Peer Support Specialist

ABOUT THE ROLE

Position Duties

• Respond to referrals involving mental health, substance use, housing instability, and other psychosocial needs using trauma-informed, person-centered strategies informed by lived experience. • Provide case management or crisis support, resource navigation, and advocacy to identify goals, address barriers, and connect neighbors with appropriate community services and supports. • Coordinate warm handoffs and ongoing follow-up with clinicians, DCSD teams, community partners, and service providers to promote continuity of care. • Build trusting, strengths-based relationships that promote self-determination, recovery, wellness, and meaningful engagement in services. • Maintain timely, accurate, and confidential documentation of referrals, services, follow-up activities, outcomes, and resource connections. • Collaborate with multidisciplinary teams and community agencies to coordinate services and strengthen access to behavioral health and community resources. • Participate in supervision, team meetings, professional development, and program improvement while incorporating lived experience and peer perspectives. • Maintain professional boundaries, intentional self-disclosure, effective communication, and personal wellness practices to sustain resilience and effective peer support. • Improve accuracy for structured artifacts

Minimum Qualifications

• Minimum of a high school diploma or GED, with 2 years of direct lived experience related to substance use, behavioral health, or the criminal justice system. • Peer Support Specialist Certification --- LINK • Strong understanding of behavioral health symptoms and crisis intervention strategies, with the ability to connect individuals to appropriate resources. • Must be able to travel within Durham, walk or stand for up to 75% of a shift, and have basic computer proficiency. • Demonstrated commitment to the department’s mission and values. • Must have a valid, unrestricted, North Carolina driver's license "or" if you currently have another state driver's license, must be willing and able to obtain a valid NC driver's license within 60 days of hire

Other Qualifications

• At least two years of experience in peer counseling or related work with diverse populations. Prior professional experience in crisis response or intervention is preferred. • Experience engaging with individuals under high stress, including those impacted by mental illness, substance use, intellectual and developmental disabilities, justice involvement, or homelessness. Lived experience in these areas strongly valued. • Knowledge of service delivery systems including counseling, treatment planning, documentation, utilization review, and NC clinical policies (e.g., ACT, CST, IOP, SACOT, Innovations Waiver). Skilled in data management and maintaining HIPAA compliance. • Bilingual abilities, especially in Spanish, are highly preferred. Familiarity with Durham’s health systems and community resources is a plus. • Strong interpersonal and collaboration skills, with a demonstrated commitment to community advancement and advocacy—particularly within Durham.

Benefits

• Benefits – General Full-Time Employees 12-13 paid holidays per year 13 standard work days of vacation per year 13 standard work days of sick leave per year, which accumulates indefinitely; sick leave may be used toward early retirement 2 weeks paid military leave per year Medical, dental, vision, and supplemental life insurance plans State and City retirement plans Short and long term disability plans Paid temporary disability leave for specified conditions City contribution of 13.6% into the N.C. State Retirement System Paid funeral leave Employee Assistance Program - personal and family counseling Paid life insurance equal to annual salary 48 hours for volunteer work each year* 4 hours parental leave each year Workman's Compensation Insurance 457 Deferred Compensation Plans Benefits - Part-Time (1,000 hours or more per year) 401(k) retirement plan (5.0% of salary) State retirement plan Benefits Part-Time (Average 30 hours per week over 12 month period) 401(k) retirement plan (5.0% of salary) State retirement plan effective first day of the month following date of hire Health insurance effective first day of the month following date of hire Dental and life insurance, after one year of service Pro-rated vacation, pro-rated sick, pro-rated floating holiday, parttime holiday pay (based on scheduled hours for that day) after one year of service
• Benefits – General Full-Time Employees
• 12-13 paid holidays per year 13 standard work days of vacation per year 13 standard work days of sick leave per year, which accumulates indefinitely; sick leave may be used toward early retirement 2 weeks paid military leave per year Medical, dental, vision, and supplemental life insurance plans State and City retirement plans Short and long term disability plans Paid temporary disability leave for specified conditions City contribution of 13.6% into the N.C. State Retirement System Paid funeral leave Employee Assistance Program - personal and family counseling Paid life insurance equal to annual salary 48 hours for volunteer work each year* 4 hours parental leave each year Workman's Compensation Insurance 457 Deferred Compensation Plans
• 13 standard work days of vacation per year 13 standard work days of sick leave per year, which accumulates indefinitely; sick leave may be used toward early retirement 2 weeks paid military leave per year Medical, dental, vision, and supplemental life insurance plans State and City retirement plans Short and long term disability plans Paid temporary disability leave for specified conditions City contribution of 13.6% into the N.C. State Retirement System Paid funeral leave Employee Assistance Program - personal and family counseling Paid life insurance equal to annual salary 48 hours for volunteer work each year* 4 hours parental leave each year Workman's Compensation Insurance 457 Deferred Compensation Plans
• 13 standard work days of sick leave per year, which accumulates indefinitely; sick leave may be used toward early retirement 2 weeks paid military leave per year Medical, dental, vision, and supplemental life insurance plans State and City retirement plans Short and long term disability plans Paid temporary disability leave for specified conditions City contribution of 13.6% into the N.C. State Retirement System Paid funeral leave Employee Assistance Program - personal and family counseling Paid life insurance equal to annual salary 48 hours for volunteer work each year* 4 hours parental leave each year Workman's Compensation Insurance 457 Deferred Compensation Plans
• 2 weeks paid military leave per year Medical, dental, vision, and supplemental life insurance plans State and City retirement plans Short and long term disability plans Paid temporary disability leave for specified conditions City contribution of 13.6% into the N.C. State Retirement System Paid funeral leave Employee Assistance Program - personal and family counseling Paid life insurance equal to annual salary 48 hours for volunteer work each year* 4 hours parental leave each year Workman's Compensation Insurance 457 Deferred Compensation Plans
• Medical, dental, vision, and supplemental life insurance plans State and City retirement plans Short and long term disability plans Paid temporary disability leave for specified conditions City contribution of 13.6% into the N.C. State Retirement System Paid funeral leave Employee Assistance Program - personal and family counseling Paid life insurance equal to annual salary 48 hours for volunteer work each year* 4 hours parental leave each year Workman's Compensation Insurance 457 Deferred Compensation Plans
• State and City retirement plans Short and long term disability plans Paid temporary disability leave for specified conditions City contribution of 13.6% into the N.C. State Retirement System Paid funeral leave Employee Assistance Program - personal and family counseling Paid life insurance equal to annual salary 48 hours for volunteer work each year* 4 hours parental leave each year Workman's Compensation Insurance 457 Deferred Compensation Plans
• Short and long term disability plans Paid temporary disability leave for specified conditions City contribution of 13.6% into the N.C. State Retirement System Paid funeral leave Employee Assistance Program - personal and family counseling Paid life insurance equal to annual salary 48 hours for volunteer work each year* 4 hours parental leave each year Workman's Compensation Insurance 457 Deferred Compensation Plans
• Paid temporary disability leave for specified conditions City contribution of 13.6% into the N.C. State Retirement System Paid funeral leave Employee Assistance Program - personal and family counseling Paid life insurance equal to annual salary 48 hours for volunteer work each year* 4 hours parental leave each year Workman's Compensation Insurance 457 Deferred Compensation Plans
• City contribution of 13.6% into the N.C. State Retirement System Paid funeral leave Employee Assistance Program - personal and family counseling Paid life insurance equal to annual salary 48 hours for volunteer work each year* 4 hours parental leave each year Workman's Compensation Insurance 457 Deferred Compensation Plans
• Paid funeral leave Employee Assistance Program - personal and family counseling Paid life insurance equal to annual salary 48 hours for volunteer work each year* 4 hours parental leave each year Workman's Compensation Insurance 457 Deferred Compensation Plans
• Employee Assistance Program - personal and family counseling Paid life insurance equal to annual salary 48 hours for volunteer work each year* 4 hours parental leave each year Workman's Compensation Insurance 457 Deferred Compensation Plans
• Paid life insurance equal to annual salary 48 hours for volunteer work each year* 4 hours parental leave each year Workman's Compensation Insurance 457 Deferred Compensation Plans
• 48 hours for volunteer work each year* 4 hours parental leave each year Workman's Compensation Insurance 457 Deferred Compensation Plans
• 4 hours parental leave each year Workman's Compensation Insurance 457 Deferred Compensation Plans
• Workman's Compensation Insurance 457 Deferred Compensation Plans
• 457 Deferred Compensation Plans
• 401(k) retirement plan (5.0% of salary) State retirement plan
• State retirement plan
• 401(k) retirement plan (5.0% of salary) State retirement plan effective first day of the month following date of hire Health insurance effective first day of the month following date of hire Dental and life insurance, after one year of service Pro-rated vacation, pro-rated sick, pro-rated floating holiday, parttime holiday pay (based on scheduled hours for that day) after one year of service
• State retirement plan effective first day of the month following date of hire Health insurance effective first day of the month following date of hire Dental and life insurance, after one year of service Pro-rated vacation, pro-rated sick, pro-rated floating holiday, parttime holiday pay (based on scheduled hours for that day) after one year of service
• Health insurance effective first day of the month following date of hire Dental and life insurance, after one year of service Pro-rated vacation, pro-rated sick, pro-rated floating holiday, parttime holiday pay (based on scheduled hours for that day) after one year of service
• Dental and life insurance, after one year of service Pro-rated vacation, pro-rated sick, pro-rated floating holiday, parttime holiday pay (based on scheduled hours for that day) after one year of service
• Pro-rated vacation, pro-rated sick, pro-rated floating holiday, parttime holiday pay (based on scheduled hours for that day) after one year of service

Supplemental Questions