Peer Support Specialist

POSITION SUMMARY:

The Peer Support Specialist provides peer-based support, outreach, engagement, and resource navigation to veterans and service members at risk for suicide. Drawing appropriately upon lived experience and trauma-informed principles, the Peer Support Specialist builds trust, promotes hope and recovery, reduces barriers to services, and helps participants connect with behavioral health, wellness, and community resources while maintaining professional boundaries and confidentiality.

ESSENTIAL JOB FUNCTIONS:

• Engage veterans and service members through peer-based outreach, relationship building, encouragement, and recovery-oriented support.
• Use lived experience appropriately and purposefully to promote hope, self-advocacy, resilience, recovery, and participant engagement.
• Assist participants with identifying personal goals, strengths, natural supports, and barriers to care.
• Provide information, linkage, accompaniment, and navigation support related to behavioral health, substance use treatment, housing, benefits, employment, wellness, and other community resources.
• Maintain regular contact with assigned participants and support continued engagement with recommended services and supports.
• Collaborate with the Case Manager, Program Director, health care providers, veteran-serving organizations, and community partners to support coordinated care.
• Recognize and report safety concerns in accordance with program procedures and support participants in accessing appropriate crisis or clinical resources when needed.

• Model recovery-oriented behaviors, healthy boundaries, self-advocacy, and effective use of community supports.
• Document peer contacts, outreach efforts, referrals, participant progress, and other required service information accurately and timely.
• Participate in staff meetings, case conferences, supervision, training, outreach events, and quality improvement activities.
• Maintain the highest standards of ethical conduct and confidentiality.
• Must Embrace and embody the mission, vision, guiding principles, clinical vision, and goals of WestCare Foundation; and
• Perform all other duties as assigned.