Peer Specialist - Part-Time in Maywood, Illinois at HOUSING FORWARD

DEPARTMENT FUNCTION:

The Street Outreach team, individually and collectively, reaches people who might not otherwise seek assistance or come to the attention of the homelessness service system. The Street Outreach team identifies and engages people living in unsheltered locations, such as cars, parks, abandoned buildings, encampments, CTA stations and CTA trains, and on the streets.? Using a Housing First approach, the Street Outreach team makes referrals to permanent housing, shelter, or other temporary housing, without preconditions. The team works to meet unsheltered people’s basic needs while supporting them along the path toward housing stability.? The team embraces a person-centered approach that inherently requires flexibility, patience, strong engagement techniques, and empathy.

JOB SUMMARY:

The Peer Specialist uses lived experience of homelessness, mental health recovery, substance use recovery, or other relevant life experiences to engage and support individuals encountered on public transportation systems and at transit hubs. Working as part of a multidisciplinary outreach team, the Peer Specialist builds trusting relationships with individuals who are unhoused, living with severe mental illness, experiencing substance use disorders, or facing other barriers to stability.

The Peer Specialist serves as a bridge between vulnerable individuals and community resources by providing outreach, engagement, advocacy, system navigation, crisis de-escalation, and support in accessing shelter, housing, healthcare, behavioral health services, and other essential resources. This position utilizes trauma-informed, harm reduction, recovery-oriented, and person-centered approaches to promote safety, dignity, and self-determination. This position will work 10-20 hours per week in the evenings and nights.

JOB RESPONSIBILITIES:

Outreach and Engagement

• Conduct proactive outreach and engagement activities with individuals experiencing homelessness, behavioral health challenges, or crisis situations on or near the CTA Green Line.
• Build trusting, non-judgmental relationships using trauma-informed, recovery-oriented, and person-centered approaches grounded in peer support principles.
• Provide peer emotional support through shared lived experience, mutuality, respect, and to foster hope, encourage recovery, and support engagement with services.
• Work collaboratively in a dyad model with partner agencies during all assigned shifts.
• Assist individuals in identifying immediate needs, personal goals, and available community resources.

Crisis Intervention and Peer Support:

• Recognize signs and symptoms of mental illness, substance use disorders, trauma, and behavioral health crises.
• Provide crisis de-escalation and behavioral health support to address crisis situations safely and effectively.
• Maintain awareness of participant safety while respecting autonomy and choice. Provide emotional support, mentoring, encouragement, and practical assistance in a calm and nonjudgmental manner.
• Share recovery experiences appropriately to support engagement and inspire positive change.
• Follow established protocols related to safety, emergency response, mandatory reporting, and crisis intervention.

Documentation of Services:

• Complete nightly service logs of encounters with clients on the CTA trains.
• Maintain confidentiality and comply with all applicable privacy and documentation standards.
• Ensure compliance with organizational policies, grant requirements, CTA protocols, and applicable regulations.

Other:

• Participate in required training and professional development activities.
• Maintain certification requirements as applicable.
• Log activities and time as required by the agency and its funders.
• Attend team and agency meetings and training.
• Attend the required 3-day CTA mandatory safety training.
• Other tasks as assigned.

KEY COMPETENCIES:

Knowledge, Skills & Abilities

• Bilingual Spanish and English fluency highly desirable.
• Effective crisis intervention skills.
• Knowledge of issues related to homelessness, poverty, mental health, and substance use.
• Knowledge of homeless response systems, coordinated entry, and community resources.
• Ability to keep appointments punctually, be organized and demonstrate accountability and follow through.
• Openness to new ideas and skills and commitment to learning through reading and with hands-on-training.
• Strong interpersonal and direct communication skills.
• Represent the agency in a professional and ethical manner.
• Ability to maintain an active team approach with all staff in all work-related situations and with the staff of other agencies/organizations.
• Ability to write routine reports and correspondence.
• Ability to maintain accurate records in compliance with applicable regulations and standards

PHYSICAL REQUIREMENTS:

While performing the duties of this job, the employee is regularly required to use hands and talk or hear. The employee is frequently required to stand, walk, sit, reach with hands and arms balance, stoop, kneel or crouch, walk stairs drive a vehicle and use a computer. Ability to lift up to 25 pounds and safely navigate community environments.

ENVIRONMENT/WORKING CONDITIONS:

Working Conditions

• Frequent travel throughout the community and on public transportation routes.
• Combination of office, field, and mobile outreach environments.
• Exposure to outdoor weather conditions and high-acuity situations.

Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions of the position.

Housing Forward does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, citizenship, ethnic or national origin, age, disability, medical status, military status, veteran status, marital status, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, genetic information, ancestry, or any legally protected status. This policy applies to all employment practices within our organization, including hiring, recruiting, promotion, termination, layoff, recall, leave of absence, compensation, benefits and training. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, ethnicity, religion, sexual orientation, veteran status, national origin, or disability.

Job descriptions are not intended and should not be construed to be all-inclusive lists of all responsibilities, skills, efforts or working conditions associated with a job. While this job description is intended to be an accurate reflection of the job requirements, management reserves the right to modify, add or remove duties from particular jobs and to assign other duties, as necessary. This job description does not constitute a written or implied contract of employment.