at Northeast Kingdom Human Services in Newport, Vermont, United States
Job Description
Position Overview
The Urgent Care Peer Support Specialist is an essential member of a multidisciplinary crisis team, providing voluntary, non-clinical peer support to individuals experiencing mental health, substance use, or co-occurring crises.
This role is grounded in direct lived experience and focuses on mutuality, empathy, advocacy, and respect for self-determination. Peer Support Specialists work alongside clinicians and other professionals while maintaining a clearly defined non-clinical role. This position does not involve clinical screening, assessment, diagnosis, or disposition decisions.
Key Responsibilities
- Provide non-clinical peer support through active listening, empathy, validation, and shared understanding grounded in lived experience
- Build respectful, trust-based relationships that support individuals in identifying their own needs, goals, and next steps
- Offer hope, perspective, and encouragement through intentional and appropriate self-disclosure
- Support individuals in understanding their rights and navigating urgent care and crisis services
- Advocate for individuals’ expressed preferences during interactions with systems and providers
- Assist individuals in identifying and accessing community-based resources and follow-up supports
- Support warm handoffs and continuity of care in collaboration with the broader care team
- Provide follow-up peer support, in person or remotely, as appropriate
- Document peer support services using agency-approved peer documentation tools
- Participate in team meetings, debriefs, training, and reflective supervision
