Permanent Supportive Housing Peer Support Specialist
THIS IS A TEMPORARY POSITION
Job Summary:
Using a Housing First and Trauma-Informed approach, the Permanent Supportive Housing (PSH) Peer Support Specialist for Dr. Maya Angelou Village will promote self-sufficiency and decision-making abilities to formerly homeless individuals and families as they work to maintain stable housing. The Peer Support Specialist will work alongside PSH Case Planners to provide ongoing supportive services tailored to client needs connecting housing stability and mental wellness. This position is part of a 7-person service team that collaborates to serve 45 units at DMAV. The individuals we serve face many challenges, including mental health, substance use disorders, and/or chronic medical conditions in addition to chronic homelessness. This is a temporary position ending September 30, 2026.
The PSH Peer Support Specialist supports AFG’s mission by connecting individuals and families experiencing homelessness to permanent sustainable housing and supportive services.
Key Responsibilities:
- Facilitate on site services & programming that meet the diverse needs of the DMAV residents.
- Instruct participants in daily living skills, socialization skill enhancement and conflict resolution.
- Assist in clarifying mental health and recovery goals as appropriate.
- Teach and reinforce effective coping strategies, symptom management skills, and de-escalation strategies.
- Assist and support participants to carry out daily activities such as personal hygiene, nutrition education, meal planning, grocery shopping, food preparation, and other household duties.
- Work side by side with participants to assist, teach, and empower access to needed community resources, access reliable transportation, and connect to needed health services.
- Advocate on behalf of participants with outside service providers.
- Work with PSH Case Planners to provide supportive services to increase interpersonal relationships and leisure skills.
- Assist in maintaining up-to-date, accurate individual case records on each assigned participant.
- Network with community service providers to identify programs and resources that will increase participant skills and self-sufficiency.
- Ensure consistent contact with participants based on assessed needs, program policies, and funding guidelines. Participant engagement will include on-site home visits with PSH Case Planners.
- Assist participants in accessing needed medical, mental health, substance use and psychosocial supportive services
- Help participants develop life skills necessary to sustain permanent housing, such as: obtaining employment, obtaining and maintaining governmental benefits programs, participation in educational opportunities, developing housekeeping skills, money management etc.
- Assist participants with conflict resolution among neighbors and with any landlord/tenant issues
- Design and lead recreational and social events, occasions, and outings to enhance participants’ quality of life and increase self sufficiency
- Assist with facilitating and organizing resident meetings and resident councils/committees.
- Ensure completion of required documentation and data entry for all program activities
- Participate in agency and department trainings, meetings, and special events.
- Attend regularly scheduled staff meetings and supervision as well as in-service training and development activities.
- Maintain accurate files
- Perform other duties, as assigned
Demonstrated Abilities:
- Ability to utilize appropriate tools and approaches for empowering clients (ie. Motivational interviewing)
- Ability to work effectively both independently and as part of a team.
- Demonstrate maturity and professionalism even in stressful situations.
- Commitment to an empowering, client-centered and trauma informed approach to peer support.
- Ability to set priorities, take initiative and meet deadlines
- Good communication skills, diplomacy and tact
- Interest and experience working with individuals who may be difficult to engage; experience with harm reduction
- Ability to work with diverse populations in a non-judgmental way
- Good decision-making, conflict-resolution and effective listening skills
- Ability to handle crisis, cope with job stress and maintain confidentiality
- Flexibility to work evening/weekend hours as programmatic needs dictate.
Requirements and Desired Skills/Knowledge
- Requires a minimum of a high school diploma or GED
- Lived experience with homelessness, chronic housing instability, living below the poverty line, engagement with community mental health, diagnosed with a mental health condition and/or aging out of foster care is strongly preferred
- MDHHS Certified Peer Support Specialist Certification Highly Preferred
- Familiarity with the Detroit community and its social service resources is needed
- Requires basic computer software and internet skills
- Requires valid Michigan driver’s license, reliable transportation, good driving record and meet minimum Michigan insurance requirements
Physical Demands
The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of the job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions. While performing the duties of this job, the employee will be required to sit for long periods of time, drive a vehicle with passengers, communicate with other persons by talking and hearing, required to lift and carry items weighing up to 25 pounds and to operate computer hardware systems.