Certified Peer Specialist (Adult Community Based)

Job Description:

Job Title: Peer Specialist

Location: Greenwood, IN

Department: Recovery Support Services

Employment Type: Full-Time

Shift: Flexible Schedule Based on Client Needs; May Include Day, Evening, Weekend, and Community-Based Services

Job Summary:

Are you passionate about supporting others on their recovery journey through the power of lived experience? Do you believe that hope, connection, and peer support can transform lives? Join our team as a Peer Specialist!

As a Peer Specialist, you will utilize your personal recovery experience to help individuals with mental health and/or substance use disorders build recovery skills, access community resources, and achieve their personal goals. Through supportive relationships, mentoring, advocacy, and coaching, you will empower individuals to actively participate in their treatment and recovery process while fostering resilience, independence, and community integration.

This role involves working closely with clients, families, treatment teams, referral sources, and community partners to ensure individuals receive the support and resources needed to maintain long-term recovery. You will provide transportation, accompany clients to appointments when appropriate, facilitate recovery-focused activities, and serve as a source of encouragement and hope.

Join a mission-driven organization where your lived experience, compassion, and commitment to recovery can make a meaningful difference in the lives of others.

Position Perks & Benefits:

• 29 Days of PTO
• Employee benefits package – health, dental, vision, retirement, life insurance, and more
• Competitive 401(k) Retirement Savings Plan – up to 5% employer match for Part-Time and Full-Time employees
• Company-paid basic life insurance
• Emergency Medical Leave Program
• Flexible Spending Accounts (FSA) – healthcare and dependent care
• Health & Wellness Program
• Employee Assistance Program (EAP)
• Employee Discount Program
• Mileage Reimbursement

Key Responsibilities:

• Utilize lived recovery experience to provide peer support services that promote hope, wellness, and recovery.
• Collaborate with individuals to develop personalized treatment and recovery plans that address their unique strengths, goals, and needs.
• Assist individuals in identifying and accessing recovery tools, community resources, support networks, and recovery-oriented services.
• Support individuals in making informed decisions and taking an active role in their treatment and recovery process.
• Help individuals identify personal strengths and develop skills necessary to achieve and maintain recovery goals.
• Provide mentoring, advocacy, coaching, and encouragement throughout the recovery journey.
• Foster connections between individuals, their families, community supports, and recovery resources.
• Assist individuals in accessing information and support related to mental health and substance use disorders.
• Encourage healthy, productive, and substance-free lifestyles during and after treatment.
• Maintain regular communication with referral sources, guardians, treatment providers, and other stakeholders regarding client progress and transition planning.
• Participate in treatment team meetings and other collaborative care activities to ensure continuity of services.
• Research and coordinate referrals to outside resources and community-based services when appropriate.
• Schedule appointments and provide transportation to Recovery Support Services, medical appointments, and community-based services as needed.
• Accompany clients to appointments when permitted and represent the organization professionally in community settings.
• Assist individuals in accessing medical, behavioral health, and social service supports.
• Provide crisis intervention and support during challenging situations as appropriate.
• Facilitate recovery-focused educational groups and peer support activities.
• Complete accurate, timely, and compliant documentation in accordance with state regulations, CARF standards, and organizational policies.
• Maintain confidentiality and adhere to ethical standards governing peer support services.
• Participate in ongoing training, professional development, and certification requirements.
• Support organizational goals, quality improvement initiatives, and program development efforts.
• Perform additional duties as assigned by leadership.

Education and/or Experience Qualifications:

• Must self-identify as a current or former recipient of mental health and/or substance use services, or as a person in recovery from a mental health and/or substance use disorder.
• Minimum of one (1) year of personal recovery experience required.
• Requires at least one (1) year of direct personal experience with the mental health and/or substance use treatment system as a primary consumer of services.
• High school diploma or equivalent required.
• Ability to complete a state-approved Certified Peer Support training program and all required certifications within six (6) months of employment.
• Experience providing peer support, mentoring, advocacy, recovery coaching, or community support services preferred.
• Exceptions to qualification requirements may be approved by organizational leadership.

Required License/Certification:

• Valid driver's license, acceptable driving record, and current automobile insurance required.
• Must be at least twenty-one (21) years of age.
• Must maintain all required peer support certifications and credentials applicable to the state of practice.
• Ability to successfully complete all required background screenings and employment requirements.

Additional Qualifications:

• Ability to appropriately utilize personal recovery experiences while maintaining professional boundaries.
• Ability to model recovery and serve as a source of hope and encouragement for individuals receiving services.
• Knowledge of recovery principles, peer support practices, and person-centered approaches.
• Understanding of mental health and substance use disorders and the challenges faced by individuals in recovery.
• Knowledge of community resources, recovery supports, mutual aid groups, and social service systems.
• Familiarity with case management, rehabilitation methods, and recovery-oriented treatment approaches.
• Understanding of legal, ethical, and confidentiality requirements related to behavioral health services.
• Ability to effectively communicate verbally and in writing.
• Strong interpersonal, advocacy, mentoring, and relationship-building skills.
• Ability to facilitate groups and provide educational support.
• Strong organizational and time management skills.
• Ability to work independently and collaboratively within multidisciplinary teams.
• Ability to assist individuals in navigating healthcare, behavioral health, and community support systems.
• Proficiency with basic computer applications and electronic documentation systems.
• Commitment to ethical practice, recovery-oriented care, and person-centered service delivery.

Supervisory Requirements:

• None.

Employment Requirements:

• Successful completion of background screening, including criminal history, driving record, abuse/neglect, and fingerprint checks.
• Completion of New Hire Orientation upon hire.
• Completion of all required training, including Relias training, upon hire and annually thereafter.
• Current driver's license, acceptable driving record, and proof of automobile insurance.
• Minimum of one (1) year of recovery required.
• Completion of required peer support certification training within designated state timelines.
• Within the first year of employment, complete training related to:
  • Signs and symptoms of disability-related illnesses
  • Working with families and caregivers of individuals receiving services
  • Rights, roles, and responsibilities of clients and families
  • Client self-help skills
  • Individual treatment planning
  • Basic principles of assessment
  • Special needs and characteristics of individuals served
  • Philosophy of the community support approach
  • Suicide awareness and prevention
  • Quality assurance
  • Infection control
  • Philosophy, values, and objectives of CPRC services
  • Behavioral management and crisis intervention
  • Issues related to involuntary holds
• Maintain compliance with all organizational policies, procedures, confidentiality standards, and regulatory requirements.

Physical Requirements:

• Ability to perform light work, exerting up to 20 pounds of force occasionally and up to 10 pounds of force frequently.
• Ability to frequently walk, stand, bend, reach, and assist individuals in community-based settings.
• Ability to transport clients safely to appointments, recovery activities, and community resources.
• Ability to travel between agency locations, client homes, healthcare facilities, and community settings as needed.
• Frequent use of hands, fingers, and arms for documentation and computer-related tasks.
• Visual ability to read documents and work on computer screens for extended periods.
• Ability to communicate effectively in person, by telephone, and through electronic communication platforms.
• Position requires significant community-based work and transportation of clients as part of service delivery.

Position Perks & Benefits:

Paid time off: full-time employees receive an attractive time off package to balance your work and personal life

Employee benefits package: full-time employees receive health, dental, vision, retirement, life, & more

Top-notch training: initial, ongoing, comprehensive, and supportive

Career mobility: advancement opportunities/promoting from within

Welcoming, warm, supportive: a work culture & environment that promotes your well-being, values you as human being, and encourages your health and happiness

Brightli is on a Mission:

A mission to improve client care, reduce the financial burden of community mental health centers by sharing resources, a mission to have a larger voice in advocacy to increase access to mental health and substance user care in our communities, and a mission to evolve the behavioral health industry to better meet the needs of our clients.

As a behavioral and community mental health provider, we prioritize fostering a culture of belonging and connection within our workforce. We encourage applications from individuals with varied backgrounds and experiences, as we believe that a rich tapestry of perspectives strengthens our mission. If you are passionate about empowering local communities and creating an environment where everyone feels valued and supported, we invite you to join our mission-driven organization dedicated to cultivating an authentic workplace.

We are an Equal Employment Opportunity Employer.

Adult & Child Health is a Smoke and Tobacco Free Workplace.