Texas – Peer Support Specialist

About us

Born from our co-founders’ personal journeys in substance use disorder recovery, WEconnect’s focus is providing real-world support for mental and behavioral health.  Our mobile app guides and empowers personal growth, wellness, and recovery through 1-on-1 Peer support, daily online meetings, building healthy routines, plus much more!

Learn about us here: www.weconnecthealth.io

The Role

We are seeking a dedicated Peer Support Specialist with lived experience in mental health and/or substance use recovery who is passionate about providing culturally responsive peer support to join our team. The ideal candidate will have deep connections to and understanding of Spanish-speaking communities, including Latine/Latinx, Hispanic, and Mexican-American communities and families, and the ability to support individuals from diverse backgrounds with empathy and respect.

The Peer Support Specialist will work in partnership with all members, who may benefit from support services, through the messaging platform on the WEconnect app and other modalities such as video-conferencing, phone call, or SMS message. They will serve as a role model, advocate, navigator, and motivator to individuals in or seeking recovery and wellness, to promote recovery planning and goal realizations. This may include identifying strengths, getting connected to their community of choice, reductions in harm from substance use, and sustaining long-term wellness and recovery as a member defines it.

The Peer Support Specialist must demonstrate an ability to facilitate recovery and wellness planning that follows diverse recovery pathways (including medication and moderation), consciously share their lived experiences as appropriate, develop authentic peer-to-peer relationships based on strong boundaries and mutuality, and have an understanding of and respect for each individual’s unique path to recovery. The Peer Support Specialist must also demonstrate an ability to utilize various digitally based tools in order to organize and execute day-to-day communication, documentation, and other tasks in a peer specialist.

We recognize the importance of representation in peer support and are committed to creating an inclusive environment that reflects the communities we serve. Candidates from historically marginalized communities are strongly encouraged to apply.

Minimum Requirements/Qualifications:

All candidates must either currently have a national Peer certificate through the National Certification Board for Behavioral Health Professionals or qualify to receive one after being hired. In general, qualified applicants must:

Currently hold a state-level peer support specialist credential that required a minimum of 40 hours of training or have previously completed an equivalent 40-hour training program,
Have 2,000 hours of supervised work or volunteer experience providing peer specialist services within the five (5) years prior to application

• Certified Peer Credential in the state of Texas
• 100+ hours of professional experience (post-certification)
• National CPS certification within 6 months of hire
• Experience working with Spanish-speaking communities, including Latine/Latinx, Hispanic, and Mexican-American communities and families, and an understanding of the cultural, historical, and systemic factors affecting mental health and well-being.
• Written and spoken English proficiency

Essential Duties:

• Be an Ambassador of Hope and Possibility.
• The ability to communicate effectively in Spanish.
• Assist members in the creation of a comprehensive wellness/recovery plan that is individualized and in alignment with the members’ culture, values, and needs.
• Ability to respect and honor cultural and human diversity.
• Prepare engagement logs and necessary reports for members, care teams, health plans, and WEconnect.
• Monitor individual caseloads via the WEconnect platform and conduct outreach accordingly and in a timely manner.
• Participate in weekly individual peer-based supervision and recovery services team meetings.
• Engage in continuing professional development relative to recovery support services, including but not limited to; diversity, inclusion, ethics and boundaries, safety planning, and trauma-informed care.
• Maintain state and national certification.
• Provide creative, person-centered support through the utilization of community resources, motivational interviewing, positive reinforcement, and strengths-based recovery support delivery.
• Host virtual recovery/wellness support meetings through Zoom.
• Facilitate peer support groups and one-on-one sessions, centering the experiences of historically underserved communities.
• This role has a high degree of accountability and flexibility regarding schedule and may include some morning, evening, or weekend meetings depending on your schedule and timezone, with flexibility to adjust during the week.
• Other duties as assigned and relevant.

Bonus Qualifications:

• Qualified to host a mother’s support meeting
• Lived experience with justice or child welfare involvement

As members of the WEconnect team, we are united by a clear mission: Our mission is to be a life-saving haven for those dealing with mental health and substance use challenges. We are devoted to empowering families, workplaces, healthcare environments, and communities through innovative mental wellness strategies, precise outcome data, and dedicated support networks. In unity, we forge a resilient first line of intervention that safeguards lives and fosters thriving futures. We embrace trust, impact, grit, exceptionality, rapidity, and simplicity (TIGERS), and would love to chat about how these values play out in our daily work.

Benefits:

• Competitive salary and key employee stock option plan
• Medical, dental, and vision coverage
• 401(k) with company match
• Wellness stipend
• Unlimited Paid Time Off

We facilitate diversity and inclusion as an Equal Opportunity Employer

WEconnect provides equal employment opportunities (EEO) to all employees and applicants for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, disability, or genetics. In addition to federal law requirements, WEconnect complies with applicable state and local laws governing nondiscrimination in employment in every location in which the company has facilities. This policy applies to all terms and conditions of employment, including recruiting, hiring, placement, promotion, termination, layoff, recall, transfer, leaves of absence, compensation, and training.

WEconnect expressly prohibits any form of workplace harassment based on race, color, religion, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, national origin, age, genetic information, disability, or veteran status.  Improper interference with the ability of WEconnect’s employees to perform their job duties may result in discipline up to and including discharge.