Peer Support Specialist Lead (Coming Home)

Position Details
Position Information 
Requisition Number
S614P
Position Title
Peer Support Specialist Lead (Coming Home)
Salary
$20.19 hr
Division
Community Development
Department
20650-Coming Home Project
Location
Community Services
Employment Type
Full Time
Hours/Days
Monday through Friday, 8am to 5pm. May require occasional after-hour work to attend meetings, finish projects and meet deadlines.
FLSA Status
Non-Exempt
Classified/Unclassified
Classified
Grant Funded
Yes
Job Description
A job at the City of Amarillo is personally rewarding, here you can bring your talent, your ability, your sense of responsibility and your sense of personal pride knowing that you can make a difference. As an employee of the City of Amarillo you are contributing to the success of your city, and you are helping the community you live in.

The Coming Home program employs the Housing First approach to house and provide supportive services to those experiencing chronic homelessness. Honoring the inherent dignity of those the program serves, Coming Home affirms client capabilities and encourages self-sufficiency, giving hope that a better life is possible. 
The Peer Support Specialist LEAD provides oversight of the Coming Home Peer Support team and PREP Academy. The Peer Support team provides additional support to clients to promote community inclusion and participation, independence, recovery, and resiliency. Peer Support Specialists are typically in recovery and have a lived experience similar to that of their clients. PREP Academy is a job readiness program that offers a temporary, transitional employment opportunity with the City of Amarillo and on-the-job educational opportunities to those who experience barriers to securing and maintaining employment. Both Peer Support and PREP Academy are housing stability services provided by the Coming Home program.

ESSENTIAL RESPONSIBILITIES 
Exercises direct supervision of Coming Home program Peer Support team and PREP Academy. This position leads these teams in the following tasks: 
Development of a training plan and training all Peer Support staff upon hire. 
Coordinate PREP Academy recruitment, hiring and orientation processes, scheduling, educational classes, and assistance with special projects.  
Establish, track, and record performance measures for PREP Academy.  
Oversight of client engagement and activity coordination with both PREP Academy staff and other Coming Home clients. 
Develop PREP Academy scope of work and program policies and procedures. 
Ensure all Peer Support Specialists complete HMIS entries and services for clients accurately and consistently. 
Oversight of daily HMIS documentation requirements including client interaction and client progress. 
Provide extra support and training for Peer Support Specialists to assist clients with accessing and navigating community resources.
Monitor support offered to clients in maintaining cooperative and effective relationships with their primary service provider and property management.
Works closely with Coming Home Program Coordinator to ensure program goals are being met. 
Coordinate and collaborate with providers to assist PSS in establishing a network of care for clients, including natural supports, connection to mutual aid groups, and sponsorship (when appropriate).
Incorporate experience with personal recovery in assisting and supporting the team and clients.
Enhance team decision making by assuring client voice and choice is included in service planning and goal setting. 
Promote recovery through role modeling and sharing experiences, providing hope and encouragement to client. 
Facilitate access to mutual aid groups for clients, with an emphasis on options embracing multiple pathways to recovery.
Equip Peer Supports to assist clients in the development of life skills such as resolving interpersonal conflicts in their environment, maintaining housing, developing work skills, safety skills, social skills, receiving and maintaining benefits.
Provide education and support to staff regarding issues affecting population and work to reduce stigma related to those. 
Adhere to Housing First and harm reduction model of peer advocacy.
Advocates for the needs of individual clients as well as for systemic change, whenever needed, for the overall benefit of homeless individuals.
Facilitate daily Peer Support staff meetings to coordinate activities with team members. 
Equip Peer Support team to assist clients with learning the skills for necessary activities of daily living such as transportation, housekeeping, meal preparation, medication, shopping, laundry, or other hands-on assistance as needed.
Works to cultivate a culture of support and community within the team and the Community Development department.
Transports clients using a COA vehicle when needed and monitors vehicle maintenance needs. 
Assists Peer Support team with work that needs to be completed or client interventions that arise in moments of urgency or crisis.
Coordinate regular, individual supervision reflection with staff.  
Meet periodically with the Coming Home Program Coordinator for ongoing individual supervision.
Advises Coming Home Program Coordinator of Peer Support and PREP Academy needs. 
Must carry a company cell phone and be accessible when in the field to the Peer Support team, program clients, community partners, Coming Home Program Coordinator, and Department management. 
Assists regularly with client moves, including assembly, pickup, delivery, and set-up of household items. 
Performs other job- and department-related duties as assigned. 
 

 
Knowledge, Skills, Abilities
Experience with or interest in multiple pathways to recovery.
Excellent interpersonal and verbal communication skills.
Ability to efficiently operate a computer both in the field and in the office for data entry, email correspondence, and other daily record keeping as required.
Basic understanding of homelessness and various characteristics of homeless adult populations; experience with the issues of mental illness and/or chemical dependency preferred.
Knowledge of peer support, community resources, entitlements, etc.
Must demonstrate ability to work effectively with a diverse team, citizens, investment and property owners, and community groups.
Ability to recognize and establish appropriate boundaries with clients.
Ability to maintain confidentiality practices.
Must possess a highly positive and enthusiastic attitude and strong commitment toward helping those in need.
Interest and experience in working with individuals who are difficult to engage and refer to traditional programs; subscribe to a philosophy of tolerance and ability to engage with individuals in their current stage of change, expressed knowledge, acceptance, and/or experience with principles of harm reduction.
Will be required to drive a City of Amarillo vehicle.
Licenses/Certification
 
Required Qualifications
High school diploma or equivalent is required. Must be able to operate a computer. Requires person who has progressed in their own recovery and has achieved a minimum of one year of recovery in at least one of the following areas: homelessness/ mental health / addiction, and who is actively involved in recovery activities. A valid Texas driver’s license is required.

The position is grant funded and renewal is contingent upon the availability of funds. Grant funded positions are typically limited in term. The end date of the grant does not guarantee employment for the duration of the grant. You may be eligible to apply/transfer to an existing vacancy that is equivalent to the grant funded position if an equivalent position is available.

NOTE: Employees in the Community Development Department and their family members are prohibited from participating or receiving benefit from the City of Amarillo’s programs funded by the Department of Housing and Urban Development and other state and federally funded programs and grants.

Preferred Qualifications
A degree in Human Services or related field is preferred. Peer support specialist certification preferred. Previous supervisory experience preferred.
Physical Demands
Reasonable accommodation may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions of this position. While performing the duties of this Job, the employee is required to exert up to 50 pounds of force occasionally, and/or up to 20 pounds of force frequently, and/or up to 10 pounds of force constantly to move objects. The employee is also required to balance, crouch, feel, finger, handle, lift, pull, push, reach, speak, stand, stoop, talk, see, and walk. Requires the ability to make rational decisions and perform repetitive motions. Requires the ability to complete job functions both indoors and outdoors year-round.
Employee must be able to perform essential job functions with or without reasonable accommodation and without posing a direct threat to safety or health of self or others. To perform this job successfully, an individual must be able to perform each essential function satisfactorily. The requirements listed above are representative of the knowledge, skill, and/or ability required. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.
Special Instructions Summary
The City of Amarillo is home to approximately 200,000 people. We service 1,042 mile of streets, 2,018 acres of parks, 63,683 solid waste residential customers, 194,545 transit passengers.

A job at the City of Amarillo is personally rewarding, here you can bring your talent, your ability, your sense of responsibility and your sense of personal pride knowing that you can make a difference.

As an employee of the City of Amarillo you are contributing to the success of your city, and you are helping the community you live in. The parks in Amarillo, the roads your drive on, the emergency personnel who keep you safe all have one thing in common, we serve the citizens of Amarillo.

Working for the City of Amarillo is inherently meaningful because the work we do is related to building and improving our community. Public service is where talented people come to serve together and make a difference and we look forward to showing you how rewarding a career in public service can be.

EEO/ADA
The City of Amarillo is an Equal Opportunity employer and encourages applications from eligible and qualified persons regardless of race, color, religious creed, national origin, ancestry, age, gender, pregnancy, sexual orientation, gender identity, marital status, familial status, disability, genetic information or protected veteran status, in compliance with applicable federal, state and local law.

The City of Amarillo provides reasonable accommodations to applicants with disabilities on a case by case basis. If you need a reasonable accommodation for any part of the application or hiring process, please contact the Human Resources Office at 806-378-4294.