Peer Counselor

The Peer Counselor is responsible for the provision of culturally informed, effective, quality peer services to clients at the Looking Glass PEER Shelter. This position assists with providing crisis intervention, maintaining a positive milieu and creating behavior management plans for youth who access services.

Combination of work/lived experience, at least 6 months of worked experience if applicable. Prioritization given to individuals with lived experience within a marginalized community and/or experience with substance use treatment. Experience working with vulnerable populations and/or unhoused youth is a plus.

Sunday
- Wednesday 11:00PM - 9:00AM

Sunday
- Wednesday 2:00PM - 12:00AM

Preferred to have a valid Driver's License, have an acceptable driving record, and be insurable under the Agency's auto insurance policy

In order to hire and retain employees who truly share our mission to "build a better future for youth, adults, and families", we offer competitive benefits, compensation, a generous PTO accrual rate, and a positive work culture.

• Wage: $27/hour + $0.75/hour for overnight shifts
• The benefits package includes medical, dental, vision, 401(k) options, and more!
• Paid Time Off (PTO) accrual rate starts at 0.1039 hours/hour worked, which is ~18.01 hours per month, equivalent to 5.4 weeks/year in the first year of employment.
  • PTO accrual rate increases with tenure at the agency.
• Paid in-depth training to ensure a successful transition into the agency and position.

At Looking Glass' PEER Shelter we are a 24 hour accessible low-barrier shelter for youth ages 18 – 24 years old who are unhoused or otherwise in crisis. PEER shelter emphasizes harm reduction to meet our clients' basic needs and assist them in moving towards stabilization.

People who succeed in this role have a passion for helping youth and are able to relate to teens from all different backgrounds, values, and cultures. You must be a positive youth mentor and role model who can demonstrate strong boundaries. You must be able to maintain confidentiality and handle stressful situations.

Looking Glass is committed to recruiting employees who reflect the diversity of our community and the youth and families we serve. We value providing the highest level of quality services to our clients and we are committed to the pursuit of cultural awareness. We believe in the abilities of individuals and systems that respond respectfully and effectively to people of all cultures, classes, races, ethnic backgrounds, religions, sexual orientations, genders, and abilities in a manner that recognizes, affirms, and values the worth of individuals, families, and their communities and protects and preserves the dignity of each.

Our workforce and clientele represent a diverse set of people from all walks of life. As such, we are committed to fostering, cultivating, and preserving a culture of diversity and inclusion in the agency. All staff must embody and represent these, and other, Looking Glass agency values.

This position provides on-site support, which delivers shelter and crisis-based services to youth and young adults experiencing behavioral, mental health, or housing crises. Employees in this role should expect to work in environments where clients may, at times, display escalated, unpredictable, or aggressive behavior. Staff are expected to follow agency safety and de-escalation protocols, maintain situational awareness, and coordinate closely with clinical and direct-care staff, particularly during crisis situations.

In compliance with applicable laws and licensing requirements, Looking Glass Human Resources Department conducts a background check on all new employees, non-paid staff (volunteers and interns), and existing staff as required. This is completed by the Background Check Unit with the State of Oregon per the Oregon Administrative Rules.

For more information on your responsibilities and obligations with a background check that is processed by the DHS Background Check Unit, please refer to the ORCHARDS background check system on their government website.