Peer Support - Inpatient Youth

Peer Support Specialist

Unison Health provides a mission-driven work environment focused on staff support, professional growth, and work-life balance. We are committed to helping our employees thrive while making a lasting difference in the lives of children and families. For over 50 years, Unison Health has proudly supported individuals, families, and communities across Ohio. From behavioral health and substance abuse treatment to primary healthcare, we are dedicated to our mission:
Making Lives Better.

Unison Health is seeking a Peer Support Specialist to join our Children's Wellness Program (CWC). This role utilizes lived experience in behavioral health recovery to support children and families by providing emotional support, recovery-focused skill building, resource linkage, and engagement assistance. The Peer Support Specialist helps connect clients to services, promotes treatment participation, and collaborates with the interdisciplinary team to identify barriers to care and improve outcomes.

This position also conducts outreach and supports a trauma-informed, recovery-oriented environment in accordance with all state, agency, and program policies.

Key responsibilities and role highlights include:

• Provide peer support services in line with policies and standards.
• Assess client needs and help implement treatment plans.
• Document services, monitor progress, and follow up on care.
• Support clients in accessing resources and building independent living skills.
• Advocate for clients and educate them and their families on wellness.
• Use lived experience to inspire hope and support recovery.
• Apply client-centered, culturally competent, and trauma-informed care.
• Collaborate with teams, manage crises appropriately, and maintain professional standards

Education and experience requirements include:

• Requires a high school diploma, bachelor's degree preferred.
• Prior experience preferred.
• Must meet requirements and become a certified peer supporter within six months of hire.
• Must obtain CPI and CPR following hire.
• Must be at least 21 years of age.
• Must demonstrate knowledge of mental illness and the recovery process. (Knowledge of co-occurring disorders and treatment is preferred.)
• Must demonstrate the ability to establish and maintain therapeutic relationships with clients.
• Must be able to work a flexible schedule that will include evenings, weekends, and holidays.
• Must demonstrate the ability to identify and react with emotional intelligence to a person in crisis for the purposes of nonviolent de-escalation or linking with the appropriate level of care for treatment.

Unison Health is an Equal Opportunity Employer (EOE).

Equal Opportunity Employer This employer is required to notify all applicants of their rights pursuant to federal employment laws. For further information, please review the Know Your Rights notice from the Department of Labor.