Peer Supervisor

Join to apply for the Peer Supervisor role at DESC (Downtown Emergency Service Center).

Job Type

Full-time

Shift: Office Day

Days Off:
Saturday and Sunday

Insurance Benefits:
Dental, Life, Long-term Disability, Medical (no premiums/payroll deductions for employee coverage)

Other Benefits:
Employee Assistance Program (EAP), Flexible Spending Account (FSA), ORCA card subsidy, Paid Time Off (34 days per year), Retirement Plan

About DESC: DESC (Downtown Emergency Service Center) is a nonprofit organization working to help people with the complex needs of homelessness, substance use disorders, and serious mental illness achieve their highest potential for health and well-being through comprehensive services, treatment, and housing. Our vision is a community where no person is abandoned, ignored, or experiencing homelessness. As the region's leading provider of services to multiply disabled adults who have experienced chronic homelessness, DESC serves almost 3,000 people each day.

Our integrated service model is designed to help people secure and maintain appropriate, safe and affordable housing. DESC is recognized nationally and regionally as an innovator in developing solutions to homelessness.

DESC's STAR (Stability Through Access and Resources) Center is a time-limited, 24/7, behavioral health-focused non-congregate shelter program. Services at the Center are tailored for unsheltered adults facing significant untreated and under-treated challenges related to mental health and substance use disorders. The center is located at 619 3rd Avenue and Cherry St in Seattle. The Peer Supervisor for SUD Services and Peer Specialists is a vital member of the STAR Center Shelter's multi-disciplinary leadership team.

This position is responsible for the overall coordination, supervision, and quality assurance of Peer Specialists and those providing targeted Substance Use Disorder (SUD) outreach and recovery support services. The Supervisor utilizes their lived experience to lead the team in providing assertive engagement and intensive services to clients, while also managing a partial direct service caseload within the non-congregate shelter environment.

This role is essential for the planning, implementation, and coordination of Peer Specialist services within the shelter.

• Assign and manage Peer caseloads. Coordinate, schedule, and oversee the work of SUD Peer Specialists and Peer Specialists providing outreach and assertive engagement to STAR Center clients.
• Provide regular supervision, consultation, and performance feedback to staff. Assess team members for strengths and training needs, and ensure staff receive necessary training, including core DESC values, crisis intervention/de-escalation skills, the causes and effects of homelessness, and continuing education.
• Facilitate team meetings to promote team cohesion and collaboration, ensuring the team effectively serves the clientele and provides needed support.
• Develop, manage, and maintain systems to ensure clients’ peer goals and use of peer services are documented in service plans.
• Coordinate and participate in quality assurance activities. Review team documentation to assure records are current, complete, and comply with all agency, county, and contractual policies and procedures. Complete documentation and reporting in a timely and accurate manner.
• Coordinate Peer Specialist hiring, orientation, and scheduling; assist in the hiring and orientation of other STAR Center Shelter staff. Review and authorize staff time sheets.
• Work in partnership with the STAR Center Leadership team to implement DESC vision and values, and to incorporate a thorough equity framework into shelter operations and client care. Establish cooperative relationships with external partners to secure necessary client resources and promote positive relationships with the surrounding neighborhood.
• Provide outreach and Peer Specialist services to a partial caseload. Identify and screen individuals for appropriateness to services, build rapport, and assist with immediate and basic needs for those suspected of Opioid Use Disorder and facing significant…