Crisis Peer Counselor/Youth Support Partner-YGo North - TEMPORARY

Compass Health; Bellingham (WA); On-site; USD 33,000 - 51,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Medical, dental, and vision insurance

Paid time off – 16 vacation days

Sick days

Holidays

401(k) retirement plan

Professional development funds

Education leave

Mileage reimbursement

Weekly supervision

Job summary

Compass Health in Whatcom County, WA, seeks a full-time Youth Support Partner / Peer Counselor to support youth and families in crisis. You will provide emotional support, mentorship, and advocacy while connecting clients to services, collaborating with the YGo team, and using lived experience to empower recovery.

The role requires a CPSS credential and offers a values-driven workplace with opportunities for advancement within Compass Health.

Qualifications

• Lived experience with behavioral health or SUD, or caregiver experience with a child in services (required).
• DOH Certified Peer Support Specialist (CPSS) or CPSS-T Active credential (required).
• Experience in peer counseling or similar role (preferred).
• WA State Driver's License, vehicle and insurance (if applicable).
• Empathy, openness, professionalism, and strong communication skills.

Responsibilities

• Provide peer support rooted in shared experience to youth and families in crisis.
• Encourage active client participation in care and journey.
• Connect clients with community resources and treatment services.
• Offer support to family members and caregivers.
• Engage in active listening to help clients feel seen and heard.
• Contribute insights to treatment planning with clinical staff.
• Advocate for clients navigating services while honoring their voice.

Skills

Lived experience

CPSS credential

Communication skills

Education

CPSS credentialing

Job description

Youth Support Partner / Peer Counselor - Full Time (40 hrs/week)

Child, Youth & Family Crisis Team - North | Whatcom County, WA

Wage Range: $22.99 - $37.92/hr DOE

Shift: Wed-Sat, 10am - 8pm

Turn Your Journey Into Hope for Others

Do you have lived experience navigating behavioral health challenges and want to make a difference for youth and families in crisis? Compass Health is hiring a Temporary Youth Support Partner / Peer Counselor to join our Child, Youth & Family Crisis Team (YGo - North) in Whatcom County.

Your story matters here-and it can become a powerful tool for recovery, empowerment, and transformation in others.

About the Role

As a Peer Counselor / Youth Support Partner, you'll provide vital emotional support, mentorship, and advocacy to children, youth, and families experiencing behavioral health crises. Working closely with the broader YGo team, you'll use your lived experience to help others stabilize, access services, and build skills for lasting recovery.

What You'll Do

• Provide peer support rooted in shared experience, modeling recovery and resilience.
• Encourage clients to take an active role in their care and support journey.
• Connect individuals with community resources, peer groups, mental health and SUD treatment, and natural supports.
• Offer support and reassurance to family members and caregivers.
• Engage in active listening, helping clients feel seen, heard, and empowered.
• Support treatment planning by collaborating with clinical staff and contributing insights from the client's perspective.
• Advocate for clients in navigating services and systems, while honoring their voice and values.

Who You'll Work With

The Child, Youth & Family Crisis Team (YGo) is a mobile outreach team that provides community-based crisis response services in homes, schools, shelters, and more. We serve children, youth, and their caregivers across Whatcom County, delivering short-term, trauma-informed, culturally responsive care.

What You Bring

• Lived experience with a behavioral health or substance use condition (required)
  OR
  Caregiver experience with a child who has received community-based behavioral health services (required)
• DOH Certified Peer Support Specialist (CPSS) or Certified Peer Support Specialist Trainee (CPSS-T) Active credential required.
• Experience in peer counseling or similar support role (preferred)
• Valid WA State Driver's License, vehicle, and insurance (if applicable)
• Empathy, openness, professionalism, and strong communication skills

What We Offer

At Compass Health, we invest in our staff as deeply as we do in our clients. We offer a values-driven workplace where your experience is respected and your growth is supported.

Our comprehensive benefits include:

• Medical, dental, and vision insurance at no cost to full-time employees
• 16 days of paid vacation in your first year
• 12 sick days annually, plus one wellness day
• 13 paid holidays - including 2 floating holidays of your choice
• 403(b) retirement plan match up to 2% after one year
• $300 in professional development funds per year
• 5 days of paid education leave
• Mileage reimbursement
• Weekly supervision and opportunities for professional advancement

That adds up to more than 45 paid days off your first year!

Note: Benefits are pro-rated for part-time employees.

About Compass Health

Compass Health is the region's largest private, non-profit provider of mental health and substance use treatment in Island, San Juan, Skagit, Snohomish, and Whatcom counties. With over 110 years of service, we support individuals of all ages through a full continuum of care-from outpatient and residential programs to community crisis response.

Discover more at Compassh.org

Compass Health is an Equal Opportunity Employer.

We celebrate diversity and are committed to building an inclusive environment for all employees and applicants.

Licenses & Certifications

• Certified Peer Specialist
• Cert Peer Support Spec T