Peer Support Specialist

The Safer Foundation is a social service provider to individuals with arrest and conviction records. Through a full range of services, including case management, educational instruction and advocacy, we focus on preparing individuals for the world of work by helping them find and keep productive and meaningful employment.

General Summary:

Reporting to the Director of Supported Employment, the Peer Support Specialist (“PSS”). The PSS will serve as a role model, mentor, advocate, and motivator to individuals returning from incarcerated to help prevent relapse and promotelong-term success, many of which may also be affected by underlying substance use, mental health, and trauma. The PSS must demonstrate an ability to share personal experiences and develop authentic peer-to-peer relationships. The PSS is a member of a multi-disciplinary team engaged in outreach, referral response, brief screening referral and intervention, case management, and warm handoffs concerning individuals released from jail or prison or who otherwise have an arrest and conviction record, with an emphasis on those who have violent offenses on their background. The Peer Support Specialist will have a strong understanding of supportive employment using the Individual Placement and Support (IPS) model is essential. The PSS will work closely with members of the training and employment team, the reentry team, and the clinical team serving as an anchor for a client’s safe reintegration into the community.

Performance Results Description

The Position is properly performed when all essential duties and responsibilities are executed by following the Safer Values.

Exceeding Expectations, Communication and Collaboration, Integrity and Evidence-Based Innovation.

Essential Duties and Responsibilities:

Stakeholder Interface and Service

• Serve as a role model for clients by demonstrating that success upon release from incarceration is possible.

• Complete funder-required reporting on identified frequency intervals as outlined by the Director.
• Be able to therapeutically engage with clients regardless of their background.
• Provide individualized, ongoing guidance, coaching, and support to clients.
• Periodically facilitate group classes for individuals on various topics to aid in their successful reentry.
• Responsible for fostering a safe, motivating, and supportive environment.
• Provide training in the use of personal and community resources.
• Coordinate and/or attend(as-needed) off-site appointments as created and outlined in the client’s service plan promoting autonomy and empowerment.
• Assist in developing formal and informal community supports.
• Assist clients in understanding, seeking, and achieving the best possible outcomes described in their service plans, especially those representing the main client problems/ issues/ needs the program is designed to address.
• Assist clients in increasing social support networks of relatives, friends, and/or significant others.
• Offer encouragement in times of crisis.
• Advocate on behalf of persons with justice-involvement and/or behavioral health problems to protect the client’s rights and to assist in reducing associated stigma.
• Work in cooperation with other providers, family members, or significant others involved in the client’s recovery plan.
• Attend multi-disciplinary staffings to discuss collective individuals on the team’s caseload.

SUPERVISOR’S TITLE: Director of Supported Employment  CAREER LEVEL: DEPARTMENT: Training and Employment                                                                                FLSA STATUS:

DIVISION: Training and Employment EEOC CLASS:

LOCATION: 808 S. Kedzie/5517 S. Michigan REVISION DATE: 2/2025

• Attain established standards of productivity.

• Be responsible for understanding and adhering to personnel and conduct policies and for assisting clients with adhering to Safer’s client code of conduct.

Stakeholder Outreach and Recruitment

• Receive referrals in person or via email from clients or staff of individuals to engage with.

• Connect with the referring staff and intakes completed in the system to obtain background information about the referred individuals.
• Make it a point to identify the individuals and organizations the individual is engaged with. This includes staffat Safer, other social service providers, parole officers, family and friends involved in the individual’s life, and others.

Tracking, Document, and Reporting

• Document interactions with clients in Salesforce and other required platforms
• Document referrals in Salesforce
• As needed, assist with obtaining client paperwork and uploading to Salesforce
• Provide support in areas of documentation as outlined by the Director.

Required Knowledge, Skills and Abilities:

• Lived experience with incarceration or recovery from mental health and/or substance use disorders.
• Demonstrated ability to operate with a high level of integrity.
• Be able to maintain composure in stressful situations.
• Demonstrated knowledge of substance use, mental health issues, and trauma is desired.
• Demonstrated knowledge of barriers to employment for individuals with current or previous involvement in the justice system and methods to address such barriers.
• Basic computer skills (e.g., able to search on the internet, send and receive emails, create Word documents and PDFs, comfortable with attending video-conference meetings.)
• Ability to troubleshoot and problem-solve crises and/or critical situations.
• Ability to represent Safer Foundation professionally while developing a rapport with clients from diverse backgrounds.
• Telephone etiquette skills
• Data entry skills
• Skilled in active listening and conveying information to others effectively
• Social-Emotional Intelligence (The capacity to be aware of, control, and express one's emotions and to handle interpersonal relationships judiciously and empathetically.)
• Skilled in Social Perceptiveness (Being aware of others’ reactions and understanding why they react as they do)
• Skilled in Critical Thinking, judgment, and decision-making

Education and Experience:

• High School Diploma, GED, or high school equivalency diploma