Peer Support Specialist, Parent + Caregivers

Note - this position is for a Peer Support Specialist, Parent + Caregivers at Guided Pathways Support for Youth and Families (GPS) ; CL Strategic, a consulting firm, is facilitating the hiring process.

About Guided Pathways Support

Guided Pathways Support for Youth and Families (GPS) is a family-driven nonprofit organization dedicated to families helping families across King County. Guided by our mission to empower those navigating behavioral health and substance use challenges, we provide trauma-informed, peer-led support that centers on family voice and choice. Our team of certified peer counselors leverage their lived experience to model hope and possibility, providing one-to-one support, resource navigation, and strength-based advocacy that helps families achieve lasting wellness and resilience.

Position Summary

The Peer Support Specialist, Parent + Caregivers provides direct, peer-to-peer support to parents and caregivers navigating behavioral and mental health challenges within their families. This full-time role centers building trusting relationships, offering encouragement, and connecting families to resources. This role is expected to maintain an active caseload of 8–10 peers at a time and as assigned, engage in consistent peer outreach and support, and participate in organizational training and events as a representative of Guided Pathways Support.

Key Responsibilities

Peer Support

• Provide trauma-informed, culturally relevant, flexible and accessible peer support to parents and caregivers of youth using behavioral health services in King County, Washington, as assigned, for 8-10 families at a time
• Maintain consistent communication to peers through phone calls, texts, virtual meetings, or in-person check-ins
• Provide referrals to King County Behavioral Health System, the Children's Administration, and other child-serving systems as needed
• Share with parents/caregivers effective advocacy tools and resources for receiving support from these systems
• Ensure all peer encounters are documented after each occurrence and reported upon monthly using Guided Pathways’ tools and systems
• Actively follow and adhere to GPS’s current reporting policy and procedure, including reporting frequency, deadlines, and content requirements, to support the organization’s ability to meet their contract deliverables
• Adhere to confidentiality standards and HIPAA guidelines when handling peer information
• Stay up-to-date on GPS’s current policy and procedures for client referrals and accurately communicate relevant information with others
• Conduct and share ongoing research and community connections to learn about resources, services, and organizations in King County and surrounding counties that support yourself, your peers and your colleagues
• Practice and model self-care and leadership strategies that support your ongoing wellbeing and life-work balance as a Peer Support Specialist!

Organizational + Community Engagement

• Attend community events and health/resource fairs as a representative of Guided Pathways Support, as scheduled and requested
• Facilitate or co-facilitate training workshops with other GPS staff, as assigned
• Attend and actively participate in other weekly GPS facilitated trainings
• Participate in team meetings and external community learning opportunities related to child and family mental health, trauma-informed practices, and equity, as your schedule permits or is requested by your supervisor
• Attend and participate in staff meetings
• Attend any trainings or continuing education courses required by GPS and Washington State’s HCA related to maintaining your active certified peer support specialist status
• Enroll in additional trainings and/or certifications, as discussed with your supervisor, that enhance your ability to provide comprehensive support to your peers

Qualifications

Required

• Meaningful, personal experience navigating multi-system behavioral health Systems of Care within King County
• Lived experience providing care to someone with behavioral health challenges, disability, developmental delays, and / or substance use disorder
• 3-5 years of relevant experience serving in a peer-support role
• Demonstrated familiarity with Children’s Long-term Inpatient Program (CLIP) and Development Disabilities Case Services (DDCS)
• Strong written and verbal communication skills

Preferred

• Existing + active Certified Peer Counselor (CPC) or Certified Peer Specialist (CPSS) certification within Washington
• Demonstrated familiarity with Youth and Young Adult Housing Response Team (YART)

• Health Insurance: GPS offers 100% employer coverage of medical, dental, and vision insurance for staff and 50% employer coverage for up to two qualified dependents
• Paid Time Off: Full-time employees accrue 16 hours of paid time off per month (up to 192 hours per year) plus fourteen paid holidays per year

Work Laptop + Work Cell Phone: All staff receive a work laptop and work cell phone to communicate internally and with their peers.