Peer Support Specialist

Title: Peer Support Specialist

Level: Entry - mid

Salary / Salary Range: $50K - $54K

Employment Status: Full-time

Reports to: Associate Director of Social Wellness - Mental Health

Target start date: March 2026

To apply please submit a resume and cover letter in PDF format

Incomplete applications will not be considered

About the Organization

ASHwell is a nonprofit, sexual health clinic and social wellness center established in Austin, TX in the late 1980s. Clinically, we specialize in HIV treatment and prevention, Hep C treatment and STI treatment and management. Socially, we specialize in providing programming, resources and services to overcome barriers to health access with the goal of building Health Equity in Austin and Central Texas. ASHwell prioritizes providing a safe, welcoming and discrimination-free space for all, predominantly serving LGBTQIA+ and BIPOC communities. Our approach to sexual health and wellness is rooted in being a proudly sex and kink positive, pro-sex worker, pro-harm reduction and anti-stigma organization that is passionately committed to diversity, equity, and inclusion. We are a growing organization looking for values-aligned, pro-sexual health and wellness people to join our team

Position Overview

Peer Support Specialists provide mental health, social and logistical support to the community members that ASHwell serves. They serve patients and clients in regular one-on-one meetings and at weekly drop-in social events. They act as a point of contact and help navigate the support opportunities available through ASHwell's programming and partnerships. Peer support specialists coordinate weekly events and foster connection and communication between those they serve and interdisciplinary ASHwell staff who make up their integrated care team. They collaborate with clinical staff, case managers and Rx Navigators to eliminate barriers to care and well-being. Peer Support Specialists play a vital role in ensuring that ASHwell is a safe, comfortable and stigma-free environment; they operate with harm reduction values and offer a shared experience level of empathy that is integral to community members' experience of whole person care at ASHwell.

Core Responsibilities

Direct Support - 40%

• Develop and maintain a cadre of 8-10 peer ASHwell patients and/or referred clients who have experienced or are experiencing: substance abuse or recovery, homelessness, mental health conditions, or who are living with HEP C or HIV

• Provide intimate emotional and social support to ASHwell patients and referred clients in regular one on one check-ins and/or peer support groups

• Act as an ASHwell point of contact

• Asses and track clients living with HIV into medical care at ASHwell where appropriate or partner organization, to increase access and quality of care in collaboration with integrated care team members

• Navigate access to internal Ashwell programs and resources including mental health support, case management and direct assistance

• Coordinate access to medical care and resources in collaboration with Medical Case Managers

• Train to and facilitate affinity specific peer support groups

Tracking and Reporting - 30%

• Develop and maintain and updated empowerment plan for 8-10 peer clients or patients including assessments, peer case notes, performance, care coordination and services provided

• Maintain monthly updated progress reports for each peer

• Generate and track empowerment plan and one on one meeting notes according to programmatic guidelines and requirements

• Notate and track care coordination including brief, needs, agency names and contact information, etc. and system navigation efforts that support peers to stay in care

• Maintain updated peer information in Apricot profile

• Ensure consistent update and alignment of peer profile in Apricot and Athena

Outreach 20%

• Meet with ASHwell patients where appropriate at medical appointment to establish peer connection and share opportunities for available support services

• Participate in ASHwell on Wheels (mobile clinic facility) outreach and testing events to build community and recruit into services

• Collaborate with the Strategic Advancement team to coordinate outreach event opportunities and promote the Peer support program

• Offer de-stigmatizing sexual health education to patient and client peers via drop in events, one on one sessions or in a support group setting

• Contribute to regular outreach newsletter

• Reengage out-of-care patient and clients directly to resume empowerment plans and regain "in care" status

Baseline - 10%

• Maintain HIPPA compliance

• Participate in all required staff meetings and retreats

• Maintain up-to-date calendar and work plan

• Utilize organization wide systems and protocols for all organizational business

• Identify and request professional development opportunities related to Social Work and HIV preventative services

• Participates in at least one outreach event monthly

Required Qualifications

• Lived experience with mental health issues, sex work, HIV, HEP C, Harm Reduction, substance use, LGBTQIA+ identity or homelessness

• 2+ years program or front-line service staff at a nonprofit organization or clinic setting

• 2+ years' experience serving marginalized communities OR lived experience

• Baseline HIV treatment knowledge and understanding

• Strong administrative & organizational skills

• Strong written and verbal communication

• Emotional intelligence & capacity to provide support for peers

• Ability to monitor, manage, and communicate support needs for personal mental health and well being

• Highly adaptable and can meet needs from a wide spectrum of patient-client circumstances including literacy, language and level of experience navigating healthcare system

• Proficiency in Microsoft Office Suite (Teams, Word, Excel, OneDrive, PowerPoint).

• Lives in Austin, TX or within the greater Austin Metro Area or within 50 miles of ASHwell headquarters at 3800 Red River

• Baseline understanding of gender and sexual orientation spectrums

• High comfort level working in a pro-pleasure, pro-sex, pro-kink and pro-queer environment

• Baseline understanding of Harm Reduction and need for HIV de-stigmatization

• Alignment with ASHwell values of race and gender justice, sexual and reproductive health equity

Preferred Qualifications

• 2+ years prior experience in the public health sector

• Community Health Worker certification

• Peer support group or navigation experience

• Project management certification or experience

• Prior experience serving unhoused people

• Prior experience in sexual health sector

• Prior experience working for an AIDS Services Organization

About You

ASHwell's Peer Support Specialist has lived experience and is excited to build a network of support within our patient and client body. They have worked with and understand the complexities of supporting individuals from marginalized communities and are able to adapt their approach to meet the patient-client needs. They are an inspiring storyteller who can share their own experiences to connect with and support others. Our Peer Support Specialist understands and operates with Harm Reduction values. They can demonstrate their ability to manage and care for their own mental health and wellbeing as well as their ability to communicate with their supervisor when support is needed. They can be counted on to manage their time well, document thoroughly, organize their tasks/projects, and report weekly, monthly and quarterly on various aspects of their work to their supervisor and collaborators.

Our Hiring Process

The start date for this position is March 9, 2026. Applications are due no later than midnight CT on Jan 4, 2026. We are committed to offering the support, time and resources necessary to on-board and orient to the role.

EQUAL OPPORTUNITY EMPLOYER

As an Affirmative Action and Equal Opportunity Employer, ASHwell is committed to creating an inclusive environment that values the diversity of its employees and does not discriminate against any employee or candidate. Women, minorities, veterans, people from the LGBTQ2SAI communities and people with disabilities are strongly encouraged to apply to join our teams. Reasonable accommodation to access job openings or to apply for a job is available.

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