The mission of the Colorado Coalition for the Homeless is to work collaboratively toward the prevention of homelessness and the creation of lasting solutions for homeless and at-risk families, children, and individuals throughout Colorado. The Coalition advocates for and provides a continuum of housing and a variety of services to improve the health, well-being, and stability of those it serves.

The Colorado Coalition for the Homeless seeks a Peer Specialist with lived experience with homelessness, mental health and/or substance use and is in recovery. This position is willing to use and share his or her personal, practical experience, knowledge, and first-hand insight to benefit program clients and their support team. This position will provide assistance, support, and advocacy for program clients, identifying life choices and helping them overcome obstacles to achieve their goals. Focusing on the clients' strengths, this position will promote personal growth, development, and recovery. Using their lived experience, this position will support clients with the transition from homelessness to being housed. Specifically, the Fusion Studios Peer Specialist will work with residents of Fusion Studios and collaborating departments to ensure appropriate and individualized service and intervention. This position is located at 25 E. 16th Ave., Denver, Colorado 80202 and reports to the Program Manager.

Peer Specialist I - $20.00 - $24.36 | Hourly

Peer Specialist II - $21.00 - $25.58 | Hourly

NOTE: In order to ensure that our consumers receive the best possible care the candidate chosen to fill this position will be required to complete our internal credentialing and privileging process prior to a start date. The credentialing and privileging timeline is dependent on the selected candidate's submission of documents necessary for clearance. Please note that a start date will be scheduled once credentialing and privileging is complete.

Coalition Benefits

Essential Job Functions

1. Works to create a supportive working environment that encourages trauma informed and culturally competent interactions that build collaboration and create a kind and respectful atmosphere.
2. Provides excellent internal and external customer service, engendering an atmosphere of teamwork.
3. Communicates in a professional, timely, and effective manner orally and in written form.
4. Provides individual and group peer counseling and support, drawing on common experiences as a peer, to validate clients' experiences and to provide guidance and encouragement to clients to take responsibility and actively participate in their own recovery.
5. Offer hope through one's own life experience by using personal stories in a conscious, deliberate and professional way in the service of helping another.
6. Actively participates, collaborates, and contributes to the multidisciplinary team to promote a team culture in which each client's point of view, experiences, and preferences are recognized, understood and respected, and in which client self-determination and decision-making in service planning are maximized and supported.
7. Helps clients identify, understand, and combat stigma and discrimination associated with mental illness and homelessness and develop strategies to reduce self-stigma. Helps other team members to identify and understand culture-wide stigma and discrimination against people with mental illness and homelessness and works to develop strategies to address stigma within the team.
8. Maintains and ensures confidentiality of all client information.
9. Provides information and assists clients in skill-building activities, including Wellness Recovery and Action Planning (WRAP), goal setting, and problem solving.
10. Solicits, listens and responds to client feedback about services.
11. Attends and participates in formal and informal staff meetings, and addresses client and program issues.
12. Attends regular supervision with Program Manager and Lead Peer Specialist as required, and takes an active role in preparing for and participating in supervision to hone skills and develop as a professional.
13. Completes all necessary documentation including EHR in a timely manner.
14. Participates in performance assessment activities through data collection and by facilitating access to program clients.
15. Monitors clients' needs through regular contact and assists team in crisis intervention.
16. Organizes and facilitates social activities including creating and distributing event flyers to clients and staff. Social activities include office based client gatherings/potlucks, office -based process groups, and skill-building field trips in the community.
17. Spends a minimum of 50% of work time in direct client care (including face to face appointments, case management via phone, advocacy and linkages with external supports in the community) as reflected by EHR documentation.
18. Maintains a work environment that is marked by respect for others; that values inclusiveness; and that fosters cooperation and teamwork.
19. Appropriately responds to crises as they arise and in a trauma informed manner.
20. Drives company vehicles as required, including transporting residents if needed.
21. Attends required meetings and regular supervision, focusing on mastering the core competencies of the Peer Specialist profession.
22. Completes all required forms and reports in a complete and timely manner and utilizes all computer software systems appropriate to the position. This includes, but is not limited to, SafetyZone, EHR, HMIS, DayForce, and Microsoft Office.
23. Assists chronically homeless individuals transition into and maintain supportive housing.
24. Understands and follows the related policies and procedures of CCH.
25. Performs other duties as assigned.

Employee must be able to perform essential job functions with or without reasonable accommodation and without posing a direct threat to safety or health of self or others. To perform this job successfully, an individual must be able to perform each essential function satisfactorily. The requirements listed above are representative of the knowledge, skill, and/or ability required. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

Qualifications Summary

1. Prior or current recipient of mental health, substance use, and/or homeless services, with the ability to role model recovery, and is actively participating in their own recovery.
2. At least one year of being successfully housed is preferred.
3. Experience in operating computerized office equipment and telephones.

WHERE A CANDIDATE IS PLACED IN THE COMPENSATION RANGE DEPENDS ON TOTAL RELEVENT YEARS OF EXPERIENCE

The Colorado Coalition for the Homeless is committed to delivering services, making employment-related decisions, selecting volunteers, and selecting vendors without regard to age over 40, race, sex, color, religion, creed, national origin, ancestry, disability, genetic information, marital status, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, pregnancy, medical condition related to pregnancy, military status, or any other applicable status protected by law.

• Denver, CO, USA