Youth Peer Support Specialist

Youth Peer Support Specialist
 
Job Details
Job LocationWeatherford – Waco St. – , TX
Salary Range$11.64 – $12.00 Hourly
Job ShiftMON – FRI , 8AM-5PM
Description
Pecan Valley was selected as a rural partner with Texas HHSC in their grant application to continue expanding the Texas System of Care (TxSOC). The overall goal of the grant is to develop a system of care in our local service area and expand overall access to care. The Youth Peer Support Specialist (YPSS) will have personal lived experience navigating behavioral health systems and be between the ages of 18-30 years old. The YPSS will provide direct and indirect support to youth and young adults with mental health challenges. The YPSS is not a clinician, but will work alongside, complement, and enhance the work of the clinical team. By drawing on their own lived experience navigating behavioral health systems, they can inspire hope and model relationships built on respect, trust, and validation. By sharing their own lived experience, the YPSS will help youth to enhance wellness, create strategies for self-empowerment, and take concrete steps towards building fulfilling, self-determined lives for themselves. Walking alongside the youth on their journey, the YPSS is an ally and advocate for young people. Services may be both individual and group. Must be willing to travel and work a flexible schedule. Must be familiar with, and/or willing to be trained in, trauma-informed care. This includes understanding, recognizing, and responding to the effects of all types of trauma, and an ability to work in a behavioral environment where staff convey dignity, respect, hopefulness, and the opportunity for choice and empowerment among consumers.

This is a Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) System of Care grant funded position that is scheduled to end August 30, 2025.
Qualifications
Skills and Qualifications: A successful candidate will have the following minimum skills and qualifications:

Must have personal lived experience navigating behavioral health systems
Must demonstrate current self-directed recovery (prefer at least 1 year recovery stability)
Must be between the ages of 18 and 30 years old and have a high school diploma or GED
Have strong interpersonal skills
Demonstrate a strong understanding of boundaries and principles of positive self-care
Provides support to youth who choose to engage with the YPSS
Develop authentic, meaningful relationships with individuals and families through empathy, sharing experiences, listening, and collaborating with genuine curiosity and interest
Identifies and actively shares information about school and community resources that are available to youth
Assists and supports youth to identify and build community and natural supports
Promotes self-advocacy by assisting youth in articulating their personal goals and desires
Supports the school and agency staff in partnering with and engaging youth
Maintains open and frequent communication with the team; reports all safety concerns promptly
Participates and supports youth engagement in youth advisory councils, governance meetings, workgroups, and other relevant meetings that inform and/or may impact decisions related to services and supports available to youth and young adults
Participates in regularly scheduled supervision
Collaborates with the team to ensure that services and agency culture are youth-driven, youth-friendly, and responsive to the needs of the youth who are served
Prefer those that have an understanding of the local community and experience effectively collaborating, partnering, and advocating alongside youth
Bilingual ability (Spanish/English) is preferred by not required
Computer operating skills are essential
Ability to participate respectively as a team member during department and agency meetings
Ability to work independently and to carry out assignments to completion by following instructions given, prescribed routines, and standard accepted practices
Travel between locations as assigned.
Participate in monthly Youth Services staff meetings
Other duties as assigned by supervisor
Must have a Texas driver’s license, reliable transportation, a good driving record, and a valid auto insurance card
 

Physical Abilities: Must be able to bend, stoop, kneel, crouch, squat, lift at least 25 pounds, reach overhead, walk over various terrains, and sit for extended periods of time. Must be able to pass a work related physical.