Olympic Health and Recovery Services is seeking a peer counselor to join our team as a Residential Peer Support Specialist for our Forensic Housing and Recovery through Peer Services (FHARPS) team!
The FHARPS-Trueblood Residential Peer Support Specialist serves as an advocate and provides peer support services to individuals housed in the Olympic Health and Recovery Services Trueblood Houses in Thurston and Mason counties. The Residential Peer Support Specialist will maintain appropriate professional boundaries while providing compassionate, trauma informed, peer-based support. This position collaborates with residents to provide individualized and flexible support to engage and integrate them into the community and helps to facilitate their access to resources and supports to maximize their independence and potential and promote their recovery.
This position reports to and is supervised by the FHARPS Program Supervisor.
First application review will take place August 21st, 2025.
Schedule: Monday-Friday 8am-5pm with a 1 hour lunch break or 8:30am-5pm with a 30 minute lunch break.
Salary Range: $24.78 - $32.22 hourly based on education, experience, and parity within the organization.
What are the benefits? TMBH-ASO/OHRS provides comprehensive benefits for full-time employees including medical/dental/vision plan options (many with no employee paid monthly premium depending on plan choice, and dependent coverage options), and life insurance and disability insurance options. Eligible employees participate in WA State PERS retirement plans and employees may elect additional pre and post tax deferred compensation retirement options. Employees receive a PTO package earning a minimum of 140 hours annually and 12 paid holidays. Other tax deferred options include Flexible Spending Accounts (FSA), and Health Savings Accounts (HSA) . Find more information at www.tmbhcareers.org.
MAJOR RESPONSIBIITIES:
- Meet with participants in the OHRS Trueblood houses one on one and in group settings.
- Assist participants in identifying their personal goals, barriers to recovery, and steps needed to achieve those goals.
- Assist in determining objectives needed to reach recovery goals.
- Facilitate/co-facilitate house meetings and safety procedures training with residents.
- Model effective coping skills and self-help strategies based on recovery best practices and personal lived experience, when appropriate.
- Assist in setting up and sustaining self-help (mutual support) groups
- Share lived experience of housing instability and/or criminal justice involvement to promote empowerment and reduce stigma.
- Promote participant engagement with community-based services including mental health, substance use, healthcare, and employment supports.
- Provide education and skill-building to help participants maintain housing stability, increase community integration, and increase access to services related to medical, educational, transportation, and other essential life domains.
- Assist participants in planning and attending social, recreational, vocational, or peer-led community activities.
- Develops relationships with available community resources and provides coordination, support and advocacy services to program participants and their families facing a variety of challenges. These challenges may include a history of homelessness, chronic mental, behavioral or other health issues, legal challenges and/or substance abuse issues.
- Develops and maintains partnerships with local behavioral health, housing, and healthcare agencies to streamline referrals to additional services and enhance the Continuum of Care for eligible participants.
- Coordinates with other Trueblood programs to include Forensic Housing and Recovery through Peers Services (FHARPS), Outpatient Competency Restoration Program (OCRP), Forensic Projects for Assistance in Transition from Homelessness (FPATH), the Forensic Navigators (FN), and others to provide effective case management services and care coordination.
- Maintains accurate and timely clinical records documentation in accordance with Federal, State, County and treatment program requirements under the clinical supervisor’s direction.
- Communicate relevant updates or emergencies to supervisors and staff.
- May assist with tracking and recording funds distributed on behalf of clients.
- Responsible for maintaining referral, requisition, and vendor forms, and additional documentation for FHARPS-Trueblood participants and program requirements.
- Collaborates, consults, and works under the supervision of the Housing Support Programs Supervisor.
- Assist the with engaging and outreaching to landlords in Thurston and Mason County and maintaining records of landlord interactions.
- Assists FHARPS Trueblood staff with projects and tasks to support program operations.
- Supports individuals in mental health crises, including suicidal ideation, by modeling effective coping strategies and helping create a safe environment for the resident.
- Participate in internal meetings, external meetings with community partners, trainings, and ongoing supervision to maintain certification and agency standards.
- Maintains physical security of confidential materials and assigned equipment.
- Promote best practices in treatment approaches, support systems, and interventions.
- Demonstrates the OHRS mission, purpose, values and beliefs in everyday language and contact with the internal and external stakeholders.
- Will likely enter facilities or institutions, including but not limited to local jails or hospitals.
- Performs related work, special projects or other duties as assigned.
QUALIFICATONS:
- Washington State certification as a Peer Counselor is required.
- Washington State Dept of Health (DOH) Agency Affiliated Counselor is required.
- High School diploma or GED required.
- Experience working with individuals with behavioral health, substance, use, and criminal justice
- Two (2) years working as a peer counselor is preferred.
- Must have satisfactory background checks as required by state and federal contracts.
- Must have satisfactory Motor Vehicle Report. Valid Washington State driver's license and proof of insurance or have requested and obtained an appropriate accommodation.
- Knowledge and ability to utilize computer systems to include electronic health records system and Microsoft office Word, Excel, Outlook, and Teams.
- Must be able to obtain jail clearance.
SKILLS AND ABILITIES:
- Familiarity and knowledge of best practices for alcohol/drug abuse treatment and prevention programs, mental health, and developmental disabilities programs as well as with local social service agencies.
- Ability to establish and maintain trusting and supportive relationships as well as provide inspiration and motivation to individuals transitioning towards recovery.
- Ability to promote activities that foster recovery, self-efficacy, and empowerment.
- Strong written and verbal communication skills, as well as the ability to work with people of diverse backgrounds and/or cultures.
- Ability to work closely in a culture of teamwork, collaboration, and collegiality with program participants, other OHRS staff, and outside agencies.
- Ability to utilize a personal computer with applicable software to successfully perform essential job functions of the position including electronic health records system, email, word processing, spread sheet, analysis, information retrieval, and tracking.
- Ability to accurately meet documentation requirements using an electronic health records database (MyAvatar)
- Ability to maintain flexibility and willingness to perform other tasks as assigned to meet the needs of the participant and OHRS.
- Must have a strong commitment to the right and the ability of each person with a severe mental illness to live in within the community of their choice; work in market jobs; and have access to helpful, adequate, competent, and continuous supports and services. It is essential the peer specialist have skills and competence to establish supportive trusting relationships with persons with severe and persistent mental illnesses and respect for individuals’ rights and personal preferences in treatment is essential.
- Ability to remain flexible and adaptable to change while maintaining affective time management skills.
- Knowledge of and ability to recognize compassion fatigue and the need for self-care.
- Strong critical thinking skills, ability to conceptualize and implement creative solutions.
- Promote and champion the values of partnership, teamwork, compassion and integrity in all dealings within and outside of OHRS.
- Ability to utilize various skills, methodologies, and approaches including motivational interviewing, trauma-informed care, harm reduction approach.
- Ability to navigate and access systems related to, but not limited to, food, cash, and other medical public benefits through Apple Health, DSHS, and Social Security Department.
- Ability to navigate and access systems, resources, and services related to Behavioral Health Services, medical and/or dental care, and basic needs.
- Ability to navigate and access systems, resources, and services related to emergency, transitional, supportive and permanent housing.
WORKING CONDITIONS:
- This position primarily operates within residential shared housing settings, providing direct support to residents in their living environment.
- Occasional travel between residences or to community locations may be required.
- May require work in the community including jails, residential facilities, individual’s homes, and in an office environment.
- Regular use of fleet vehicles and/or personal vehicles may be required for service provision in the region including transportation of participants in fleet vehicles.
- Regular, in person, predictable attendance is necessary for participant support and team engagement.
- May require availability to work flexible hours.
- Dress is professional and appropriate for community-based settings.
- Moderate physical exertion is required. May be required to sit, stand, squat, walk short to moderate distances on uneven terrain, lift or move boxes/equipment weighing up to 25 lbs.
- Outreach may be performed in outdoor settings and subject to weather conditions.
