Youth Peer Support

Join to apply for the Youth Peer Support role at NORTHERN LAKES COMMUNITY MENTAL HEALTH

YOUTH PEER SUPPORT – CADILLAC

Northern Lakes Community Mental Health Authority (NLCMHA) recognizes the value of and employs people with lived experience and believes strongly in Recovery and a Culture of Gentleness. To this end, this position requires a commitment to creating and maintaining a culture that “Expects Recovery” and “Encourages Gentleness.” The candidate must be a young adult aged 18 through 28, with lived experience who received mental health services as a youth.

The role works under the direction of the Operations Manager for Child and Family Services and in conjunction with the Child and Family Services Team to support youth empowerment, assisting youth in developing skills to improve their overall functioning and quality of life, and working collaboratively with others involved in delivering the youth’s care. The youth and their service providers will work together to meet needs identified in the Individual Plan of Service (IPOS), with goals mutually identified in active collaboration.

The role engages youth in services to improve community integration, family relationships, resolve conflicts, and facilitate transition to adulthood, providing services in home and/or community settings.

• Provide service to children, youth, and young adults up to 26 years of age.
• Work within NLCMHA’s child and family provider team to ensure services are consistent with child and family needs and agency, program, and Michigan Department of Health and Human Services (MDHHS) requirements.
• Collaborate with a multi‑disciplinary team to develop safety and support plans for those experiencing a mental health crisis.
• Complete documentation of all tasks.
• Provide interventions to help youth improve family relationships, resolve conflicts, integrate into the community, and transition to adulthood, as identified in the IPOS.
• Empower youth to obtain community resources and increase confidence and competence, assisting in developing skills to improve overall functioning and quality of life.
• Serve as an example and mentor, remaining non‑judgmental, encouraging, and instilling hope.
• Learn youth’s story, culture, strengths and concerns.
• Apply knowledge of NLCMHA services, guidelines, and regulations to provide information to youth.
• Use experience and knowledge to expand opportunities for choice and voice in services for child and family.
• Build partnerships with youth, parents and professionals, promoting mutual respect.
• Work directly with youth in their home and community, implementing the specific aspect of the IPOS or treatment intervention.
• Maintain current knowledge of mental health trends by reading books, journals and other relevant materials.
• Use a family‑driven, youth‑guided approach to collaborate with children and families in assessing needs and identifying resources to overcome challenges and prevent recurrence.
• Assess and consider information even when it is incomplete or uncertain.
• Utilize complex interpersonal and communication skills on a frequent basis, including group services and formal presentations.
• Provide services in office or community settings, including the home environment.

• Age 18 through 28.
• Lived experience receiving mental health services as a youth.
• Self‑identifies as a person who has received or is receiving behavioral health services and is prepared to use that experience in helping others.
• Preferred experience receiving services in complex child‑serving systems (e.g., behavioral health, child welfare, juvenile justice, special education).
• Strong interpersonal, communication and engagement skills.
• Capacity to partner with youth, families, professionals, and community to plan and implement services and training.
• Ability to integrate own experience when it is helpful.
• Supports youth strengths in problem‑solving and solution‑seeking.
• Comfortable working with people from diverse socio‑economic backgrounds and cultures.
• Maintains a respectful, non‑judgmental attitude toward all.
• Good written, verbal and listening skills.
• Knowledge of community resources.
• Basic computer competency.
• Accepts…