Peer Support Specialist (HOY)
22 hours ago
Vista
Job Description Are you passionate about helping others and want to work with an organization that shares that passion? Do you want to make an impact on a youth's life, helping to create a path to health and self sufficiency? Consider joining Urban Street Angels and our dedicated team of professionals who are making a difference. Founded in 2012, Urban Street Angels is a San Diego based non-profit dedicated to supporting homeless youth through supportive housing, peer support, mentorship, mental health counseling, and job training initiatives, to develop a more employable workforce and cultivate personal responsibility. Of California's unhoused population, 50% cite they first had an experience with homelessness between the ages of 18 and 25. This critical demographic has the potential to leave the streets behind for good when provided with the support needed to make a change in their lives. Urban Street Angels has made it our mission to serve this under-supported group, and in so doing, make meaningful progress toward ending homelessness in San Diego and beyond. • Title: Peer Support Specialist (Housing our Youth program), • Status: Full-time, nonexempt, in-person, • Hourly rate: $22 - $24 (based on qualifications and experience), • Schedules: On-site Services are delivered in alignment with the agencys goals, objectives, mission, and overall team framework. The Peer Support Specialist works collaboratively within the multidisciplinary team to help establish and meet team goals and objectives. The role centers on relationship-building, mentoring, and supporting youth in navigating housing resources, behavioral health services, independent living skills, and other community supports that promote stability, wellness, and self-sufficiency. Responsibilities: • Build trusting, supportive relationships with youth and young adults experiencing or at risk of homelessness, • Foster a safe, nonjudgmental environment that promotes empowerment, self-determination, and personal growth, • Utilize shared lived experience to enhance program engagement, advance interventions, and increase participant satisfaction, • Provide administrative and intervention support to program staff, including preparing agendas and activities for groups, assisting with documentation and data collection, supporting meetings and events, facilitating groups, and leading youth activities, • Support the collection, organization, and analysis of program data required for reporting purposes, • Identify and connect youth to community resources such as emergency shelter, transitional housing, healthcare, education, and employment opportunities., • Assist participants in developing individualized goals related to housing stability, life skills, education, and wellness, • Provide guidance on navigating daily living, budgeting, self-care, and healthy relationships, • Collaborate closely with case managers, housing navigators, and mental health clinicians to ensure coordinated service delivery, • Participate in case conferences, team meetings, and community collaborations to support a holistic approach to care, • Facilitate peer-led support groups and life skills workshops focused on empowerment, recovery, and resilience, • Respond to participants in crisis using trauma-informed care principles, de-escalation techniques, and mental health first aid strategies, • Provide emotional support and connect youth to appropriate crisis or emergency services, • Demonstrate cultural humility and sensitivity to diverse backgrounds, identities, and experiences, • Apply trauma-informed principles in all interactions to promote safety, healing, and trust, • Engage in youth recruitment, outreach, and advocacy activities to increase program visibility and accessibility, • Provide aftercare, follow-up, and stabilization support services to participants as they transition into stable housing, • Maintain professional, supportive relationships with participants while upholding program boundaries and ethics, • Meet with participants regularly to assess needs, provide supportive services, and apply evidence-informed curricula as appropriate, • Perform administrative tasks as assigned, including maintaining proper documentation, file organization, and audit readiness, • Attend all agency required meetings and trainings, • High school diploma or GED equivalent required, • Lived experience or familiarity with challenges common among transition-age youth (TAY) required, • Experience supporting youth with Independent Living Skills (financial aid, college admission, GED preparation, housing, transportation, etc.), • Knowledge of community resources, referral processes, and local support networks, • Excellent interpersonal and communication skills, with the ability to quickly build rapport and maintain positive relationships, • Ability to serve as a positive adult role model while establishing appropriate boundaries and providing guidance in high-stress or crisis situations, • Ability to work with a diverse population, demonstrate cultural sensitivity, and maintain professional boundaries with participants, • Completion of a Peer Support Specialist training program recognized by the State of California (or willingness to complete within 6 months of hire), • Valid drivers license and reliable transportation, • Basic computer literacy, including email, documentation, and case notes, • Must submit to a background check via Live Scan (with ongoing alerts) as required by program, funding, and licensing regulations., • Reliable transportation, • Ability to travel between Urban Street Angels locations, if necessary, • Ability to lift up to 20 lbs. and work in varied indoor/outdoor settings, • Flexibility to work evenings or weekends as needed, • Must submit to a background check via Live Scan (with ongoing alerts), as required by specific programs, funding requirements and licensing regulations, • Must submit to a TB test Urban Street Angels offers an array of benefits to employees, supporting health, wellness and retirement, including: • 401(k) retirement savings, • Medical insurance, • Dental insurance, • Vision insurance, • Ancillary voluntary insurances, • Paid time off including sick and vacation time