Peer Support Specialist

City of Boston Residency Required

Mission Statement

The mission of the Boston Public Health Commission (BPHC) is to work in partnership with communities to protect and promote the health and well-being of all Boston residents, especially those impacted by racism and systemic inequities. The BPHC sets an expectation that all staff and leadership commit, individually and as part of the BPHC team, to hold ourselves accountable to establishing a culture of anti-racism and advance racial equity and justice through each of our bureaus, programs, and offices.

Job Description

The Commission’s Homeless Services Bureau, in existence since 1983, has extensive experience providing integrated primary health, substance abuse, and mental health services to homeless individuals. We offer transitional health and social assistance to homeless Bostonians, including emergency shelter and permanent supportive housing throughout the city and a broad range of rehabilitative. Our programs are part of a continuum of care designed to help homeless individuals achieve independent living in permanent housing in the community. We are one of the largest providers of emergency shelter in New England--running two emergency shelters, which operate 24 hours a day 365 days a year and provide more than 5,000 homeless individuals annually with food, beds, lockers, emergency clothing, health care, case management, and housing service services. Utilizing a Housing First framework, the housing search and placement department provides an array of programs and supports to help guests quickly find and move into permanent housing. The housing department provides housing search and placement services to homeless individuals looking for housing. These services are essential to help homeless individuals navigate the complexity in obtaining housing. Services include identifying available units, accompanying individuals to view units, negotiating directly with property owners, working with individuals to help them mitigate and address their barriers to accessing housing (e.g. criminal record), assisting individuals with completing all aspects of the lease-up process, securing rental start-up funds and making supported referrals to other types of move-in assistance as needed (e.g. furniture bank).

Peer Support Specialists function as role models to peers, exhibiting competency in personal recovery and use of coping skills to serve as a consumer advocate and provide consumer information and peer support to help clients move out of shelter and into housing. Responsibilities include:

• Perform a wide range of tasks to help clients regain independence within the community, mastery over their own recovery process, and move out of shelter into permanent housing.
• Outreach to and built relationships and rapport with shelter guests; engaging them in housing services.
• Coordinate, plan, and conduct housing education classes and events.
• Assist clients in applying for and obtaining IDs—including social security cards, IDs, and birth certificates
• Assist clients in completing various housing and housing-related applications, including BHA applications
• Bring clients on apartment viewings and lease signings
• Transport clients to housing-related appointments, including BHA, RMV, social security office, job fairs, furniture bank , etc.
• Assist clients get any documentation for SSI/SSDI applications.
• Work with the Mayor’s Health Line to schedule appointments for clients.
• Assist in locating clients to inform them of key housing events and opportunities.
• Accompanying staff on wellness checks and other visits requiring multiple staff for safety reasons
• Performs other duties as assigned.

Minimum Qualifications

• High school diploma or equivalent.
• Previous participation in Mental Health or Substance Abuse service systems as recipient of service and a willingness to convey this experience is highly desirable.
• Must be certified or be eligible for the Massachusetts Peer Specialist training or equivalent and be certified within 6 months of being hired. https://transformation-center.org/home/training/certified-peer-specialists/
• 1 year of experience in related field desirable.
• Valid Mass Driver’s license strongly preferred.
• Strong interpersonal skills and the ability to build trust and rapport with individuals from different backgrounds.

Additional Information

• City of Boston residency is required; Allston, Back Bay, Bay Village, Beacon Hill, Brighton, Charlestown, Chinatown, Dorchester, Downtown, East Boston, Fenway-Kenmore, Hyde Park, Jamaica Plain, Mattapan, Mid-Dorchester, Mission Hill, North End, Roslindale, Roxbury, South Boston, South End, West End, West Roxbury, Wharf district.
• A Criminal Offenders Records Information request must be completed for this position. However, a record is not an automatic bar to employment but is reviewed in relation to the job applied for.
• Certain immunizations will be recommended and/or required prior to commencement of employment duties.
• Any position that requires an advanced degree will be subject to education verification.
• Certain positions at the BPHC may be Grant Funded.
• The Boston Public Health Commission is an EEO Employer and all applicants meeting the minimum requirements are eligible to apply.
• Certain positions at the BPHC may require Child Protective Service Background verification.
• The advertised shift and schedule are subject to change at the department's discretion.

Shift

Sunday through Thursday

Grant Funding Information

This position is dependent on grants / external funding sources.

Pay Range

$18.78 - $19.85 Hourly