Certified Peer Support Specialist

About Us

BRIDGES Community Treatment Services is a nonprofit agency with nearly 50 years of experience delivering compassionate, client-centered care to adults with serious mental illness. Our Adult Full-Service Partnership (FSP) program provides intensive, wraparound, field-based services to individuals with complex needs, many of whom are or have experienced homelessness, hospitalization, or criminal justice involvement.

Our program is a recovery-oriented Full-Service Partnership (FSP) serving adults with severe mental illness (SMI). FSP programs provide “whatever it takes” support, helping clients with housing, employment, education, medication management, and integrated mental health/substance use treatment. FSP services are delivered in the community (in clients’ homes, shelters, streets, or other locations) to reach those who are often unhoused, experiencing severe mental health symptoms, and may be justice-involved. As a Peer Support Specialist in our Adult FSP team, you will use your own lived experience of recovery to offer hope, motivation, and practical guidance. This is a field-based role: you will meet clients where they are, including traveling throughout the San Fernando Valley (driving) to support recovery and wellness. The position is full-time with a regular schedule, though flexibility for some evenings/weekends is required (to match client activities).

Key Responsibilities

• One-on-one peer support: Meet with clients individually in community or home settings, sharing your recovery story to build rapport, trust and inspiration.
• Recovery planning: Assist clients in setting, implementing, and tracking personalized wellness/recovery goals (e.g., through WRAP plans), and teach effective coping and self-help strategies.
• Peer-led groups: Facilitate or co-facilitate support groups and workshops on coping skills, self-determination and social connection, helping clients practice new skills in a group setting.
• Resource linkage: Identify and connect clients to community resources (housing assistance, food pantries, clothing, transportation subsidies, etc.) and help them access these services. Assist with problem-solving and overcoming barriers to meet basic needs (transportation, employment, etc.).
• Advocacy: Advocate for clients’ needs and rights within the mental health system and broader community (e.g. housing, health care, benefits), ensuring each client’s preferences and voice are heard. Promote self-determination by supporting clients in making their own choices about treatment and recovery
• Team collaboration: Participate in multidisciplinary treatment team meetings with clinicians and case managers, sharing the consumer perspective and recovery expertise to shape individualized care plans.
• Client engagement and outreach: Conduct outreach (phone calls, text, home visits, street outreach, etc.) to engage clients who may be disconnected from services or experiencing crises, helping them overcome obstacles and re-engage with care.
• Accompaniment and support: Accompany clients to appointments, activities or community events as needed (including leisure/social activities), providing side-by-side support to enhance social skills and independence.
• Documentation: Maintain timely, accurate case notes and records for all client interactions and services, in accordance with agency and HIPAA standards.
• Additional duties: Attend required training and supervision; maintain professional development. Perform other tasks as assigned to support the FSP team.

Qualifications

• Peer Support Certification: Certified Peer Support Specialist credential preferred at hire (must maintain current certification) or willingness to complete certification training once hired.
• Lived experience: Personal recovery experience with mental illness (and/or co-occurring substance use) required. You should be able to use your own story positively to motivate and guide others and maintain appropriate boundaries.
• Education/Experience: High school diploma or GED (minimum). Experience working in behavioral health, peer support, case management or community outreach is strongly preferred.
• Communication skills: Excellent verbal and written communication; ability to build rapport, show empathy, and treat clients with dignity and respect. Strong interpersonal skills to work effectively with clients and team members.
• Recovery expertise: Knowledge of recovery principles, resilience, and coping strategies; understanding of the behavioral health system. Commitment to a recovery-oriented, strengths-based approach.
• Resource knowledge: Familiarity with Los Angeles County and San Fernando Valley community resources (housing, social services, transportation, etc.) and ability to help clients navigate them. Willingness to continually learn and update this knowledge.
• Driver’s license: Valid California driver’s license with insurance and access to a reliable vehicle. (Must be willing and able to drive to community-based appointments.) The ability to use public transit is a plus in order to help clients learn to navigate public transportation.
• Flexible schedule: Ability to work a flexible schedule (some evenings/weekends) to meet client needs and attend off-hour events as scheduled by the program director.
• Confidentiality and professionalism: Strong ethics, reliability, and professionalism, with commitment to client confidentiality (HIPAA).
• Cultural competence: Sensitivity to and respect for clients of all backgrounds, ages, cultures and identities. Commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion in practice. Bilingual Spanish is a plus, but not required.

Join our team and use your lived experience to make a meaningful difference in the lives of adults on their recovery journey in the FSP program.

The successful candidate must pass required physical/TB testing and criminal background checks as part of the hiring process.

How to Apply: Interested applicants should submit a resume and cover letter describing their peer support experience and commitment to recovery.

Job Type: Full-time

Pay: $26.00 - $28.50 per hour

Expected hours: 40 per week

Benefits:

• 403(b) matching
• Dental insurance
• Employee assistance program
• Health insurance
• Life insurance
• Paid time off
• Vision insurance

Work Location: In person