Peer Specialist-Enduring Connections

Advocates; Framingham (MA); On-site; USD 28,000 - 33,000; Full time

Job summary

Advocates in Framingham, MA is seeking a Certified Peer Specialist to provide consistent, relationship-centered support rooted in lived experience. You will meet individuals where they are, build trust, and help connect them with both traditional and creative community resources.

The role emphasizes stability, patience, and ongoing engagement, with a focus on autonomy, recovery, and life beyond the mental health system. In-person community work is expected.

Qualifications

• Certified Peer Specialist credential or equivalent indicated by program description.
• Ability to use lived experience to support others with sensitivity.
• Commitment to consistent, non-judgmental engagement with individuals.

Responsibilities

• Build authentic relationships with individuals and families
• Show up consistently and remain engaged over time
• Provide peer support grounded in lived experience and mutual respect
• Meet people where they are without judgment
• Identify resources and opportunities meaningful to each person
• Connect to traditional and non-traditional community supports
• Offer ongoing support even if initial engagement is declined
• Advocate for autonomy, self-determination, recovery, and rights
• Coordinate informal peer support groups and community connections
• Participate in supervision, team meetings, training, and professional development
• Maintain required certifications and adhere to policies and ethics

Skills

Lived experience

Peer support

Relationship-building

Patience

Education

High School Diploma/GED

Job description

Overview

Starting Rate: $20.50-$24.00

Schedule: Sunday-Thursday or Tuesday-Saturday 11am-7pm

Show up. Build trust. Create possibilities.

Enduring Connections is an innovative pilot program offering sustained, flexible, and relationship-centered support to individuals and families impacted by mental health challenges-particularly people who have not benefited from traditional clinical interventions, have been hesitant to engage in traditional treatment, or may actively avoid or feel disconnected from mental health systems.

We are seeking a Certified Peer Specialist (CPS) who understands that meaningful change does not always happen quickly-and that sometimes the most important first step is simply continuing to show up.

As a Peer Specialist, you will use your own lived experience to build authentic relationships with people who may not be ready or willing to engage with traditional services. You'll meet people where they are, without judgment or pressure, and provide a consistent presence they can come to trust. Through patience, persistence, and genuine connection, you'll help create opportunities for people to consider supports, resources, and possibilities that may not have felt accessible to them before.

This is not a role where you'll measure success by how quickly someone engages in treatment. Your consistency matters. Your ability to remain present, build trust, and continue offering support-even when traditional approaches have not worked-is central to the Enduring Connections model.

This is a primarily in-person, community-based role requiring flexibility to meet people where they are, both geographically and in terms of their readiness and scheduling needs. You will have the opportunity to build relationships over time and offer both traditional and creative, community-based resources based on what each person identifies as meaningful to them.

About Enduring Connections

Enduring Connections is rooted in the belief that meaningful change begins with authentic relationships-and relationships take time.

In partnership with the program's founders, Advocates is bringing this unique model to families across Massachusetts who are seeking a different kind of support. Some people served through the program may have had difficult experiences with mental health systems, may have disengaged from treatment, or may deliberately avoid traditional services altogether.

Rather than expecting people to come to the system, Enduring Connections brings support to them. Staff meet people where they are and remain there-building trust through consistency, patience, and genuine human connection.

As a Peer Specialist, you may help someone access traditional mental health resources when they are ready. You may also help them find less traditional pathways to connection, purpose, community, and support. The goal is not to prescribe a particular path, but to walk alongside each person and help them discover what works for them.

Minimum Education Required

• High School Diploma/GED

Responsibilities

• Build and maintain authentic, trusting relationships with individuals and families who may be reluctant, hesitant, or unwilling to engage with traditional mental health services.
• Show up consistently and remain engaged over time, recognizing that trust and meaningful connection may take weeks or months to develop.
• Provide individual and group peer support grounded in lived experience, hope, recovery, self-determination, and mutual respect.
• Meet people where they are without judgment, recognizing that engagement may look different for every individual and family.
• Use your lived experience thoughtfully and appropriately to offer hope, perspective, encouragement, and connection.
• Support people in identifying resources, relationships, activities, and opportunities that are meaningful to them.
• Connect individuals and families with both traditional mental health resources and creative, non-traditional community-based supports, based on their interests, needs, and readiness.
• Continue offering support and opportunities even when someone initially declines services, resources, or engagement.
• Advocate for approaches, environments, policies, and practices that promote autonomy, self-determination, recovery, and life beyond the mental health system.
• Coordinate and facilitate informal groups focused on peer support, recovery, resiliency, connection, and community resources.
• Advocate for the rights, dignity, preferences, and choices of the people we support.
• Build relationships with community organizations, peer support providers, and other resources to expand opportunities and strengthen connections outside of traditional systems.
• Participate in weekly supervision, Peer Specialist team meetings, training, and professional development opportunities.
• Maintain required certifications and training and follow Advocates policies, procedures, performance standards, and the Certified Peer Specialist Code of Ethics.

Qualification