Peer Specialist

Job Description:

Job Title: Peer Specialist

Location: Saint Charles, MO

Department: Recovery Services

Employment Type: Full-time

Job Summary:

The Peer Specialist is responsible for supporting individuals in their recovery journey, using lived experience to provide guidance, hope, and practical assistance. This role involves helping clients develop and enhance recovery skills, connect with community resources, and maintain a positive, engaged recovery process. Working closely with clients and their families, the Peer Specialist fosters empowerment, motivation, and resilience, supporting individuals to take an active role in their treatment and long-term recovery goals.

Position Perks & Benefits:

• Comprehensive Benefits: Health, dental, vision, life insurance, retirement plans, and more.

• Generous Paid Time Off: [Insert number] days annually, including vacation and holiday pay.

• Training & Development: Ongoing professional development opportunities to enhance career growth.

• Supportive Work Environment: A collaborative and inclusive workplace culture.

• Employee Recognition: Acknowledgment of your contributions to the team and the clients we serve.

Key Responsibilities:

• Personalized Recovery Support: Collaborate with individuals to develop and implement personalized recovery plans based on their needs, strengths, and goals.

• Community Connection: Assist clients in identifying and accessing recovery resources, including mutual aid groups, treatment services, and other community-based supports.

• Motivation & Mentorship: Utilize lived experience to provide hope, encouragement, and practical recovery tools through mentoring, coaching, and advocacy.

• Documentation: Maintain accurate records of client interactions, including treatment plans, progress notes, and referrals, in compliance with organizational standards.

• Appointment Assistance: Help clients schedule and attend treatment appointments, provide transportation when necessary, and accompany clients to appointments as needed.

• Crisis Intervention: Provide emotional and crisis intervention support, and facilitate group education sessions as required.

• Health & Wellness Advocacy: Encourage and model healthy lifestyle choices, and provide resources and support to help clients maintain sobriety and improve overall wellness.

• Family & Caregiver Support: Communicate and collaborate with family members and other support systems to ensure coordinated care and involvement in the recovery process.

• Professional Development: Pursue ongoing education and training to stay current with best practices and fulfill required continuing education hours.

Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities:

• Recovery Expertise: Ability to share lived recovery experiences in a way that fosters hope, resilience, and empowerment while maintaining professional boundaries.

• Communication Skills: Strong verbal and written communication skills to effectively connect with clients, families, and the multidisciplinary team.

• Resource Navigation: Knowledge of local community resources, support groups, and recovery tools.

• Ethical Conduct: Understanding of confidentiality standards and a commitment to maintaining professional and ethical boundaries.

• Motivational Skills: Ability to inspire hope and encourage clients to take an active role in their recovery process.

• Documentation Proficiency: Skilled in maintaining clear, accurate, and timely documentation of client progress, interactions, and treatment plans.

• Problem-Solving: Ability to identify barriers to recovery and work collaboratively to develop solutions.

Experience and Education Qualifications:

• Lived Experience: Must self-identify as a person in recovery from mental health and/or substance use disorder. A sponsor and participation in a 12-step program may be requested.

• Experience: At least one year of personal experience in navigating mental health and/or substance use services as a consumer.

• Training Requirements: Completion of a state-approved Peer Support training program within six months of employment.

• State-Specific Certification: Must meet the certification standards for Peer Support or Recovery Support Specialist, as required by the state of employment (see Illinois, Missouri, or Kansas-specific qualifications).

Supervisory Requirements:

• None

Employment Requirements:

• Background Check: Successful completion of criminal, driving, abuse/neglect, and fingerprint checks.

• Orientation & Training: Completion of New Hire Orientation and required training, including Relias courses, at the beginning of employment and annually thereafter.

• Driver’s License: Valid driver’s license, acceptable driving record, and current auto insurance.

• Recovery Experience: Must be at least 21 years old with a minimum of one year in recovery.

• Health Clearance: Evidence of being free from infectious and contagious diseases (such as tuberculosis) prior to employment and annually thereafter.

Physical Requirements:

• Physical Activity: Light physical work, requiring exerting up to 20 pounds of force occasionally and up to 10 pounds frequently.

• Mobility: Requires walking, standing, or sitting with occasional movement between work sites or client locations.

• Client Transportation: Ability to transport clients to and from appointments or community resources as needed.

Brightli’s Mission:

As a behavioral and community mental health provider, we prioritize fostering a culture of belonging and connection within our workforce. We encourage applications from individuals with varied backgrounds and experiences, as we believe that a rich tapestry of perspectives strengthens our mission. If you are passionate about empowering local communities and creating an environment where everyone feels valued and supported, we invite you to join our mission-driven organization dedicated to cultivating an authentic workplace.

Position Perks & Benefits:

Paid time off: full-time employees receive an attractive time off package to balance your work and personal life

Employee benefits package: full-time employees receive health, dental, vision, retirement, life, & more

Top-notch training: initial, ongoing, comprehensive, and supportive

Career mobility: advancement opportunities/promoting from within

Welcoming, warm, supportive: a work culture & environment that promotes your well-being, values you as human being, and encourages your health and happiness

Brightli is on a Mission:

A mission to improve client care, reduce the financial burden of community mental health centers by sharing resources, a mission to have a larger voice in advocacy to increase access to mental health and substance user care in our communities, and a mission to evolve the behavioral health industry to better meet the needs of our clients.

As a behavioral and community mental health provider, we prioritize fostering a culture of belonging and connection within our workforce. We encourage applications from individuals with varied backgrounds and experiences, as we believe that a rich tapestry of perspectives strengthens our mission. If you are passionate about empowering local communities and creating an environment where everyone feels valued and supported, we invite you to join our mission-driven organization dedicated to cultivating an authentic workplace.

We are an Equal Opportunity and Affirmative Action Employer, and encourage applications from all qualified individuals without regard to race, color, religion, sex, gender identity, gender expressions, sexual orientation, national origin, age, marital status, disability or veteran status, or to other non-work related factors.

Preferred Family Health Care is a Smoke and Tobacco Free Workplace.