Peer Support Specialist, Clackamas Embedded Peer Services

Peer Support Specialist Success Profile - Clackamas County

As a Peer Support Specialist at FolkTime, you will play a pivotal role in building and sustaining meaningful relationships with individuals navigating the Clackamas County mental health and substance use systems. Employing the Intentional Peer Support model, you will prioritize building genuine, peer-centered relationships by emphasizing hope, strengths and trust-building. You will provide compassionate, personalized support, connect peers with essential services, and advocate for their needs while ensuring they feel safe and supported.

Below you will find descriptions of the Peer Support Specialist roles for which we are hiring. Be sure to include a response on your cover letter or resume indicating which teams interest you—we will be hiring for multiple positions and want you to be considered for all of them!

Why You'll Love It Here:

· Exciting Challenges: Every day brings new challenges and opportunities to make a real impact on the mental healthcare landscape.

· Innovation Galore: Get ready to be part of a team that doesn’t just think outside the box...because we're redesigning the entire experience.

· Collaborative Energy: Join a passionate team where collaboration is key. We value diverse perspectives, and your ideas will always find a welcome home.

· Continuous Growth: We're not just about training others, but ourselves. Your professional development is as important as our programs.

Compensation: $23.50-26.00 per hour, based on experience

Hours: 40 hours/week.

Benefits: This position qualifies for FolkTime’s benefits package which includes health, vision, and dental insurance, 20 days paid time off (25 year 2-3, 30 after year 3), short- and long-term disability, and holidays.

Department:

Embedded Peer Services with the Clackamas County Behavioral Health Department

Work location: Clackamas Mental Health Clinic, Oregon City Peer Connection Center

These positions will need to report to physical offices regularly but will also require the flexibility to report to various locations.

These positions will frequently transport clients/participants in personal vehicles. Reliable transportation and insurance is required.

These positions may be required to travel for relevant meetings, conferences, and trainings to support the organization.

These positions may have hours outside of normal business hours for relevant meetings and travel.

Peer Role Descriptions. Be sure to indicate which teams you would like to be considered for as you apply:

Choice Program: These Peer Support Specialists (PSSs) support adults experiencing significant emotional or mental health challenges as they navigate complex systems, toward recovery. Many of these participants will have recently experienced restrictive environments or intensive mental health support. The PSSs walk alongside them as they rediscover strengths, reconnect with their chosen communities, and explore recovery options that align with self-identified goals. This role fosters mutuality, resilience, and autonomy, helping individuals create pathways toward community integration and empowerment.

Mobile Crisis Response Team (MCRT): These PSSs support individuals experiencing active mental health or addiction-related crises. Leading a team of mental health professionals, they foster trust, de-escalate crises, and guide individuals toward recovery-oriented solutions. They then follow up on the initial response to ensure individuals are connected to services and support across Clackamas County. This role emphasizes person-centered care, cultural humility, and collaboration to stabilize individuals within their communities and reduce unnecessary hospitalizations or involvement in the criminal justice system.

Mental Health Center: The PSSs at the Mental Health Center provide immediate, person-centered support to individuals visiting the walk-in clinic, addressing concerns and helping to support them as they meet with a team of mental health professionals. Beyond the initial visit, PSSs will continue to work with participants for up to six months, helping navigate recovery goals and access longer-term support options.

Older Adults: This PSS will be essential in supporting Clackamas Older Adult Behavioral Health (OABH) initiatives and the Older Adult Peers, as the OABH Specialist does not provide direct services. The Peer Support Specialist will advocate for, advise on, and arrange activities for aging participants in BHD programs. This PSS will need to work independently, facilitate support groups, collaborate with FolkTime’s Peer Connection Center team, and attend community events and activities with peers.

Application Requirements:

· One-page cover-letter

· Resume

Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Commitment:

At FolkTime, diversity, equity, and inclusion aren't just buzzwords – they're at the heart of our community. We're on a mission to build a team that mirrors the rich diversity of backgrounds, cultures, abilities, and identities that make up our world. Why? Because we believe that embracing different perspectives fuels the empathy needed to support mental health and wellness. Be a part of co-creating our inclusive workplace where respect and empowerment are the norms. Join the FolkTime family and let's create a future where everyone's unique story is not just valued but celebrated.

Core Accountabilities:

We're diving headfirst into a thrilling adventure of lived-experience relationships, curiosity-driven conversations, and collaborative decision-making. Rooted in diverse experiences, your contribution propels our success. Our outcomes reflect our continuous journey towards creating empowering, inclusive environments for wellness. At FolkTime, our true outcome is rewriting the mental health narrative with boundless enthusiasm and unparalleled energy!

Building Supportive Relationships

· Talking and Sharing: Engaging in heartfelt conversations about personal experiences and actively listening to others' stories with compassion.

· Respecting Differences: Cultivating openness to diverse opinions and experiences without passing judgment, creating an atmosphere of acceptance.

· Forming Relationships: Fostering connections grounded in genuine care and understanding, acknowledging and empathizing with others' experiences.

Outcomes

· Learning Together: Promoting mutual learning experiences, contributing to a collective understanding of new perspectives and ideas.

· Feeling Stronger Together: Cultivating strength and confidence through meaningful and supportive relationships within the community.

Creating Brave Spaces

· Being Curious: Demonstrating genuine interest in others' thoughts and feelings, asking questions to deepen understanding.

· Supporting Bravery: Establishing safe environments where individuals feel comfortable sharing worries and problems without fear.

· Talking about Different Ideas: Initiating conversations that explore various facets of a situation, encouraging diverse viewpoints and promoting critical thinking.

Outcomes

· Understanding More: Enhancing comprehension of different points of view, making conversations more engaging and thought-provoking.

· Feeling Stronger Together: Building strength through meaningful discussions about significant matters that benefit everyone involved.

Understanding Yourself and Others Better

· Checking Your Bias: Reflecting on personal beliefs and understanding their impact on oneself and others.

· Respecting Everyone: Valuing everyone's background and experiences, recognizing and celebrating diversity.

· Being Kind and Listening: Practicing kindness and active listening without judgment, creating an environment of empathy.

Outcomes

· Feeling More Connected: Fostering a sense of closeness to others and deepening mutual understanding.

· Making Everyone Comfortable: Creating an environment where everyone feels safe and positive when sharing thoughts and feelings.

Working Together

· Making Plans Together: Collaborating with others to develop plans and strategies that contribute to individual wellness.

· Shared Decisions: Sharing thoughts with others and empowering them to make choices aligned with their best interests.

· Supporting Each Other: Offering support and finding the right resources to help others succeed.

Outcomes

· Feeling Stronger Together: Cultivating strength through collaborative efforts, fostering personal and collective growth.

· Making Choices Together: Making decisions collectively to ensure everyone feels satisfied and supported in the process.

Creating Community

· Making Trust: Building a foundation of trust to encourage open discussions about worries and feelings.

· Being Open: Maintaining openness to diverse ideas and ensuring everyone feels included in the community.

· Supporting Each Other Grow: Creating spaces where everyone can learn, support one another, and thrive.

Outcomes

· Feeling Brave: Promoting a sense of bravery to share and learn without fear.

· Making Supportive Connections: Establishing a supportive community that understands and aids each other through both good and challenging times.

Always Learning and Trying New Things

· Self-Reflection: Engaging in self-reflection to understand actions and strive for improvement.

· Learning: Actively seeking knowledge from diverse sources and applying it to personal and collective growth.

· Trying Hard: Investing effort in learning and understanding to benefit oneself and others.

Outcomes

· Constantly Growing: Fostering continuous personal and collective growth through learning and improvement.

· Growing Together: Nurturing a culture of shared growth and learning, enhancing the job's interest and value for everyone.

Ensuring Quality Assurance

· Completing Necessary Reports: Timely and accurate completion of required reports to document program activities. Providing detailed information in reports to contribute to comprehensive program evaluation.

· Detailed Notes and Documentation: Maintaining thorough and accurate notes documenting interactions and interventions. Ensuring all documentation aligns with organizational standards and program requirements.

· Efficient Paperwork Management: Organizing and managing paperwork efficiently to ensure accessibility and compliance. Reviewing and updating paperwork as necessary to reflect current program activities.

Outcomes

· Enhanced Program Evaluation: Ensuring that reports contribute to meaningful program evaluation, leading to continuous improvement.

· Accurate Record-Keeping: Records are detailed, and documentation is flawless to facilitate accurate record-keeping.

· Compliance: Record-keeping upholds compliance and promotes transparency within the program.

Qualifications: The things that make you awesome! At FolkTime, we welcome applicants with diverse backgrounds and perspectives. If you're passionate about our mission, apply, even if you don't meet every qualification. Your unique skills could be the missing piece we need to significantly impact the mental health landscape.

· Lived Experience: Understanding mental health or substance use systems based on personal experiences.

· Training and Certification: Certification in Intentional Peer Support, or willingness to attend the 40-hour Intentional Peer Support training, and maintain certification with the Oregon Health Authority Traditional Health Worker’s Commission as a Peer Support Specialist. This includes maintaining Continuing Education Units (CEUs) required to keep certification, with assistance from FolkTime leadership.

· Good Communication: Being good at talking and listening to others.

· Working with Others: Work well with different groups and support anyone.

· Keeping Things Private: Knowing how to keep personal information private and safe.

· Handling Many Things: Being good at doing many things at once, setting goals, and doing tasks in order of importance.

· Listening Skills: Great at listening and making friends with different kinds of people.

· Group Facilitation: All positions require leading a relevant support group of your choice.

· Getting Around: Having a car, a license, insurance, and the ability to pass a vehicle background check.

· Building Trust: Making professional relationships and being trusted by others easily.

· Working with Different Families: Being respectful and open-minded when working with families from different backgrounds.

· Knowing Different Languages: It's good if you can speak both English and Spanish.

FolkTime performs criminal background checks for county roles. We encourage those who have lived experience with the criminal justice system to check in early about this to see if this history would prevent them from being hired for a specific contract or program.

Job Types: Full-time, Part-time

Pay: $23.00 - $25.00 per hour

Expected hours: 40 per week

Benefits:

• 401(k)
• Bereavement leave
• Dental insurance
• Health insurance
• Mileage reimbursement
• Paid time off
• Professional development assistance
• Vision insurance

Schedule:

• Day shift
• Evenings as needed
• Monday to Friday
• Weekends as needed

People with a criminal record are encouraged to apply

Work Location: In person

Salary : $23 - $25