promote wellness in the community.

Skills

Peer support

Recovery-oriented practice

Collaboration

Emergency response

Advocacy

Person-centered approach

Education

DHHS-approved PSS training (40 hours)

NC Substance Abuse Board registration (CCS/CSI)

Paraprofessional credential per 10A NCAC 27G

Tools

CCAS/CSAC knowledge

Job description

• Essential Duties:

  • Knowledge of peer support principles, values, and ethics.
  • Ability to share lived experience to support, encourage and enhance a beneficiary's treatment and recovery.
  • Possess recovery-oriented skills and knowledge to provide peer support services.
  • Ability to collaborate with a beneficiary to explore and identify barriers to accessing community resources or treatment providers
  • Ability to collaborate with the program QP to assess their own strengths and areas of growth and develop a supervision plan.
  • Ability to model and mentor recovery values, attitudes, beliefs, and personal actions to encourage wellness and resilience for beneficiaries served and to promote a recovery environment in the community, residence, and workplace.
  • Ability to explore with a beneficiary served, the importance and creation of a wellness identity through open sharing and challenging viewpoints
  • Ability to promote a beneficiary's opportunity for personal growth by identifying teachable moments for building relationship skills to empower the beneficiary and enhance personal responsibility.
  • Ability to model and share decision-making tools to enhance a beneficiary's healthy decision-making process.
  • Ability to provide examples of healthy social interactions and facilitate familiarity with, and connection to, the local community.
  • Ability to recognize and appropriately respond to conditions that constitute an emergency to include both physical and behavioral health crisis utilizing the emergency response procedure of employer.
  • Ability to provide support to the beneficiary in navigating systems (medical, social services, or legal).
  • Ability to promote self-advocacy by facilitating each beneficiary's learning about his or her human and legal rights and supporting the beneficiary while exercising those rights to support the empowerment of the beneficiary.

  POSITIONS SUPERVISED: N/A

  LEVEL OF EDUCATION/TRAINING/QUALIFICATIONS:

  1. Must have completed a DHHS-approved PSS (Peer Support Specialist) training course that is minimum of 40 hours and requires personal recommendations. To complete the certification process, PSS must also have 1 year of demonstrated recovery time between diagnosis and application as a PSS and must be a current or former member of services (mental health and/or substance abuse)
  2. Must be registered with NC Substance Abuse Board and receiving supervision from a CCS or CSI and be credentialed at minimum as paraprofessional according to 10A NCAC 27G
  3. Must have the knowledge, skills, and abilities required for population and age to be provided may deliver ACT. Paraprofessional level providers may not provide services in lieu of on-site service provision by a qualified professional, CCAS, CCS, CSI, or CSAC

  Pathways to Life, Inc. offers comprehensive compensation and benefits to full-time employees, including:

  • Competitive compensation with regular performance feedback.
  • Healthcare insurance, including medical, dental, and vision.
  • Paid time off
  • Per diem and part-time options available

  Who we are

  Pathways to Life is a local wellness organization committed to helping individuals and families achieve wellness. We specialize in mental health, substance abuse, outpatient services, laboratory testing, medication management, and community and in-home mental health services for adults and children.

  Since 2006, we have been providing quality services to our local communities through proven programs and treatment methods delivered by local and qualified professional staff who understand the importance of affecting positive change and restoring wellness in the lives of those we serve.

  What we believe

  At Pathways to Life, our mission is to foster continual growth in the lives of those we serve, our colleagues, our culturally diverse communities, and ourselves. Our efforts enhance recovery, wellness, self-determination, and independence by providing person-centered supports, advocacy, and outreach efforts delivered with empathy and respect. Pathways prides itself on whole-person treatment, and we believe in providing our clients and staff with as many healthy resources as possible.

  Physical Demands

  • Regularly walk, stand, or stoop.
  • Occasionally lift, carry, push, or pull objects weighing up to 25 pounds.
  • Regularly drive a motor vehicle.
  • Must be physically able to complete NCI-B and CPR training.

  Pathways to Life, Inc. is an equal opportunity employer providing reasonable accommodation to qualified employees with disabilities protected by applicable laws, regulations, and ordinances.