Peer Support Specialist

The Oak City Cares Peer Support Outreach Specialist walks alongside individuals who are unsheltered and living in encampments as they move into their first stable housing in a long time. Using their own lived experience of homelessness and/or recovery from substa nee use or other behaviora I health disorder, they build trust in the encampment setting, support the transition into stable housing and continue to provide encouragement, mentorship, and practical support once clients are housed.

Peer Engagement and Encampment Outreach

• Conduct consistent, respectful outreach at encampments and other locations where people live unsheltered, following team safety protocols and coordinated outreach plans.
• Build trust over time through reliability, active listening, transparency, and practical support, and appropriate use of personal lived experience.
• Engage people without coercion; respect each person's pace, goals, culture, identity, and right to make informed choices.
• Help locate and re-engage enrolled guests when contact is interrupted, while protecting privacy and following approved outreach procedures.
• Elevate guest voice and identify service barriers, patterns, and practical improvements for the outreach team and system partners.

Housing Connection and Transition Support

• Support warm connections to coordinated entry, housing navigation, document readiness, benefits, identification, health care, behavioral health care, substance use recovery, employment transportation, and other resources.
• Help guests prepare for housing-related appointments, understand next steps, organize documents, communicate with providers, and follow through on agreed action plans.
• Provide practical move-in and tenancy support, including orientation to the home, basic household routines, landlord communication, community connections, and problem-solving around barriers that could threaten housing stability
• Maintain contact during the transition fromencarrpment to housing and

coordinate promptly with the assigned care coordinator, housing provider, or supervisor when additional support is needed.

• Promote independence and natural supports; complete tasks with

guests rather than creating unnecessary dependence on staff.

Peer Support and Recovery-Oriented Practice

• Use strengths-based, trauma-informed, culturally responsive, harm reduction, and Housing First practices in every interaction.
• Share lived experience intentionally when it benefits the guest, maintains the guest's focus, and supports hope, connection, or problem-solving.
• Offer non clinical coping, wellness, recovery, and self-advocacy strategies; connect guests to Incensed or clinical providers when needs

exceed the peer role.

• Recognize signs of crisis, overdose risk, medical distress, exploitation, or danger; follow emergency and supervisory escalation procedures.

Coordination, Documentation, and Accountability

• Participate in outreach planning, case conferencing,housing transition meetings, supervision, training, and after-action reviews.
• Document outreach contacts, guest goals, referrals, services, progress, and follow-up accurately and on time in HMIS and other required systems, consistent with privacy and consent requirements.

Communicate material changes, safety concerns, service gaps, and housing risks promptly to the appropriate team member.

• Track assigned activities and contribute to contract, program, and quality improvement measures.
• Steward OCCfunds, supplies, transportation assistance, and guest resources in accordance with agency policy.

Professional Boundaries, Safety, and Conduct

• Learn, establish, and maintain healthy professional boundaries with guests,including guests the Specialist may know from their own past or community.
• Avoid dual relationships; never exchange money, housing, transportation,gifts, or personal contact (including personal phone and social media) outside approved policy.
• Follow OCC field safety, check-in, incident reporting, confidentiality, mandated reporting, and infection prevention procedures.
• Work collaooratively across Basic Needs, Care Coordination, Street Outreach, Guest Services, and partner teams.
• Use supervision and wellness supports proactively to manage stress, secondary trauma, and personal triggers associated with peer work.
• Represent Oak City Cares with compassion, accountability, flexibility,

and respect for every person's inherent dignity.

Pay: $23.00 - $24.00 per hour

Expected hours: 40.0 per week

Benefits:

• 401(k)
• Bereavement leave
• Dental insurance
• Flexible schedule
• Health insurance
• Life insurance
• Mileage reimbursement
• Paid time off
• Retirement plan
• Vision insurance

Work Location: In person