Job Summary

Peer Mentors support people with developmental disabilities to live, work and belong in their communities. 

Peer Mentors help people to:

• Be independent
• Learn problem-solving and self-advocacy skills
• Build self-esteem and self-confidence
• Set goals and make action plans
• Prepare for their Person-Centered Planning (PCP) meetings and provide support at the meeting, if asked 
• Connect to resources for public benefits, health and wellness, housing, employment, transportation, training and education, advocacy, and recreation

Peer Mentors are expected to: 

• Share their personal life experiences about reaching goals
• Share how they used services and supports to reach their goals
• Share how they became more self-directed and self-empowered
• Build positive, trusting relationships
• Make a safe, understanding space for people to talk about their problems and challenges

Qualifications and Requirements

• 18 years old
• Have an intellectual/developmental disability (IDD)
• Willingness to share personal experiences to guide and support others
• Experience receiving disability-related supports and services
• Understand and explain individual rights
• Obtain certification as a Peer Mentor by attending Peer Mentor 101 training and successfully complete a 90-hour internship 
• Ability to work in-person and virtually
• Ability to use phone, email, computer, and virtual technology 
• Preferred experience:
• lives or has lived independently (with or without support, not in your family home)
• has or has had a job in the community, and
• is actively involved in your community.

Knowledge and Abilities

• Ability to be excited, honest, and upbeat with people
• Ability to listen closely and work to find solutions to problems
• Ability to support people to develop Self-Determination skills
• Ability to find services and resources
• Knowledge about local agencies
• Ability to develop relationships with agencies

Duties and Responsibilities:

Duty 1 Peer Mentoring (70% of their work time)

• Create good relationships with people they mentor
• Get to know the people’s hopes and dreams
• Develop a list of goals and action steps with people. 
• Assist people in building their circle of support 
• Assist people to connect with community resources to meet their goals
• Serve as an advocate with family members and friends to assist the people in having self-direction
• Participate in the person-centered planning process, when invited 
• Spend time with people support them to reach their goals
• Medicaid reporting: log the date of your meetings, the length of time of your meetings, what you talked about, if it was in-person or virtual meeting, next steps with the action plan. This reporting may be done using a computer. 

Duty 2 Ongoing Peer Mentor Training and Networking (15% of their work time)

• Attend trainings in person or virtually to improve skills with mentoring, person-centered planning, independent facilitation, self-determination, community inclusion, employment, health and wellness, independent living, and transportation.
• Stay involved with the Peer Mentor group through monthly and quarterly virtual meetings and other scheduled meetings.
• Attend an in-person Peer Mentor retreat once a year 
• Present about Peer Mentoring and self-determination at conferences, trainings and other events, when asked.
• Provide group peer education on self-advocacy, self-determination, and rights.

Agency Requirements (10% of their work time)

• Attend agency new employee orientation and training.
• Complete all State, County, and agency training requirements.
• Follow all agency policies and procedures, including code of conduct and ethics.

Educational Support (5% of their time)

• Share information at meetings for people, staff, and funders about the role of a Peer Mentor and Peer Mentor services