Peer Specialist

Position Overview

The Full Time Peer Specialist will be a role model to peers by sharing their recovery story, providing encouragement, instilling a sense of hope, and teaching skills to members. The PS will promote community socialization, recovery, self-advocacy, self-help, and development of natural supports. This position reports to the Director of Operations.

Agency Overview

Healing Action is a St. Louis based non-profit organization that services adults who have experienced commercial sexual exploitation including, but not limited to, sex trafficking, prostitution, stripping, escorting, pornography, and survival sex.

Healing Action focuses on providing relational trauma recovery services that include intensive case management, trauma therapy, individual and group peer support services, psychoeducation groups, and supportive housing. Healing Action continues to be in the rapid stages of development and strategically rolling out comprehensive services to survivors of exploitation. As we continue to grow quickly, we are building a team of creative, flexible, passionate, and driven individuals who thrive in a nontraditional environment.

What You’ll Do…

• Establish helping relationships with members
• Provide individual coaching to members on a regular basis, assisting them in discovering and reaching their personal recovery goals, allowing each member to lead the way in directing their own life
• Participate in intake process from member’s entry into the agency through their access of agency resources, including taking referral calls, conducting intake interviews, member orientation to services, and guiding members through the process as they progress
• Inform members about community and natural supports and how to use these in the recovery process
• Support and assist Members with accessing community resources, attending appointments, court hearings, recovery events, and community activities
• Teach self-advocacy, establishing recovery goals, problem solving, and symptom management skills using a variety of techniques
• Work with Service Manager and member to assess complex problems and select problem solving interventions to help the member function day-to-day
• Work with member to create specific, measurable, and reasonable goals and objectives
• Advocate on behalf of the client plan for needed client resources and services
• Plan curriculum and run programming for peer-based groups
• Work with coworkers to create an atmosphere that is trauma-informed, warm, and inviting to members, being willing to explain the world from a “survivors point-of-view”
• Conduct outreach and training presentation to identified communities and providers, informing them about commercial sexual exploitation
• Keep in contact with other peer specialists in the area to share learning within the peer support network

This could be a good match if you have…

• Active engagement in own recovery with a commitment to recovery, choices, empowerment, and the ability of people who have been victims of exploitation to find meaningful lives in the community
• Ability and willingness to champion the mission of the organization is essential
• The capacity to provide assistance in a timely, sensitive, and supportive manner based on traumainformed practice principles
• Knowledge and understanding of the of the impact of commercial sexual exploitation
• A rights-based, harm reduction, and social justice framework
• Knowledge of St. Louis area community resources
• Sensitivity to client social environment and its impact on services
• Flexible and proactive working style, using one’s own initiative to successfully meet program deadlines
• Maintain a working knowledge of current trends in developments in the Peer Support field by reading books, journals, or other relevant materials
• Knowledge and skill to teach and engage in basic problem-solving strategies to support members in self-directed recovery
• Knowledge of the recovery process and the ability to facilitate recovery using evidence-based mental health practices
• Demonstrated ability to use person-first language and refrain from stigmatizing language
• Demonstrated ability to model appropriate relational boundaries, use team as support, and practice self-care when exposed to high volume of traumatized victims
• Adherence to a strong Code of Ethics and ability to adopt the NASW and CPS Code of Ethics, in and out of the office

Requirements for this position:

• A self-identified current or former user of social services or co-occurring services with at least two years of continuous sobriety who can relate to members who are now reaching out for help
• A high school diploma or GED
• Must have completed the Missouri Credentialing Board (MCB) approved training and be a Certified Peer Specialist (CPS)
• A valid driver’s license and ability to obtain a Class E License within one week of starting employment, proof of automobile insurance, and reliable transportation
• The ability to work a flexible schedule, including one night per week, based on member needs

Schedule and Salary:

This is a full time (40 hrs.), non-exempt position. Salary is negotiable – DOE. Generous benefit and time-off package to be discussed during interview process. Additional monthly reimbursement for mileage and expenses.

Next Steps:

If you are qualified and interested, send resume and cover letter to liz.buerck@healingaction.org.  Please include Peer Specialist in the subject line of your email.