Youth Partner - Peer Support Specialist

Yamhill County; McMinnville (OR); On-site; USD 42,000 - 54,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

15 paid holidays

FET accrual 19.5 days

PERS employer funded contributions

Health benefits from $89.02/month PPO

Professional development $750 annually

License/certification fee support $200

Student loan forgiveness opportunities

Overtime eligible

Job summary

Yamhill County in Oregon is seeking a Peer Support Specialist to work with youth facing mental health and substance use challenges. You will collaborate with multi-disciplinary teams to provide recovery-oriented supports, help access resources, and promote advocacy, using your own lived experience to guide youth.

This full-time role requires PSS certification or the ability to obtain it within two months, and a background in human services. Spanish-English fluency is preferred.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree or equivalent experience in human services required.
• PSS certification or ability to obtain within 2 months of hire.
• Must be a self-identified current or former recipient of mental health services.
• Preference for Spanish and English fluency.
• Must have a valid NPI number or ability to obtain.

Responsibilities

• Assist individuals in accessing resources and addressing barriers related to mental health and substance use.
• Utilize lived experience to support youth and promote recovery skills.
• Provide linkage with local peer organizations and coordinate wraparound supports when needed.
• Recruit volunteers, facilitate training, and track documentation.
• Collaborate with multi-disciplinary teams and help with team facilitation.

Skills

PSS certification

Fluency in Spanish

Fluency in English

Recovery experience

NPI eligibility

Education

Bachelor's degree in human services

Two years post-secondary education in human services

High school diploma

Job description

PLEASE NOTE: Salary is dependent on experience. Yamhill County typically hires between steps 1-4

Yamhill County has one regular full-time position for a Peer Support Specialist to serve youth with mental health/substance use challenges. In this role you will work with multi-disciplinary teams to assist individuals in accessing resources, addressing barriers related to their mental health, and help develop skills that promote recovery and advocacy. Utilizing your life experiences to provide support to youth, your responsibilities will include assisting in utilizing recovery skills, providing linkage with local peer organizations, identifying strengths to achieve individual goals, and providing individual and group peer services. You may also be needed to provide coordination of peer wrap around supports including community outreach to recruit volunteers, facilitating training, documentation tracking, and team facilitation.

The Benefits

Yamhill County offers generous employee benefits:

• 15 paid holidays per year.


• 19.5 days of Flexible Earned Time (FET) accrual in the first year (based on an 8-hr day).*


• PERS (Public Employee Retirement System) - 100% employer funded contributions.


• Full health benefit offerings with employee premiums starting as low as $89.02/month for PPO or $0/month for HMO during current plan year 2025-2026.

Additional Benefits For HHS Employees

• $750 and 40 hours of paid time annually for professional development/training.


• $200 annually toward required license and/or certification fees.


• HRSA/NHSC approved site with many loan repayment opportunities available.


• Qualifying employer for public service student loan forgiveness.


• Most positions are eligible to accrue overtime.*


• Subject to the AFSCME Collective Bargaining Agreement (7/1/2023 – 6/30/2026).

The Qualifications

• A Bachelor’s degree in a human services related field.

OR

• At least one year’s work experience AND two years’ post-secondary education in a human service related field.

• A high school diploma AND three years’ work experience in a human service related field.


• Must be a self-identified current or former recipient of mental health services


• PSS certification from a state‑approved program or ability to obtain certification within 2 months of hire.


• Or Certified Recovery Mentor certification


• NPI number or the ability to obtain one upon employment.

Preference will be given to those with fluency in Spanish and English.

The Candidate

If you have been the recipient of mental health services, have a personal experience and knowledge of recovery, you embrace the philosophy of resilience and recovery, and are willing to be a role model for individuals receiving mental health services, then we are looking for you.

To be successful in this role you will need to show excellence in organization, paperwork management, and communication – both verbally and in writing, in addition to typing and computer proficiency. Further, you will also need to be dependable, self‑directed, detail‑oriented, and possess the ability to interact with coworkers, clients, and the public in a courteous, professional manner.

It is crucial that you have the ability to understand the behavior of people under stress, to develop cooperative relationships with clients, their families, and the community while maintaining relationships with physicians, law enforcement agencies, the courts, public and private administrators, and the community in general.

Employees must be able to perform the essential functions of this classification with or without accommodation.

In Order To Qualify For Most HHS Positions, Applicants

Must not be excluded from participation in federal health care programs (Medicaid, Medicare, and other federally funded programs that provide health benefits); and

Must not be excluded from participation in federal procurement (Federal Acquisition Regulation) and non-procurement activities (Executive Order No. 12549).

Our Community

Yamhill County has approximately 109,000 residents and is a very desirable place to live in the heart of the Willamette Valley wine country. Yamhill County is home to Linfield University and Chemeketa Community College in McMinnville and George Fox University and Portland Community College in Newberg. Yamhill County is centrally located in the Willamette Valley, within close proximity to the Oregon Coast, the Portland and Salem metropolitan areas, and the Oregon Cascade Mountains. Wide varieties of indoor and outdoor recreation opportunities are available. We have the benefits, appeal and superior quality of life found in a small-town community, while enjoying active social and cultural lifestyles found in larger metropolitan areas.

Required Information

Under the provisions of the Immigration Reform and Control Act of 1986, any person hired or rehired is required to provide evidence of identity and eligibility for employment. Yamhill County does not offer VISA sponsorships. The County verifies the valid work authorization of each employee using Form I-9 and the E-Verify Program.

Do not include information or photos that would identify those personal traits. Any documents submitted with the application that include this identifying information will not be accepted with the application.

Some positions require a criminal history check and a review of driving record. All County positions require regular, prompt, and consistent attendance.

Accommodation Under The Americans With Disabilities Act

Reasonable accommodation is available to anyone whose specific disability prevents them from completing this application or participating in the selection process for this recruitment. To obtain confidential assistance, please contact Human Resources at 503-474-4901 or via email at [e-mail].

Veterans’ Preference

• Veteran’s Hiring Preference (Veterans Preference Hiring Form-PDF))




• Form must be completed and submitted with application.(Download PDF reader)




• Supporting Documentation (Refer to Veterans Preference form for list)

If you need assistance with completing an application for employment or with obtaining a Veteran’s Hiring Preference Form, please contact Human Resources at 503-474-4901 or via email at [e-mail].

Status of your application

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Knowledge, Skills, And Abilities

Please refer to the Classification Specification for the knowledge, skills & abilities required for this position.

Minimum Experience And Training/Other Requirements

Please refer to the Classification Specification for the minimum experience and training/other requirements for this position.

Work Environment/Physical Demands

Please refer to the Classification Specification for the work environment/physical demands for this position.

Health Coverage

Group medical, dental, and vision insurance coverage is available for the entire family. For the 2025-2026 plan year, the County will pay 97% of the monthly premium and employees will pay 3% ($89.02 per month) for the PPO Base Plan. With this plan, employees are eligible for a $125 a month contribution into an HRA VEBA account. Buy-up plans are also available. The employee premium for the HMO plan is $0.00, with the HMO plan employees are not eligible for the HRA Veba Account.

Retirement

PERS (Public Employee Retirement System) contribution is 100% employer funded, which includes both contribution to PERS pension and IAP accounts (IAP contribution is 6% of salary).

Short-Term Disability

100% County paid.

Life insurance

$10,000 for employee/$2,000 for spouse and children – 100% County Paid.

Vacation/Sick Leave

Flexible Earned Time (FET) is a combination of vacation and sick leave. To start, employees earn 13 hours per month, and future accruals increase based on years of service. After a year of service and depending on FET balance, employees may sell-back up to 40 hours of FET per year.

01

Are you a self-identified current or former recipient of mental health services?

• Yes


• No

02

Do you have a current Peer Support Specialist certification from a state-approved program?

• Yes


• No


• Required Question