Title: Tribal Liaison – Office of Behavioral Health Advocacy (OBHA) and Peer Workforce Development

Part Time / Full Time: Full Time

Hourly / Salary: Hourly / Non-Exempt

Pay Scale: $34.93 – $37.89

Reports to:Chief Advocacy Officer / Chief Workforce Development Officer

Supervisory Role:No

Candidates who identify with one or more of the following are STRONGLY encouraged to apply:

Lived experience with addiction and/or mental health challenges and in recovery for at least one year.
BIPOC identified individuals.
LGBTQIA+ identified individuals.
Veterans.

General Summary:

The Tribal Liaison position is an integral role within Peer Washington, supporting both the Peer Workforce Development (PWD) division and the Office of Behavioral Health Advocacy (OBHA). This position is designed to strengthen Washington tribes’ behavioral health workforce and ensure equitable access to behavioral health services. The liaison’s responsibilities will be divided between training the 80-hour Peer Specialist curriculum (PWD) and working on tribal complaints and resource dissemination (OBHA). By focusing on training and advocacy, this role aims to empower tribal communities and individuals to navigate behavioral health systems more effectively.

In partnership with PWD, the Tribal Liaison will recruit, train, and mentor tribal members to become Certified Peer Support Specialists, delivering a culturally tailored 80-hour training program. This involves developing strong relationships with tribal leaders and communities, ensuring their workforce development needs are met, and fostering the implementation of peer support within tribal behavioral health systems.

On the OBHA side, the Tribal Liaison will develop strong relationships with tribal leaders and communities to address behavioral health-related complaints and advocacy needs for Native American individuals and families, ensuring their rights are protected and their voices are heard. This position will provide coverage for other OBHA staff who are on vacation or out of the office as well. This dual role supports a holistic approach to behavioral health advocacy and workforce development for tribal communities across Washington State.

Office of Behavioral Health Advocacy:

The Office of Behavioral Health Advocacy (OBHA) is an independent department that protects the interests of Washingtonians and their loved ones, engaged in behavioral health services. They provide consulting, resources, advocacy, and mediation for individuals with complaints against behavioral health providers. As such, the OBHA directly upholds the rights of individuals who are experiencing challenges in the public and private behavioral health systems in Washington State.

Peer Workforce Development:

Peer Workforce Development (PWD) is a Washington State initiative focused on building and strengthening the workforce of Certified Peer Support Specialists (CPSS Based in Olympia, PWD operates as part of Peer Washington, a nonprofit organization committed to fostering peer-based support systems. PWD’s primary mission is to train, certify, and support individuals with lived experience so they can use it to support others on their recovery journeys.

Primary Responsibilities:

Primary Responsibilities OBHA .75FTE:

• Develop relationships between tribes and Peer Washington

• Develop relationships between tribes and OBHA

• Assist and advocate on behalf of service recipients or their loved ones, behavioral health providers, or facilities before government agencies seeking administrative, legal resources, or other remedies on their behalf, if appropriate

• Inform service recipients, their supports, and their representatives about applicable patient rights and information.

• Support and/or advocate for service recipients or their loved ones in resolving complaints, grievances, including appeals and administrative hearings.

• Build and maintain working relationships with area behavioral health service providers.

• Provide referrals to other government offices/tribes when issues presented do not fall under the jurisdiction of the OBHA.

• Facilitate monthly Tribal Behavioral Health Forums (or join an existing one)

• Respond to all phone calls and emails within 5 business days

• Daily documentation for all encounters

• Must be available to address extreme issues during regular business hours.

• Work with your direct reports and other staff in the planning and logistics for all OBHA specific events.

• Maintain clear communication with staff and volunteers. This includes keeping the Program Director or the Chief Advocacy Officer updated on weekly schedules and copied on all important communication.

Primary Responsibilities PWD .25FTE:

• Develop relationships between tribes and Peer Washington.

• Manage event coordination, training, and relationships with partners relating to the Tribal Peer Specialist Program

• Adapt current Peer Specialist training curriculum to support training for tribe members.

• Have a comprehensive understanding of historical trauma

• Work closely with the Chief Advocacy Officer and Chief Workforce Development Officer in creating and documenting standard operating procedures for PWD’s tribal training and projects.

• Manage contracts from various agencies and governments.

• Budget projection and reconciliation, logistics, and tracking contract deliverables for contracts assigned as required.

• Make travel arrangements, purchase catering, understand per diem rates, organize logistics, coordinate participants and trainers as well as ensure all equipment and supplies necessary are prepared and delivered to the training/event.

• Actively address people and issues that conflict with Peer WA policies or create an unsafe environment for people to come together in PWD training environments. This includes mediation of personal conflicts among PWD training participants to full resolution and involving the CAO or CWDO when necessary.

• Maintain clear communication with staff and volunteers. This includes keeping the Training Director updated on weekly schedules and copied on all important communication.

• Be required, at times, to attend advisory board and leadership meetings, and conferences on local, regional, and national levels.

• Develop relationships between tribes and Peer Washington.

Required Qualifications:

• Must identify as a peer: someone with lived experience and in recovery for a period of at least one year.

• High School Diploma / GED

• Valid Washington driver’s license and insurance

• Two years of experience in behavioral health training, advocacy, or mediation, or an equivalent combination of education, training, and experience which demonstrates the ability to perform the duties of the position.

• Have a working knowledge of federal and state contract requirements, department functions, policies, practices, and methods to perform duties as assigned effectively.

• Must have excellent organizational, documenting, communication, and program development skills.

• Must be trained and certified as a peer recovery coach through a Peer Washington led training within 12 months of hire.

• Demonstrated proficiency with computer software: Microsoft Office Products, database/CRM systems such as EmpowerDB and Smartsheet

• Ability to work both independently and under supervision.

• Ability to maintain healthy boundaries with peers.

• Excellent time management

• Ability to research and gather information from the internet.

• The ability to work a regular schedule.

• Office is in Olympia, Wenatchee, Spokane, or King County WA. This is not a remote job.

• Experience with developing and maintaining tribal relationships

Preferred Qualifications

• Conflict resolution experience

• Experience with documentation via a database

• Experience training WA Peer Specialist curriculum

• Experience in event/training management

Additional Responsibilities

This document is not intended to be an exhaustive list of responsibilities. In addition to the responsibilities listed above, the Tribal Liaison will be responsible for any additional tasks that are assigned by the CWDO or CAO.

Compensation

· Starting wage $34.93 – $37.89 per hour DOE.

· Paid Vacation Time – 3 weeks per year, accrued at 4.615hrs per biweekly pay period, 120-hour maximum annual carryover.

· Paid Sick Time – 80 Hours per year, accrued at 3.077hrs per biweekly pay period, 480-hour maximum annual carryover.

· One Personal Day if hired prior to June 8, 2025. Three Personal Days per quarter thereafter. Personal days do not carry over from year to year, have no monetary value, and are forfeited upon employment separation.

· Medical, Dental, Vision, Life, AD&D, and Long-Term Disability; employee premiums covered by employer at 100% for employees.

· Simple IRA through Charles Schwab with an employer match of up to 3%

· Employee Assistance Program through Mutual of Omaha

· Work cell phone through AT&T

· Peer Washington covers the employee portion of Washington Unemployment and Paid Family Medical Leave at 100%.

If you would like to apply for this position, please submit your resume and cover letter via INDEED.

Peer Washington

About Us

Peer Washington cultivates powerful, healthy lives by providing peer emotional support and development services to disparately impacted communities throughout Washington state.

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Tribal Liaison – Office of Behavioral Health Advocacy (OBHA) and Peer Workforce Development