Peer Support Specialist, Substance Use Recovery

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.   Our Philosophy of Service: We believe all people have the right to adequate housing and health care. We work to remove the barriers that restrict access to these rights. Society benefits when adequate housing and health care are available to everyone. We create lasting solutions to homelessness by:  · Honoring the inherent dignity of those we serve, affirming their capabilities and fostering their hope that a better life is possible.  · Building strong, caring and trauma-informed communities through the integration of housing, health care and supportive services.  · Advocating for social and racial equity, inclusion and diversity, and challenging the status quo in partnership with our workforce members and those we serve.  · Achieving excellence through continuous quality assurance, innovation and professional development.  · Using resources judiciously and effectively.  

The Colorado Coalition for the Homeless seeks a Peer Support Specialist to partner with people seeking treatment for their substance use and connect them to our Medication Assisted Treatment (MAT) program at the Stout Street Health Center in downtown Denver.  The team of MAT Peers helps our clients stay connected and engaged by serving as a bridge to our medical providers.  As people with lived experience with a substance use disorder, we have a unique ability to communicate differently and provide hope.  At CCH we believe there are many pathways to recovery and provide a person-centered Harm Reduction approach to treatment.  We do not run an abstinence only based program.  The MAT Peers work primarily in the clinic but also do outreach in the community and provide assistance through peer support and advocacy.  We meet with clients independently as well as in a group setting and help them set realistic, achievable goals that build confidence and inspire hope.  By focusing on the client's strengths, the Peers promote personal accountability, growth, and recovery.  
* You must be a person in recovery from substance use to be eligible for this position.  Lived experience that also includes homelessness and/or effective treatment of mental health conditions is preferred and knowledge or personal experience with MAT is strongly preferred.  Through our lived experience the Peers offer insight & first-hand knowledge to support our clients, as well as our dedicated staff.  Your experience is what makes you so valuable to helping others.  Professional Peer experience is preferred but not required.    
In addition to supporting clients continued engagement in our MAT program, the Peers work to connect clients to other services at the Stout Street Health Center and to other resources that promote recovery from substance use, harm reduction, stable housing, a sense of purpose, and connection with one's community.  The Peer Specialist fosters hope and empowerment, providing emotional support, recovery education, and resource navigation within a trauma-informed, person-centered, and culturally competent environment.  The primary function of the MAT Peer is to provide peer support and navigation/coordination of services to assist clients in accessing resources and developing the personal skills they need to:
Begin/continue their journey of recovery from substance use; Continue engagement in their medication assisted treatment at the SSHC; Learn to advocate for themselves; Secure and maintain stable housing; Establish or remain engaged with healthcare services to improve and/or maintain overall health and well-being; Establish positive and supportive social connections within the community; Identify and pursue meaningful activities that provide a sense of purpose and personal satisfaction.

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. Additional Requirement

• Valid driver's license required. This requirement may be waived, if necessary, based on overall candidate experience and current needs of the business.

Coalition Benefits 

• 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 

• Utilizes relevant personal experience to establish supportive, trusting relationships with clients to inspire hope and resilience and to foster the belief that recovery is possible.
• Mentors clients regarding goal setting, skill-building and problem-solving activities with an emphasis on peer strengths and empowerment.
• Provides individual and group peer counseling and support for clients in recovery from opioid use disorders. Provides guidance and encouragement to promote responsibility and participation in recovery. 
• Maintains and ensures confidentiality of all peer information.
• Provides patient navigation and care coordination services in close collaboration with SSHC healthcare team, other CCH staff, and other community partners.
• Guides clients through the healthcare system, facilitates interaction and communication between clients and health care staff and providers, and advocates on behalf of clients' interests and goals.
• Transports/arranges transport and/or escorts clients to scheduled appointments at SSHC and elsewhere, as requested by program participants.
• Outreach to clients in the community to assess status and monitor needs.
• Works cooperatively with property managers and other residence staff to assure proper and timely services for clients and to maintain positive relationships with management and fellow residents.
• Links clients with resources and supports within the community to increase social integration and sense of connectedness.
• Serves as liaison with collaborating agencies to establish and maintain effective working relationships for the benefit of the clients.
• Facilitates group activities to promote social engagement and community connection.
• Record all services in a timely and complete fashion in the EHR
• Maintain up to date records in EHR
• Record telephone and other communications as needed in the EHR
• Manage tasks and scanning as needed to have a complete and current chart
• Maintain accurate information regarding client's insurance status
• Utilize the EHR and any future upgrades as directed 
• Meets regularly with program manager for individual and team supervision.
• Performs other duties as assigned.

Qualifications Summary 

• Completion of an accredited Peer Specialist training or willingness and ability to complete training within first 6 months of employment.
• Peer mentoring experience serving people experiencing behavioral health challenges and/or homelessness preferred.
• Valid driver's license required.
• Bi-lingual Spanish-English preferred.

$ $25 an hour WHERE A CANDIDATE IS PLACED IN THE COMPENSATION RANGE DEPENDS ON TOTAL RELEVANT YEARS OF EXPERIENCE
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.
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.

---