Peer Specialist

Center for Human Development (CHD); Holyoke (MA); On-site; USD 23,000 - 32,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Dental insurance

Health insurance

Life insurance

Paid time off

Earned vacation time

Job summary

Center for Human Development (CHD) in Holyoke, MA is seeking a Peer Specialist to join our team. The role uses lived experience to support and advocate for individuals with psychiatric histories, trauma, homelessness, or substance use challenges.

You will help people identify goals, access resources, and prepare for meetings (treatment planning, medical appointments, employment services) while ensuring their voice is heard.

Qualifications

• Direct lived experience with psychiatric diagnoses, trauma histories, homelessness, or substance use.
• Strong interpersonal skills and empathy for others.
• Bilingual candidates (Spanish/English) encouraged with $1 differential.
• Ability to work well within a team model and independently.

Responsibilities

• Provide support to individuals to find their voice, identify goals and needs.
• Offer advocacy and support for meetings such as treatment planning and medical appointments.
• Connect people to natural supports and community resources.
• Promote the voice and preferences of the person receiving services.
• Foster mutual support and leadership development among peers.

Skills

Interpersonal skills

Empathy

Team player

Bilingual (Spanish/English)

Job description

Peer Specialist Job Category: Direct Service Requisition Number:

PEERS005574 Full-Time Holyoke, MA 010403211, USA The Center for Human

Development, (CHD) is seeking a Peer Specialist to join our team. The

Peer Support Specialist uses their own unique lived experience in order

to support and advocate for those who have had similar life-disrupting

challenges, such as psychiatric diagnoses, trauma histories,

homelessness, or problems with substance use. Responsibilities Offers

support to people receiving services to find their voice and identify

wants, needs, goals, and dreams. Offers support to identify challenges

and barriers to self-determined wants and needs, as well as open-ended

exploration towards overcoming them. Offers advocacy and/or support in

preparation for and/or during a variety of formal or informal meetings

(e.g. treatment planning, medical appointments, employment services,

etc) with a primary focus on ensuring the voice, preferences, and

strengths of the individual receiving services are acknowledged and

respected. Partners in the exploration of community resources and/or

recreational activities. Offers support and/or advocacy during the

start-up and conclusion of the service relationship with CHD. Acts as a

resource broker, connecting people they support with natural supports,

community resources, and continued opportunities to access peer support

at the conclusion of a respite stay. Partners in researching and

uncovering new information and learning opportunities. Communicates,

represents, and promotes the perspective of the person receiving

services, serving as an advocate in collaboration with the person.

Facilitates mutual support and self-help groups and/or supports people

receiving services in the development of their own leadership and

facilitation skills. Promotes the other staff's learning and

understanding of each person's cultural identity and choices. Develops

activities, programs, and resources that support people in recovery to

achieve their self-identified goals. Works with individuals to develop

or strengthen natural support networks outside of the human service or

Mental Health Systems Requirements Must Have Direct Lived Experience

with psychiatric diagnoses, trauma histories, homelessness, problems

with substance and/or other life-disrupting events Strong interpersonal

skills and empathy for others Ability to work well within a team model

and independently Bilingual candidates (Spanish/English) are strongly

encouraged to apply ($1 differential for bilingual candidates) SUCCESS

FACTORS: The Peer Specialist supports Persons currently utilizing

Respite Services to navigate emotional distress and extreme states with

the core mission of transforming what is commonly referred to as a \"crisis\" into a learning and growth opportunity.

Other core competencies include working with individuals to move towards their

hopes and dreams in life, and to live in the least restrictive

environment of their own choosing while offering feedback and

consultation to the other respite staff related to the overall

understanding and approach in how services are provided. Overarching

objectives include broadening perspectives on emotional and or/mental

distress, sharing information about community resources, advocacy

alongside individuals receiving services, and trauma-informed mutual

support. Take advantage of a competitive compensation at $20.00/hr ($1

differential for bilingual candidates) as well as a phenomenal benefit

package that includes, Dental, Health and Life insurance. Paid time off,

Earned Vacation Time Qualifications SkillsPreferred First Aid Certif -

Current-Novice CPR Certif - Current-Novice Behaviors Preferred Team

Player: Works well as a member of a group Innovative: Consistently

Introduces New Ideas And Demonstrates Original Thinking Detail Oriented

Capable of carrying out a given task with all details necessary to get

the task done well