Job Description

SUMMARY

The Peer Support Specialist (PSS) supports and promotes LACHC’s mission to show God’s love by providing quality, comprehensive healthcare to the homeless and underserved. The PSS provides recovery-oriented, culturally responsive, and trauma-informed support services to individuals receiving care at the Maple Street Campus. The position is grounded in the principles of mutual respect, empowerment, and shared lived experience, with the goal of supporting individuals in making self-directed choices that promote recovery and wellness. The role is an integral part of the interdisciplinary treatment team and contributes to the development and implementation of person-centered care plans.

ESSENTIAL DUTIES, RESPONSIBILITIES, AND PRIVILEGES include:

• Establish trusting relationships rooted in mutual respect and shared lived experience with program clients.
• Support individuals in identifying personal goals, enhancing quality of life, and removing barriers to recovery.
• Safely transport patients to scheduled locations throughout the Los Angeles Skid Row area for medical appointments. Ensures vehicle operations comply with traffic laws, safety protocols, and agency policies.
• Use personal lived experience to:
  • Share stories of recovery and resilience.
  • Model self-care, coping strategies, and recovery tools.
  • Encourage hope, empowerment, and personal agency.
• Provide individual and group support, including education, coaching, and navigation of systems of care.
• Support development of natural supports and connection to community-based resources.
• Co-facilitate peer support or wellness groups and recovery activities.
• Participate in Street Medicine or outreach efforts as part of integrated care teams.
• Promote self-determination using principles of harm reduction, trauma-informed care, and motivational interviewing.
• Collaborate with clinical teams in developing and updating individualized care plans.
• Document services in Next-Gen or other designated systems promptly and accurately.
• Attend multidisciplinary team meetings, supervision, and required trainings.
• Maintain client confidentiality and respond appropriately to crises or emergencies.
• Perform other duties as assigned.

QUALIFICATIONS:

To perform this job successfully, an individual must be able to accomplish each essential duty satisfactorily. The following requirements are representative of the knowledge, skill and/or abilities required. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

EDUCATION AND/OR EXPERIENCE:

• High school diploma or equivalent required.
• Must self-identify as having lived experience with recovery from mental illness and/or substance use disorder, either personally or as a caregiver/family member.
• Familiarity with harm reduction, trauma-informed care, strengths-based and participant-centered models.
• Understanding of the impacts of trauma, racism, poverty, incarceration, and homelessness on health and wellness.
• Proficient in interpersonal, written, and verbal communication.
• Comfortable documenting in electronic health record systems (e.g., NextGen).
• Certified Medi-Cal Peer Support Specialist (through CalMHSA) is preferred.

PHYSICAL DEMANDS:

The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

While performing the duties of this job, the employee is regularly required to sit and talk or hear. The employee frequently is required to use hands to finger, handle, or feel. The employee is occasionally required to stand, walk, reach with hands and arms, climb or balance, and stoop, kneel, crouch, or crawl. The employee must occasionally lift and/or move up to 10 pounds. Specific vision abilities required by this job include close vision, color vision, and ability to adjust focus.

WORK ENVIRONMENT:

The work environment characteristics described here are representative of those an employee encounters while performing the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

While performing the duties of this job, the employee will be exposed to carriers of contagious diseases such as TB, AIDS and other sexually transmitted diseases. The employee may have to deal with irate and irrational clients who may or may not be under the influence of mind-altering substances such as cocaine, marijuana, alcohol, etc.

WORK STATUS:

Full-time, Regular, Non-exempt position 403B Retirement Plan with employer match. Equal Opportunity Employer. We will consider candidates with criminal history. 

Los Angeles Christian Health Centers opened in 1995 with a handful of staff but a big vision to render hope and healing through healthcare to the thousands of homeless and low-income residents living in Los Angeles County. Today, 120 staff members serve the County’s most vulnerable populations from our two full-time health centers in Skid Row and Boyle Heights. We also provide comprehensive medical care at our 10 part-time satellite clinics hosted by our community partners throughout Downtown Los Angeles and Watts.

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