Child & Family Peer Support Specialist (PSS) - CF042

Native American Rehabilitation Assoc. of the NW; Gresham (OR); On-site; USD 30,000 - 40,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Affordable Medical, Dental, Vision

Paid Holidays

Paid Time Off

Life Insurance

Disability Insurance

401(k) with match

Employee Assistance Program

Flexible Spending Account

Health Spending Account

Job summary

NARA NW in Gresham, OR is seeking a Child & Family Peer Support Specialist to help connect program participants with resources for physical and mental health, financial/legal aid and transportation.

This in-person role runs Monday–Friday, 9:00am–5:30pm, with occasional evenings/weekends. Requires high school diploma or GED, peer certification, and at least one year of relevant lived experience within Native American communities.

Qualifications

• High School Diploma or GED required.
• Peer Wellness/Peer Support Specialist certification and Oregon Registry.
• At least one year of relevant lived experience and knowledge of youth-serving systems.
• Experience with Native American/Alaska Native communities preferred.
• Excellent interpersonal and active listening skills.
• Reliable transportation and valid driver’s license with insurance.
• Pre-employment and background checks.

Responsibilities

• Identify as a person with lived experience of mental health services.
• Act as a role model to inspire hope and share experiences for recovery.
• Provide insights from a mental health client perspective to the team.
• Offer practical help, mentoring, advocacy, and coordination to meet daily living needs.
• Assist with medical, dental, legal, housing, entitlements, and transportation supports.
• Collaborate to honor client perspectives and empower self-determination.
• Promote awareness of client rights and grievance procedures.

Skills

Active listening

Interpersonal skills

Peer support experience

Team collaboration

Lived experience with mental health

Education

High School Diploma or GED

Peer Support Specialist certification

Job description

Job DetailsJob Location: Gresham Floor 1 - Gresham, OR 97030Position Type: Full TimeSalary Range: $21.58 - $29.24 HourlyJob Shift: DayTitle: Child & Family Peer Support Specialist

Location: Child & Family - 620 NE 2nd St., Gresham, OR 97030

Schedule: This is an in-person position, Monday through Friday, 9:00am - 5:30pm. Occasional evenings and weekends required.

Wage Range: $21.58 – $29.24 hourly, Non-Exempt

If you are a motivated and dedicated Peer Support Specialist looking for an opportunity to contribute to an organization making a positive impact, we want to hear from you!

Company Mission:

The mission of NARA NW is to provide education, physical, mental health services, and substance abuse treatment that is culturally appropriate to American Indians, Alaska Natives, and anyone in need.

About the Company:

At NARA NW, we deliver services and support to Native American and Alaska Native communities, helping individuals lead healthier, more fulfilling lives.

With over 450 employees across a variety of programs—including medical and dental care, addiction treatment, housing assistance, and enrichment initiatives NARA NW offers numerous opportunities for growth and advancement, all while making a tangible, positive impact on the lives of others.

Position Overview:

The Child & Family Peer Support Specialist is responsible for acting as a role model through sharing lived experiences and helping connect program participants to resources around physical and mental health, financial/legal assistance and transportation.

What you will do:

• Must openly identify as a person who has lived experience receiving mental health services.
• Act as a role model to inspire hope and share life experiences as appropriate to the recovery process.
• Provide expertise and consultation from a mental health client perspective to the entire team concerning each client’s unique and subjective experience and perceptions.
• Provide practical help and supports, mentoring, advocacy, coordination, side-by-side individualized support, problem-solving, direct assistance and supervision to help clients obtain the necessities of daily living including medical and dental health care; legal and advocacy services; financial support such as entitlements (SSI, SSDI, veterans’ benefits); housing subsidies; money-management services (e.g. payee services); and transportation.
• Collaborate with the team to promote a team culture in which each client’s point of view, experiences, and preferences are recognized, understood, and respected, and in which client self-determination and decision-making in treatment planning are maximized and supported.
• Collaborate with the team to ensure the protection of client’s rights to help clients improve their knowledge of client rights and grievance or complaint procedures.
• Increase awareness of and support client participation in consumer self-help programs, culturally specific services and consumer advocacy organizations that promote recovery.

Qualifications

We would like to hear from people that have:

• Either High School Diploma or General Educational Development (GED) certification required.
• Must hold a Peer Wellness Specialist or Peer Support Specialist certification and be registered with the Oregon Health Authority (OHA) Traditional Healthcare Worker Registry.
• Must have at least one year of relevant lived experience, knowledge of the child- and youth-serving systems, and the ability to navigate the system.
• Experience working within the Native American/Alaska Native community preferred.
• Excellent interpersonal and active listening skills.
• Access to reliable transportation, current driver’s license with a clean driving record, and proof of auto insurance.
• Must pass a pre-employment or for cause drug tests.
• Must pass criminal background and DMV checks.

What’s in it for you?

15 Paid Holidays: New Years Day, Martin Luther King Jr. Day, Presidents Day, Memorial Day, Juneteenth, Battle of Little Big Horn, Independence Day, Labor Day, Native American Day, Indigenous Peoples’ Day, Veterans Day, Thanksgiving, day after Thanksgiving, and December 25th, and your birthday!

Benefits:

• Affordable Medical, Dental, and Vision Insurance through Kaiser Permanente
• 15 Paid Holidays (Listed Above)
• 13 Paid Days of Sick Time
• 13 Paid Days of PTO (Vacation accruals increase with years of service to a maximum of 26 days)
• $50,000 Life Insurance & AD&D
• Short Term and Long-Term Disability
• Flexible Spending Account
• Health Spending Account
• 401(k) with 4% Match
• Employee Assistance Program
• Inclement Weather Days (Snow Days)
• Public Student Loan Forgiveness –NARA NW is a local 501(c)3 nonprofit, FQHC

NARA NW Mission:

NARA NW Mission: Our mission is to provide education, physical and mental health services and substance abuse treatment that is culturally appropriate to American Indians, Alaska Natives, and everyone in need.

NARA NW is fully committed to supporting sobriety. To support NARA NW in its mission, all employees agree to refrain from illicit drug use, marijuana use, and prescription drug abuse, both on and off the job. In addition, all employees agree to model alcohol sobriety. Modeling alcohol sobriety means not consuming, discussing, or promoting the use of alcohol, on the job, on social media and when in the community where the employee would be likely to be seen by NARA NW clients or community. If in recovery, employees must have been sober/clean for a length of time sufficient to demonstrate that they will be able to remain sober.

Consistent with NARA NW’s sobriety policy, all employees, volunteers, interns, and contractors, as applicable, are required to sign a “Drug-Free/Alcohol-Free Workplace Certification Form” and NARA NW “Modeling Sobriety Policy Form” as a condition of employment to confirm that they are aware of this policy and that they agree to comply with it. Violation of this policy will result in disciplinary action up to and including termination of employment. This policy is subject to the requirements of the Americans with Disabilities Act and its state counterpart.

Preference in hiring is given to qualified Native Americans in accordance with the Indian Preference Act (Title 25, US Code, Sections 472 and 473). NARA Northwest is an Equal Opportunity Employer. Within the scope of Indian Preference, all candidates will receive equal consideration. Experience working with Native American/ Alaska Native community is considered a plus.

This job description is not intended to be and should not be construed as an all-inclusive list of all the responsibilities, skills or working conditions associated with the position. While it is intended to accurately reflect the position’s activities and requirements, the agency reserves the right to modify, add or remove duties and assign other duties, as necessary.