HIV Peer Specialist

Full job description
Title: HIV Peer Support Specialist
Level: Entry – mid
Salary / Salary Range: $50K – $54K
Employment Status: Full-time, exempt
Reports to: Associate Director of Social Wellness – Mental Health
Target start date: July 2024

About the Organization
ASHwell is a nonprofit, sexual health clinic and social wellness center established in Austin, TX in the late 1980s. Clinically, we specialize in HIV treatment and prevention, Hep C treatment and STI treatment and management. Socially, we specialize in providing programming, resources and services to overcome barriers to health access with the goal of building Health Equity in Austin and Central Texas. ASHwell prioritizes providing a safe, welcoming and discrimination-free space for all, predominantly serving LGBTQIA+ and BIPOC communities. Our approach to sexual health and wellness is rooted in being a proudly sex and kink positive, pro-sex worker, pro-harm reduction and anti-stigma organization that is passionately committed to diversity, equity, and inclusion. We are a growing organization looking for values-aligned, pro-sexual health and wellness people to join our team!

Position Overview

HIV Peer Specialists fulfill ASHwell’s commitment to Meaningful Involvement of Persons Living with HIV (MIPA) while working to end the HIV epidemic. They are living with HIV and excited to accompany others through their HIV journey by providing a space for peer-to-peer mental health and wellness support as well as navigation through the health care system. They provide dedicated support to minimize barriers for keeping appointments and maximizing retention in care by offering one on one check ins and co-navigating the ecosystem of services ASHwell offers including medication access support, case management, alternative therapies and mental health care. The HIV Peer Specialist works specifically with our patients and clients living with HIV who are newly diagnosed, who may be falling out of care or who are out of care. They are dedicated to busting HIV stigma and shame, and they understand the importance of Harm Reduction values in our work.

Core Responsibilities

Direct Support – 40%

Develop and maintain a cadre of 8-10 HIV peer ASHwell patients and referred clients
Provide intimate emotional and social support to ASHwell patients and referred clients in regular one on one check-ins and/or peer support groups
Act as an ASHwell point of contact for patients and clients living with HIV
Track HIV peers into HIV medical care at ASHwell
Navigate access to internal Ashwell programs and resources including mental health, case management and direct assistance
Coordinate access to medical care and resources
Train to and facilitate affinity specific peer support groups
Tracking and Reporting – 30%
Develop and maintain and updated empowerment plan for 8-10 HIV peer clients or patients including peer case notes, performance, care coordination and services provided
Maintain monthly updated progress reports for each peer
Generate and track empowerment plan and one on one meeting notes according to programmatic guidelines and requirements
Notate and track care coordination including brief, needs, agency names and contact information, etc. and system navigation efforts that support peers to stay in care
Maintain updated peer information in Apricot profile
Outreach 20%
Meet with ASHwell’s HIV patients (existing and newly diagnosed & registered patients) at medical appointment to establish peer connection and share opportunities for available support services.
Participate in ASHwell on Wheels (mobile clinic facility) outreach and testing events to build community and recruit into services
Collaborate with the Strategic Advancement team to identify and coordinate opportunities for HIV patient-client peers to participate in the annual Hill Country Ride for AIDS (HCRA).
Offer HIV de-stigmatizing sexual health education to patient-client peers via drop in events, one on one sessions or in a support group setting.
Draft copy for monthly HIV Peer updates section of patient-client newsletter
Reengage patient-clients directly to resume empowerment plans and “in care” status
Baseline – 10%

Maintain HIPPA compliance
Participate in all required staff meetings and retreats
Maintain up-to-date calendar and work plan
Utilize organization wide systems and protocols for all organizational business
Identify and request professional development opportunities related to Social Work and HIV preventative services
Participates in at least one outreach event monthly
Required Qualifications

Lived experience with HIV
2+ years program or front-line service staff at a nonprofit organization or clinic setting
2+ years’ experience serving marginalized communities OR lived experience
Lived experience with mental health issues, sex work, substance use, or LGBTQ+ identity
Baseline HIV treatment knowledge and understanding
Strong organizational skills
Strong written and verbal communication
Emotional intelligence & capacity to provide mentorship for peers living with HIV
Highly adaptable and can meet needs from a wide spectrum of patient-client circumstances including literacy, language and level of experience navigating healthcare system
Ability to thrive in an overtly sex positive & kink forward work environment
Baseline understanding of gender identity spectrum and ability to use/apply appropriate language/terminology OR proactive willingness to learn
Baseline understanding of sexual orientation spectrum with ability to use/apply appropriate language/terminology OR proactive willingness to learn
Baseline understanding of Harm Reduction framework and values OR proactive willingness to learn
Alignment with ASHwell values of race and gender justice, sexual and reproductive health equity
Preferred Qualifications

2+ years prior experience in the public health sector
Community Health Worker certification
Peer support group or navigation experience
Project management certification or experience
Prior experience serving unhoused people
Prior experience in sexual health sector
Prior experience working for an AIDS Services Organization
About You
ASHwell’s HIV Peer Support Specialist has been living with HIV for a few years and wants to build a network of support within our patient and client body. They have worked with and understand the complexities of supporting individuals from marginalized communities and are able to adapt their approach to meet the patient-client needs. They are an inspiring storyteller who can share their own experiences to connect with and support others. Our HIV Peer Support Specialist understands and operates with Harm Reduction values. They can demonstrate their ability to manage and care for their own mental health and wellbeing as well as their ability to communicate with their supervisor when support is needed. They can be counted on to manage their time well, document thoroughly, organize their tasks/projects, and report weekly, monthly and quarterly on various aspects of their work to their supervisor and collaborators.

Our Hiring Process
The start date for this position is July 23, 2025 Applications are due no later than midnight CT on June 6, 2025. We are committed to offering the support, time and resources necessary to on-board and orient to the role.
TIMELINE
Applications Due June 6, 2025.
Invitations to interview:Interviews will be scheduled on a rolling basis based on application submissions.
Round 1 Interviews: week of June 2, 2025.
Round 2 interviews: June 9, 2025.
Final interviews: June 16, 2025.
Goal date for offers: June 19, 2025.
Position start date July 23, 2025.
ASHwell uses a cohort onboarding model. The start date kicks off three days of group orientation for hires across the organization.
EQUAL OPPORTUNITY EMPLOYER
As an Affirmative Action and Equal Opportunity Employer, ASHwell is committed to creating an inclusive environment that values the diversity of its employees and does not discriminate against any employee or candidate. Women, minorities, veterans, people from the LGBTQ2SAI communities and people with disabilities are strongly encouraged to apply to join our teams. Reasonable accommodation to access job openings or to apply for a job is available.