Peer Support Specialist

Who You Are:

• Experienced: You have faced and overcome challenges related to substance use, mental health, and/or houselessness. Your experience is a source of strength and fuels your compassion and care.
• Compassionate Listener: You offer empathy without judgment, creating a safe space for young people to share their stories and struggles.
• Reliable Advocate: You are committed to showing up consistently, building trust, and following through on your promises to young people.
• Growth-Oriented: You embrace continuous learning, seeking new knowledge and skills to better support yourself and the youth you serve.
• Equitable: You understand how systemic oppression impacts the lives of youth in programs and the systems that you will support youth in navigating. You approach this world with humility and a deep sense of growth and learning.

• Assist youth in obtaining resources and services through referral:

• • Introducing youth to CADCs, Case, Managers, Alcohol & Drug Specialists and other service providers
  • Assisting youth with navigating resources
  • Facilitating links with other support networks

• Provide recovery engagement and support services to youth including:

• • Advocating and supporting youth by acting as a role model for positive recovery behaviors
  • Establishing a presence in areas where homeless youth engage
  • Building trust and rapport with youth and providing information on services available
  • Assisting in facilitating regular pro‑social clean and sober recreational activities
  • Qualifications: (Examples provided below. This will vary by position.)

• Qualifications

• Lived experience with substance use (having been in successful recovery for a minimum of 2 year), houselessness, mental health challenges and/or the mental health system, or any combination of the above

• Certified Recovery Mentor credentials or ability to obtain any of these credentials within three months of hiring

• Knowledge of the lifestyles and culture of houseless youth preferred

• Desire to work with multicultural staff and youth in a diverse setting

• Use of personal automobile for transporting self and clients for work purposes

• Must have access to an automobile, a valid driver’s license, and active auto insurance on that vehicle

Any candidate deemed viable for this position based on resources and resume submission will be contacted to participate in a screen interview to discuss interest and job compatibility. Of those screened, advancing candidates will be asked to participate in a subsequent interview or interviews to evaluate job qualifications and interest further. From this process, a hiring selection will be made.

This position requires a high level of mobility, meaning the successful candidate must be able to swiftly move and adapt to different situations and tasks. This may or may not also include different agency locations or locations within the community being served. A person in this position must be able to perform with or without accommodation the essential functions of this job including any physical requirements associated with this role.

While performing the duties of this job, the employee may be routinely exposed to outdoor weather conditions. The noise level in the work environment is usually moderate. If the position may require the use of any personal protective equipment, New Avenues will have such equipment on hand for the employee’s use.

New Avenues for Youth is an Equal Opportunity Employer.