Peer Specialist

Job Title: Peer Specialist

Job Status: Regular Full Time, Salaried

FLSA: Exempt

Reports to: Client Services Manager

Job Summary/Purpose:

The Peer Recovery Specialist advances the mission of Servicios de La Raza by providing peer-led support to individuals in recovery from mental health and/or substance misuse challenges. Drawing on lived experience, this role exercises independent judgment in developing individualized recovery plans, facilitating peer interventions, and coordinating care. The Peer Recovery Specialist fosters hope, resilience, and community by leading recovery groups, organizing sober social activities, and engaging in outreach and partnership-building with recovery-focused organizations. Through culturally responsive education, advocacy, and program development, this position empowers individuals, strengthens recovery networks, and contributes to the agency’s broader mission of equity and community well-being.

Job Duties and Key Responsibilities:

Assess clients’ individualized needs and develop recovery plans, applying independent judgment to determine appropriate interventions and resources

Facilitate structured peer-led individual and group interventions, adapting approaches to client needs and program goals

Lead peer recovery groups for mental health and substance misuse, providing guidance, support, and motivation

Plan, develop, and facilitate sober community outings, using discretion to promote connectedness and a safe recovery environment

Provide psychoeducation on topics relevant to mental health and substance misuse, tailoring content to participants’ needs

Participate in targeted community outreach and recovery-focused events, exercising discretion in engagement strategies

Establish and maintain partnerships with external recovery-serving organizations, making decisions to enhance program impact

Complete all necessary client and department documentation according to SDLR standards, ensuring accuracy, compliance, and best practices

Maintain timely and detailed records of all client interactions

Uphold confidentiality of all clients’ protected health information in accordance with HIPAA and agency policies

Provide input and recommendations for programmatic improvements based on client and community data

All members of the SDLR workforce are expected to support the agency’s community outreach, civic engagement, and recruitment efforts

Support the agency’s fundraising objectives, which may include tasks such as active fundraising, grant development, solicitation of donations, agency ambassadorship, and informational outreach, and public speaking

Commitment to and experience with equity, cultural relevance, diversity, social justice, and disparity reduction practices with persons of color, agencies of color, and underserved communities

Ability to establish and maintain effective working relationships with clients, co-workers, agency partners, and the public

Other duties as assigned

Required Education, experience and Credentialing:

High School Diploma or equivalent

Peer and Family Specialist Credential preferred

Identify with the recovery community (mental health or substance misuse) through lived experience

Bilingual (English/Spanish) preferred

Key Competencies:

VALUES & CULTURE – Respects the agency’s values and is accountable to living the mission of Servicios de La Raza

DECISION MAKING - Identifies and understands issues, problems, and opportunities; compares data from different sources to draw conclusions; uses effective approaches for choosing a course of action or developing appropriate solutions; takes action that is consistent with available facts, constraints, and probable consequences

BUILDING TRUST - Interacts with others in a way that gives them confidence in one’s intentions and those of the organization

BUILDING PARTNERSHIPS – Identifies opportunities and takes action to build strategic relationships between one’s area and other areas, teams, departments, units, or organizations to help achieve business goals

INNOVATION - Creates novel solutions with measurable value for existing and potential clients; experiments with new ways to solve problems and seize opportunities that result in unique and differentiated solutions

DRIVING FOR RESULTS - Sets high goals for personal and group accomplishment; uses measurement methods to monitor progress toward goals; tenaciously works to meet or exceed goals while deriving satisfaction from that achievement and continuous improvement

STRESS TOLERANCE - Maintains stable performance under pressure; handling stress in a manner that is acceptable to others and to the organization

Working Environment and Physical Requirements

While performing the duties of this job, the employee is regularly required to: stand, sit, talk, hear, and use hands and fingers to operate computer, telephone, and a variety of office equipment

Occasionally may need to reach, stoop or kneel

Specific vision abilities required by this job include close vision requirements due to computer work

ADA accessible; Active Safety Committee

Ability to perform basic office duties

Benefits:

An eager, thriving organization committed to serving with excellence

SDLR supports Fair Chance hiring and employment practices

Generous benefit package including Health, FSA, Dental, Vision, Short-term Disability, Long-term Disability, Life Insurance, Employee Assistance Program, and Paid Time Off,401K, etc.

Inclusion and Diversity:

Servicios de La Raza is an Equal Employment Opportunity Employer. We are a non-profit organization where diverse backgrounds, experiences and viewpoints are valued. Servicios de La Raza does not make hiring or employment decisions based on race, color, religion, gender, gender identity, sex, sexual orientation, disability, veteran status, age, ethnic or national origin, or any other basis protected by all local, state, or federal laws.