"Alerted.org

PEER SUPPORT SPECIALIST

Print (https://www.governmentjobs.com/careers/ashevillenc/jobs/newprint/5001533)

Apply



PEER SUPPORT SPECIALIST

Salary

$24.76 Hourly

Location

Asheville, NC

Job Type

Full Time

Job Number

2025-01633

Department

Asheville Fire Department

Opening Date

07/10/2025

Closing Date

7/30/2025 5:00 PM Eastern

+ Description

+ Benefits

+ Questions

Summary

Peer Support Specialists will work in tandem with the Asheville Fire Department (AFD) Community Response team to provide support to individuals who are unsheltered, experiencing mental, physical, behavioral health needs and/or affected by the Opioid Epidemic. Peer Supports will link these individuals to wrap-around community support services and assist in building a pathway to recovery and housing. Services will be delivered through a proactive, compassionate, and trauma-informed lens, founded on rapport and person-centered care.

Schedule:

3 days a week, 12.5-hour shifts

Essential Duties and Responsibilites

Outreach to encampments, non-traditional settings (such as bus stops, parks, under bridges etc.) and community spaces to build relationships and provide proactive, direct support to individuals who are unsheltered.

Link to community resources, including but not limited to: referrals to Mental Health, Physical Health, and Substance Use Treatment, referrals to appropriate Health and Human Service Agencies, provide materials to meet basic needs, and assist in connecting them to shelter and housing resources. Peer Support Specialists will assist and educate individuals on navigating these systems.

Educate individuals who are unsheltered on harm reduction methods and link them to relevant harm reduction resources.

Educate community members and businesses on methods and resources used to properly support individuals who are unsheltered.

Collaborate with other community social service agencies, community members and downtown businesses, as needed, in regards to implementing supports for unsheltered individuals.

Transport individuals when the need aligns within the scope of work.

Advocate for individuals as needed and provide culturally supportive and appropriate care.

Data Entry, Documentation, and Record Keeping. Data entry using ArcGIS Survey 123, document daily client interactions in Community Response Log, retain client information, and build case files as needed.

Crisis Prevention and De-Escalation

Ensure the individual’s confidentiality.

Additional Functions:

Performs other related duties as required.

Education and Experience

Knowledge, Skills and Abilities:

Must have lived experience with a diagnosable mental health disorder, substance use disorder, and/or homelessness

Knowledge:

+ Knowledge of Buncombe County social service resources

+ Knowledge of trauma-informed, cultural, and person-centered care

+ Knowledge of Motivational Interviewing Methods

+ Knowledge of basic case management methods

+ Knowledge of computer applications

Skills:

+ Skilled at creative problem solving when working with individuals who are unsheltered and/or in crisis situations

+ Skilled at decision making and critical thinking in complex, diverse, and challenging situations

+ Skilled at implementing Recovery Focused Approaches

Ability:

+ Sound ability to establish and maintain professional relationships when working with community partners, members, and businesses

+ Ability to maintain professional boundaries when working with unsheltered individuals

+ Ability to be flexible to the needs of a new program

+ Ability to work some weekends

Qualifications:

Minimum

+ High School Diploma or Equivalent

+ Drivers License

+ Peer Support Specialist Certification

Preferred

+ Bachelor's Degree in Human Services Field

+ One Year or more of work experience in the human services field after completion of Peer Support Certification

+ Established in own recovery

Special Requirements:

+ CPR and First Aid Certification

+ Must be available to work some weekends

The Peer Support Certification and additional applicable certifications referenced in the job posting must be obtained within six months of the hire date or within one year to maintain employment eligibility.

Physical Ability: Tasks require physical demands such as mobility for navigating different locations, including offices and fieldwork sites, requiring actions like sitting, standing, walking, and bending or some combination of climbing and balancing, stooping, kneeling, crouching, and crawling, and that generally involves the ability to lift and carry materials, usually around 10 - 15 pounds or more with assistance.

Sensory Requirements: Some tasks require the ability to perceive and discriminate colors or shades of colors, sounds, odor, depth, texture, and visual cues or signals. Some tasks require the ability to communicate orally.

Environmental Factors: Performance of essential functions may require exposure to adverse environmental conditions, such as dirt, dust, pollen, odors, wetness, humidity, rain, fumes, temperature and noise extremes, hazardous substances like blood or bodily fluids, toxic agents, traffic hazards, bright/dim lights, animal/wildlife attacks, animal/human bites, disease, pathogenic substances, or rude/irate customers.

About us: The City of Asheville is dedicated to providing quality service for the residents and visitors of our beautiful city, nestled in the Blue Ridge Mountains of western North Carolina. Asheville, NC is a thriving mountain city that has a culture enriched by its diversity. The City of Asheville values and respects a diverse community, workforce and ideas, and is committed to promoting an equitable, fair, and just employment environment. Our organization seeks to create and provide access and opportunities to employees, residents and visitors to fulfill their potential through inclusive engagement practices, relationship building and an authentic sense of belonging. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, national origin, religion, sex, gender identity, sexual orientation, age, disability, genetic information or veteran status. The City of Asheville is proud to be a second chance employer. The City of Asheville is an Equal Opportunity Employer. In compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act, the City will provide reasonable accommodations to qualified individuals with disabilities and encourages both prospective and current employees to discuss potential accommodations with the employer.

To view our comprehensive benefits package, click here (https://www.ashevillenc.gov/department/human-resources/compensation-and-benefits/) .

01

Select your highest level of education:

+ High School/GED

+ Associates Degree

+ Bachelors Degree

02

Do you have a Peer Support Specialist Certification?

+ Yes

+ No

03

How many years of work experience in the human services field do you have?

+ Less than 1 year

+ 1 to 2 years

+ 3 to 5 years

04

Do you have a valid driver's license?

+ I do not have a current driving license of any kind.

+ I do possess a current valid driver's license (Standard License)

05

Do you have CPR and First Aid certification? If not, can you obtain one within six months of hire?

+ Yes

+ No

06

Do you have lived experiences with a diagnosable mental health disorder, substance use disorder and/or homelessness?

+ Yes

+ No

Required Question

Employer

City of Asheville

Address

City of Asheville PO Box 7148 Asheville, North Carolina, 28802

Phone

828-259-5690 - Apply Online! - EOE

Website

http://www.ashevillenc.gov/jobs