Peer Support Specialist

Volunteers of America; Anchorage (AK); On-site; USD 40,000 - 52,000; Full time

Job summary

Volunteers of America of Alaska seeks a Peer Support Specialist to mentor youth and transition-age individuals through recovery from substance use. You will provide emotional support, education, and practical connection to resources, leveraging your lived experience and recovery journey.

Join a mission-driven team serving Alaska youth and families, with opportunities to participate in TIP/SBIRT trainings, and to work flexible hours supporting community-based recovery efforts.

Qualifications

• Lived experience in addiction and recovery, with a minimum of two years sobriety and active recovery practices.
• If VOA Alumni, discharged from active client status for 1 year.
• High School Diploma or equivalent.
• Qualifications to be a Qualified Addiction Professional or Peer Support Specialist as defined by the State of Alaska; can be achieved within 3 years of hire.
• Qualified Addiction Professional: CDC II and/or NCAC I credentials.
• PSS: identify as someone who has lived experience of recovery from mental illness or addiction.
• A current and valid driver's license.
• Can qualify for VOA’s automobile insurance or proof of vehicle insurance coverage.
• Reliable transportation.
• Excellent writing and communication skills.
• Ability to work flexible hours (days, evenings, weekends, holidays).
• Ability to participate in recreational activities with clients.

Responsibilities

• Connect VOA clients to social supports and culture activities using evidence-based practices.
• Be part of the Rapid Response Team providing immediate services to youth 13–24 in crisis.
• Support connections to employment, housing, education, and community activities; coach peers to access resources.
• Align daily schedule with Rapid Response hours.
• Monitor and answer the Rapid Response phone shared with other Peer Supports.
• Call waitlisted individuals to offer interim services.
• Participate in TIP trainings and become competent in the model.
• Participate in SBIRT trainings and utilize with community and hospitals.
• Develop and maintain professional relationships with clients and boundaries.
• Motivate peers through goal setting, education, and skills building.
• Maintain at least 20 hours per week of direct client services (15 billable, 5 non-billable).
• Facilitate behavioral health and case management to support recovery and community integration.
• Complete timely documentation for each service; comply with state/federal guidelines.
• Model and teach vital life skills for client success.
• Drive the agency vehicle for client support and be reimbursed accordingly.
• Build rapport with clients and staff while maintaining professional boundaries.
• Be trauma-informed and consider cultural aspects (race, ethnicity, language, etc.).
• Maintain client confidentiality per HIPAA and 42 C.F.R. Part 2.
• Other duties as assigned.

Skills

Lived recovery experience

Excellent writing

Excellent communication

Driver's license

Flexible hours

Reliable transportation

Self-identify lived experience

Education

High School Diploma or equivalent

Job description

The Peer Support Specialist (PSS) position is responsible for working with youth and transition aged youth (ages 13-24) using their own personal experience of recovery from substance use disorder(s) to support others in recovery. A PSS will mentor, educate, and spread the message of recovery to individuals who are new in their recovery journeys. A PSS will provide emotional and social support to VOA clients, and model healthy supportive relationships that encourage sobriety and living a life in recovery.

VOA Alaska is a youth-serving organization providing prevention, early intervention, treatment, and recovery supports to youth and families struggling with mental illness and addiction. We are honored to walk with families during these times and provide support and hope through recovery. Our core values are connection, responsibility, courage, innovation, hope, and joy. We are looking for individuals who espouse these core values and align with this mission of services to the community.

Essential Functions, Duties & Responsibilities

• Work with VOA clients to connect them to social supports and replacement culture activities that promote positive lifestyle changes utilizing evidence-based practices and standards as a foundation of service delivery yet enhancing the quality of the service by sharing from a perspective of lived experience.
• Work as part of our Rapid Response Team to help provide immediate services in the community for those that are in crisis ages 13-24 from Girdwood to Chugiak. This may include going to hospitals, schools, or elsewhere in the community.
• Support individuals with connections to community resources such as employment, housing, education, and outside community activities that promote recovery. They will coach their peers around how to independently identify needs and access resources. In addition, peer specialists advocate for their peers in treatment setting and within the community.
• Daily schedule to be aligned with hours of the Rapid Response phone.
• Monitoring and answering the Rapid Response phone that is shared with other Peer Supports that aligns with the hours of the Rapid Response.
• Calling those on the waitlist for VOA services to offer interim services.
• Participate in Transition to Independence Process (TIP) trainings and become competent in the model that will be utilized as the foundational structure of services.
• Participate in SBIRT trainings and become competent in the model to utilize with community members and local hospital institutions that will promote early screening/intervention and connection to services.
• Develop and maintain relationships with clients while maintaining healthy and professional boundaries, interacting with the client’s in a manner conducive to their safety, dignity, privacy, and security.
• Work to motivate their peers through positive means, highlighting strengths and resources. PSS can facilitate change through goal setting, education, and skills building
• Responsible for maintaining no less than 20 hours per week of direct client services (15 billable and 5 non-billable activities).
• PSS will facilitate therapeutic behavioral health and case management services that assist and enhance one's recovery and integration into the community
• Complete timely documentation for each recovery service provided. All documentation is to comply with overseeing state or federal guidelines. Additional reports and request may be made from leadership team.
• Model and teach clients vital life skills that will aid in their success.
• Peer Support Specialist will be required to drive personal vehicle for client support and will be reimbursed accordingly.
• Ability to build rapport with clients and staff while maintaining professional boundaries
  • Understanding of being trauma informed and cultural considerations such asrace, ethnicity, language and other cultural considerations that could impact peer support work.
  • Maintains client confidentiality and safeguards client information per 42 C.F.R. Part 2 and HIPAA privacy and security regulations.
  • Other duties as assigned.

Knowledge, Skills and Abilities

• Lived experience in addiction and recovery, and/or experience overcoming mental health and symptoms with a minimum of two years of sobriety/recovery of either and must be active in their own recovery by participating in practices that support self-care, health, and over-all well-being.
• If VOA Alumni, discharged from active client status for 1 year.
• High School Diploma or equivalent.
• Has qualifications to be a Qualified Addiction Professional or Peer Support Specialist as defined by the State of Alaska. If not current, can be achieved within 3 years of hire.
• Qualified Addiction Professional (QAP): Chemical Dependency Certification level II (CDC II) and/or National Certificated Addiction Counselor I (NCAC I)
• Peer Support Specialist (PSS): The ability to self-identify as someone who has lived experience of recovery from mental illness and/or addiction.
• A current and valid driver’s license
• Can qualify for VOA’s automobile insurance and/or proof of vehicle insurance coverage
• Reliable transportation
• Excellent writing and communication skills
• Ability to work flexible hours (including days, evenings, weekend hours and Holidays.) Ability to safely transport clients in agency’s vehicle if required.
• Ability to participate in recreational activities; such as hikes, and/or indoor/outdoor events with clients.

Working Conditions

The work environment characteristics and physical demands described here are representative of those an employee encounters while performing the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

• Works in office areas. Interacts with staff, consultants, and outside vendors. May be subjected to interruptions throughout the workday.
• While performing the duties of this job the employee is frequently required to sit; use hands to finger, handle, or feel; and talk or hear. The employee is occasionally required to lift up to 25 pounds. The vision requirement includes close vision; consistent sighting of clients.

Acknowledgement

Every effort has been made to identify the essential functions of this position. However, this job description in no way states or implies that these are the only duties you may be required to perform. The omission of specific descriptions of duties does not exclude them from the position if the work is similar, related or can be considered essential to this position.