Peer Support Services Specialist; Houston region - McWilliams School of Biomedical Informatics
Listed on 2026-03-05
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Healthcare
Mental Health, Community Health
McWilliams School of Biomedical Informatics is shaping the future of patient care, disease prevention, and biomedical discovery by transforming data into innovative solutions powered by artificial intelligence, data science, and informatics. We are the only biomedical informatics program with advanced doctoral degrees in Texas and the largest and only free‑standing informatics school in the nation.
Location: Houston region.
Position Overview: This position will support the Center for Behavioral Emergency and Addiction Research’s Heroes Program in Houston, Texas. UTHealth Houston’s Center for Behavioral Emergency and Addiction Research oversees several initiatives to address substance use disorders and behavioral emergencies across Texas. The Peer Support Services Specialist will work with a multidisciplinary team to provide assertive outreach, navigation to care, direct peer support, and education surrounding substance use prevention, treatment, and recovery in a clinical research environment.
Why Join Us? Once you join us you won’t want to leave. It’s because we reward our team for the excellent service they provide. Our total rewards package includes the benefits you’d expect from a top healthcare organization, plus:
- 100% paid medical premiums for our full‑time employees
- Generous time off (holidays, preventative leave day, both vacation and sick time – all of which equates to around 37‑38 days per year)
- The longer you stay, the more vacation you’ll accrue!
- Longevity Pay (monthly payments after two years of service)
- Build your future with our awesome retirement/pension plan!
Employee Wellness: We take care of our employees! As a world‑renowned institution, our employees’ wellbeing is important to us. We offer work/life services such as:
- Free financial and legal counseling
- Free mental health counseling services
- Gym membership discounts and access to wellness programs
- Other employee discounts including entertainment, car rentals, cell phones, etc.
- Resources for child and elder care
- Plus many more!
The Peer Support Services Specialist assists with peer recovery support services directly to patients who apply knowledge and skills drawn from lived experience and certification competencies, including assertive outreach, enrollment, mutual support, and additional wrap‑around services to eligible patients, and ensures quality data maintenance for the research and clinical team.
Key Accountabilities- Assists with direct patient‑related peer support services for social determinants of health to individuals enrolled in HEROES and other clinical research programs.
- Assists with outreach schedule, mutual support groups for peer‑education and family support, marketing and organization of all peer‑related activities.
- Assists with outreach to individuals’ homes and other places.
- Assists with group services to multiple people, both through virtual and in‑person.
- Follows guidance to ensure the peer support team remains aligned with the overall message and purpose of the program.
- Follows UTHealth program regulations, guidelines and practices to ensure compliance.
- Cooperatively assist with other job duties as assigned to support the provision of quality services to consumers; remain available to team members in crisis situations; and support the clinical/research team where necessary.
- Performs other duties as assigned.
- Basic computer skills (email, word processing, Excel, etc.).
- Manages Human Resources activities of the department in regards to recruiting and selection, hiring and termination, training, professional development, mentoring, counseling, performance evaluations, and salary planning.
- Peer Recovery Support Specialist (PRSS) by Texas Certification Board (TCB) required or
- Mental Health Peer Specialist (MHPS) by Texas Certification Board (TCB) required or
- Re‑Entry Peer Specialist (JI‑RPS) by Texas Certification Board required or
- Recover Support Peer Specialist (RSPS) by Texas Certification Board required or
- Equivalent certification by Texas Certification Board required.
Minimum Education: High School Diploma or equivalent required.
Minimum Experience: 1 year of experience providing peer recovery…
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