The Empowerment Program provides health, housing, and employment and education services to women and transwomen who are involved in the criminal justice system, have been recently released from jail or prison are homeless, living with HIV/AIDS, mental illness, and drug addiction.

• Maintain safety and security by monitoring all general access areas.
• Enforce the house rules as outlined in the handbook.
• Arm the security system each night at curfew and turn it off in the morning.
• Notify the Housing Manager of maintenance or safety/security concerns.
• Email significant events to the housing team and maintain daily logbook.
• Create and monitor daily chore assignments.

• Assist clients in articulating personal goals for recovery using one-to one and group sessions. During these sessions the PS will support clients in identifying and creating goals and developing recovery plans with the skills, strengths, supports and resources to aid them in achieving those goals
• Assist clients in working with their case manager or treatment team in determining the steps he/she needs to take to achieve these goals and self-directed recovery.
• Assist clients in setting up and sustaining self-help (mutual support) groups, as well as means of locating and joining existing groups.
• Utilize tools such as the Wellness Recovery Action Plan (WRAP) to assist clients in creating their own individual wellness and recovery plans.
• As much as possible, the PS will share their own recovery story and as the facilitator of these sessions, will demonstrate how they have directed their own recovery.
• Assist clients in building social skills in the community that will enhance job acquisition and tenure.
• Utilizing their recovery experience, the PS will:
  • Teach and role model the value of every individual’s recovery experience.
  • Assist the client in obtaining decent and affordable housing of his/her choice in the most integrated, independent, and least intrusive or restrictive environment by taking them out to view housing, either driving them or riding with them on public transportation.
  • The PS models effective coping techniques and self-help strategies.
  • Serve as a recovery agent by providing and advocating for any effective recovery-based services that will aid the client in daily living.
  • Assist in obtaining services that suit that individual’s recovery needs by providing names of staff, community resources and groups that may be useful. Inform clients about community and natural supports and how to use these in the recovery process. Community resources may include but not limited to: social security office, Department of Family and Children services, local YMCA, Library, restaurants, clients’ service organizations, apartment complexes and other types of housing, etc.
  • Assist clients in developing empowerment skills and combating stigma through self-advocacy. This will be accomplished through regular meetings, individual or group sessions. Using role playing/modeling techniques the PS provides opportunities for others to show/demonstrate how they have handled similar problems, how to present themselves in certain situations, or how to handle problems that may arise in interactions with others.
  • With assistance from the Program Coordinator/Team Leader, the Peer Specialist will work with the clients and other treatment team staff to develop a treatment/recovery plan based on each client’s identified goals. Treatment/Recovery Plans will be reviewed and signed by the Coordinator/Team Leader and other participating treatment team staff.
  • The PS will document the following on the client’s treatment/recovery plan:
    • a. identified person-centered strengths, needs, abilities, and recovery goals
    • b. interventions to assist the client with reaching their goals for recovery
    • c. progress made toward goals Adapted from Peer Support Technician

• Knowledge of the Recovery process and the ability to facilitate recovery using established standardized mental health processes.
• Knowledge and skill to teach and engage in basic problem-solving strategies to support individual clients in self-directed recovery.
• Knowledge of the signs and symptoms of mental illness (i.e. auditory and visual hallucinations, aggressive talk and behavior, thoughts of self-harm or harm towards others, isolation) and the ability to assist the client to address symptoms using strategies such as positive self-talk.
• Knowledge and skill sufficient to use community resources necessary for independent living and ability to teach those skills to other individuals with severe mental illness. Community resources may include but are not limited to: social security office, Department of Family and Children services, local YMCA, Library, restaurants, clients’ service organizations, housing providers, etc. The PS may accompany clients to community resources to assist them in accessing these resources.
• Knowledge of how to establish and sustain self-help (mutual support) and educational groups by soliciting input from mental health consumers on their strengths and interests.
• A valid driver’s license is required as some driving and/or transportation may be required to take clients to medical appointments, job sites, social activities, and other community resources.

• Many other various daily tasks

• Basic knowledge of Microsoft Office products
• Strong communication both written and verbal
• Ability to multitask.
• Team player
• Positive attitude
• Peer Specialist Certification is preferred

****The Empowerment Program is proud to be an equal opportunity workplace. We are committed to equal employment opportunity regardless of race, color, ancestry, religion, sex, national origin, sexual orientation, age, citizenship, disability, gender identity or Veteran status****