Certified Youth Peer Specialist

Nexus Family Healing; Mendota Heights (MN); Hybrid; USD 28,000 - 32,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Four weeks PTO

Health insurance

No-cost life insurance

Short/long-term disability

401k match

Tuition assistance and training

Advancement opportunities

Job summary

Nexus Family Healing in Mendota Heights, MN is hiring a full-time Youth Peer Specialist for its Youth ACT program. This hybrid role combines in-person and remote work, with travel between sites. Salary range is $20–$23 per hour, with a Monday–Friday schedule totaling 40 hours per week.

The role supports youth transitioning from residential treatment, collaborates with a care team, and helps with life skills, placement planning, and advocacy. Comprehensive benefits are offered.

Qualifications

• High school diploma or GED required.
• Must have completed Youth or Family Peer Specialist Certification.
• Bachelor's degree preferred.

Responsibilities

• Meets with youth before discharge to build trust and gather background information.
• Helps youth find suitable placements by coordinating with families and care providers.
• Supports youth in building life skills and achieving transition goals.

Education

High School Diploma or GED

Youth or Family Peer Specialist Certification

Bachelor's Degree

Job description

Nexus Family Healing is excited to add a full-time hybrid Certified Youth Peer Specialist for its Youth ACT program! This is a hybrid, community-based position based out of the Mendota Heights office with some work remotely at home.

Youth Assertive Community Treatment (Youth ACT) is an intensive, comprehensive and community-based rehabilitative mental health service. Services are provided in the home, school, or community using a multidisciplinary team. Individualized services help stabilize youth, ages 14-21, to decrease hospitalizations and out of home placements.

At Nexus Family Healing, we embrace diversity, promote equity, and foster inclusion. As a national mental health organization, we serve a diverse group of youth and families, and we strive for our workforce to support and represent that diversity.

Location, Schedule and Pay:

• Full-time, 40 hours per week
• Schedule Monday-Friday, flexible shifts. Weekends not a requirement at this time but could change in future.
• $20-23 per hour
• Mendota Heights, MN
• This is a hybrid position requiring in person, remote, and travel between sites

Nexus' Comprehensive Benefits Include:

• Four weeks paid time off (PTO) in the first year of employment
• Multiple options for health insurance coverage
• No-cost life insurance
• Short/long-term disability insurance
• 401k match
• NEW – Talkspace Therapy Benefit for the whole family
• NEW – Hinge Health Benefit for the whole family
• NEW – Carrot Fertility Benefit
• Tuition assistance and training opportunities
• Advancement pathways and internal promotion
• And much more!

Position Summary:

The Youth Peer Specialist supports youth during their transition from residential treatment. This position works collaboratively with the care team to develop and implement a detailed care plan that supports the youth during their transition from discharge to placement. This integral role serves as a champion and advocate to the youth, by supporting the goals, objectives, and progress in the youth's care plan; empowers and educates youth to advocate for themselves long term.

Primary responsibilities:

Client Support & Responsiveness

• Meets with youth before discharge to build trust and understand their background.
• Identifies key information to share with the care team for planning.
• Helps find suitable placements by working with families, foster care, or other residences.
• Encourages caregivers to support youth and explains available program resources.

Care Planning & Implementation

• Works with the care team to create and carry out a personalized care plan.
• Maintains regular communication with youth and team members.
• Supports youth in building life skills (e.g., job search, finances, schoolwork, driving).
• Helps youth overcome barriers to reach personal and professional goals.
• Connects youth with community resources to support care plan goals.

Advocacy & Mentorship

• Listens actively to understand youth challenges and provide guidance.
• Builds trust through empathy and shared experiences, while keeping boundaries.
• Encourages growth and independence through supportive relationships.
• Advocates for youth by celebrating progress and creating new opportunities.
• Conducts regular check-ins and shares updates with the care team.

Requirements:

Required Education and Licensure:

• High School Diploma or GED
• MUST have a completed Youth or Family Peer Specialist Certification! Please note this does NOT include the Peer Recovery Certification.
• Demonstrated lived experience, coping with adolescent challenges. (Personal experience may include but is not limited to experiencing foster care, residential treatment, juvenile justice or any transferrable or relatable experience to ongoing youth struggles.)
• Demonstrated interpersonal maturity and emotional intelligence; ability to create trust and rapport with clients while setting clear, definitive, and healthy boundaries.
• Valid driver's license required and access to reliable transportation is required Must meet state regulating agency and Home Office driving requirements.
• Must successfully pass a DHS background check.

Preferred Education and Experience:

• Bachelor's Degree
• Previous experience working with youth who have experienced trauma and/or a mental health crisis

At Nexus Family Healing, our voices and actions are focused on recognizing, affirming and respecting people of every race, ethnic background, socio-economic status, sexual orientation, gender expression and faith.

ICARE Values & Behavioral Competencies:

• Innovation: Leading the way and implementing creative, cutting-edge ideas and approaches.
• Compassion: Listening, honoring differences, and showing respect, kindness, empathy care, and concern.
• Agility: Exhibiting flexibility and adapting quickly.
• Responsiveness: Being quick, positive, and accurate.
• Excellence: Demonstrating quality results that surpass ordinary standards.

Equal employment opportunity, including veterans and individuals with disabilities.