Peer Specialist

The mission of the Colorado Coalition for the Homeless is to work collaboratively toward the prevention of homelessness and the creation of lasting solutions for homeless and at-risk families, children, and individuals throughout Colorado. The Coalition advocates for and provides a continuum of housing and a variety of services to improve the health, well-being, and stability of those it serves.

The Colorado Coalition for the Homeless seeks a Peer Specialist I who will provide assistance, support, peer counseling, case management, and advocacy for program clients, identifying life choices and helping them overcome obstacles to achieving their goals. Focusing on the clients' strengths, the Peer Specialist will promote personal growth, development, and recovery. The Peer Specialist has lived experience with recovery from substance use and effective treatment of mental health conditions. They may also have firsthand experience of homelessness. This position is located at 2100 Broadway, Denver, CO 80205 and reports to the Program Manager.

NOTE: In order to ensure that our consumers receive the best possible care the candidate chosen to fill this position will be required to complete our internal credentialing and privileging process prior to a start date. The credentialing and privileging timeline is dependent on the selected candidate's submission of documents necessary for clearance. Please note that a start date will be scheduled once credentialing and privileging is complete.

Coalition Benefits

In addition to the unique challenges and extraordinary rewards of our work, eligible Coalition employees enjoy a rich benefits package, including:

• Choice of HMO or PPO health insurance coverage options: full-time employees contribute only 1% of their earnings for their own HMO health coverage and no more than 4% of their earnings for coverage of eligible dependents. We're proud to offer same-and opposite-sex domestic partner coverage.
• Choice of dental insurance or discount plan.
• Vision insurance.
• Flexible spending accounts for health care / dependent care / parking expenses.
• Free basic life and AD&D insurance coverage.
• Employee Assistance Program, a problem-solving resource available to you and your household members.
• Dollar-for-dollar retirement plan matching contributions up to 5% of earnings with 3-year vesting.
• Extensive paid time-off, including 9 holidays, 12 days of sick leave, and three weeks of vacation for new full-time employees in their first year.

The effective date for your benefits will be the first of the month following your date of hire.

Essential Job Functions

1. Provides individual and group peer counseling and support to validate clients' experiences and to provide guidance and encouragement to clients to take responsibility and actively participate in their own recovery.
2. Offer hope through one's own life experience by using personal stories in a conscious, deliberate and professional way in the service of helping another.
3. Actively participates, collaborates, and contributes to the multidisciplinary team to promote a team culture in which each client's point of view, experiences, and preferences are recognized, understood and respected, and in which client self-determination and decision-making in service planning are maximized and supported.
4. Helps clients identify, understand, and combat stigma and discrimination associated with mental illness and homelessness and develop strategies to reduce self-stigma. Helps other team members to identify and understand culture-wide stigma and discrimination against people with mental illness and homelessness and works to develop strategies to address stigma within the team.
5. Provides 24-hour on-call phone support for HF consumers on a rotational basis.
6. Serves as a liaison between team and consumer-run programs such as self-help groups and drop-in centers.
7. Maintains and ensures confidentiality of all client information.
8. Provides information and assists clients in skill-building activities, including Wellness Recovery and Action Planning (WRAP), goal setting, and problem solving.
9. Solicits, listens and responds to client feedback about services.
10. Attends and participates in formal and informal staff meetings, and addresses client and program issues.
11. Completes all necessary documentation including HMIS in a timely manner.
12. Participates in performance assessment activities through data collection and by facilitating access to program clients.
13. Monitors clients' needs through regular contact, and assists team in crisis intervention.
14. Organizes and facilitates social activities including creating and distributing event flyers to clients and staff. Social activities include office based client gatherings/potlucks, office -based process groups, and skill-building field trips in the community.
15. A minimum of 50% of work time is spent in direct client care (including face to face appointments, case management via phone, advocacy and linkages with external supports in the community) as reflected by HMIS documentation.
16. Maintains a work environment that is marked by respect for others; that values inclusiveness; and that fosters cooperation and teamwork.
17. Performs other duties as assigned.

Employee must be able to perform essential job functions with or without reasonable accommodation and without posing a direct threat to safety or health of self or others. To perform this job successfully, an individual must be able to perform each essential function satisfactorily. Employee will perform job according to applied laws. The requirements listed above are representative of the knowledge, skill, and/or ability required. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

Qualifications Summary

1. At least one year of being successfully housed is preferred.
2. Clear Understanding and respect for maintaining client confidentiality.
3. Possess an ability to listen effectively and respond creatively to consumer issues.
4. Possess skill in operating computerized office equipment and telephones.
5. Valid driver's license required.

WHERE A CANDIDATE IS PLACED IN THE COMPENSATION RANGE DEPENDS ON TOTAL RELEVENT YEARS OF EXPERIENCE

The Colorado Coalition for the Homeless is committed to delivering services, making employment-related decisions, selecting volunteers, and selecting vendors without regard to age over 40, race, sex, color, religion, creed, national origin, ancestry, disability, genetic information, marital status, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, pregnancy, medical condition related to pregnancy, military status, or any other applicable status protected by law.

The Colorado Coalition for the Homeless is committed to delivering services, making employment-related decisions, selecting volunteers, and selecting vendors without regard to age over 40, race, sex, color, religion, creed, national origin, ancestry, disability, genetic information, marital status, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, pregnancy, medical condition related to pregnancy, military status, or any other applicable status protected by law.

• Denver, CO, USA