Details
Skills
Sociable, friendly, able to stay calm in crisis, able to work effectively with all individuals, understanding of and lived experience with behavioral health and homelessness, punctual, timely, able to work with a team and independently, great at cleaning and organizing, working knowledge of Microsoft Office
About
I am very grateful that I had Peer Support Specialists to talk to, when I needed them. I know that when I was going through my darkest time, talking to someone who had been through something similar really helped. Now that I have worked through my own struggles, I am able and excited to help others feel less alone.
About 10 years ago, I volunteered at DESC’s Crisis Solution Center. A few days a week I would go and help serve lunch and then hang out playing games and chatting. This volunteer position helped me so much. I had been in recovery for three years. Then, I stopped volunteering because I needed to spend more time on myself. I went through a time where I was struggling a lot with my mental health. I have now been in recovery again for eight years. I have had a few jobs over the years and now that I find myself at a turning point in my life, I have been doing a lot of soul-searching. Many years ago, I did the Peer Counseling certification class and passed the test. I did not pursue the certification for a multitude of reasons. I have now done the gap training for the Peer Support Specialist training and sent in my application to be a trainee.
I think I would be perfect at this position because I have done similar work as a volunteer for Beyond These Walls. When our participants first returned to their communities, I would draw from my own experiences to find them affordable housing to return to: So that they did not have to experience being unhoused. Our participants would, a lot of the time, be in crisis mode: I knew from my experiences of being in mental health crisis in the past, what they were going through and was better equipped to assist them. I was a better volunteer because of my lived experience. I was able to share my experiences to give them hope that recovery is possible. There are no training programs that can teach the lived experience of someone who has been homeless, has had to overcome learning disabilities, who is living their truth as a transgender man, or has had to navigate society while living with mental health challenges. I have the experience to meet clients where they are in the moment, because I have been where they are.
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