POSITION TITLE: Peer Recovery Support Specialist

POSITION TYPE: Full-Time Position, Exempt

REPORTS TO: Therapist

COMPENSATION: Commensurate with experience

Agency Description

Nevada Partnership for Homeless Youth (NPHY) is the most comprehensive service provider for the thousands of young people experiencing homelessness in Southern Nevada, serving hundreds of youth through our core programs and touching the lives of thousands more through outreach each year. NPHY’s programs stabilize homeless teens' lives, meeting their immediate needs and providing a safe, supportive environment and a path to self-sufficiency.

Strengthening and complementing our high-quality direct services, NPHY is dedicated to advocating for this population and serves as a leader in systems-level efforts to eliminate homelessness among all Nevada’s youth.

Agency Culture

NPHY offers a positive, mission-driven work environment: we encourage each staff member to cultivate their unique talents and training and come together as a strong, synergistic team to better serve homeless young people. While working in a challenging yet rewarding field, you will be surrounded by compassionate, energetic, fun, happy, and friendly staff members who are like-minded and love what they do.

In addition to everyday interactions with youth, NPHY offers countless opportunities for youth and staff to experience new and fun things together to help the NPHY family create stronger bonds and model positive relationships and healthy boundaries with the young people we serve. NPHY also offers quarterly training to better equip our staff with up-to-date continuing education, skills, and resources to best serve and respond to a wide array of situations and needs.

NPHY doesn’t just accept diversity—we celebrate it, support it, and thrive on it for the benefit of our employees, clients, programs, and community. NPHY is proud to be an Equal Opportunity workplace. NPHY is dedicated to maintaining a welcoming, respectful, and supportive workplace where every employee, volunteer, and client feels valued. We seek to build a team that reflects the communities we serve and the young people whose lives we aim to change for the better.

Position Definition

Nevada Partnership for Homeless Youth is seeking an enthusiastic and driven Peer Recovery Support Specialist (PRSS). Peer recovery support is the process of giving and receiving strengths-based, non-judgmental assistance to achieve long-term recovery from alcohol or other drug problems and/or mental health issues. Peer support is provided by other people in recovery from addiction or co-occurring disorders, assisting others in initiating recovery, maintaining recovery, and enhancing the quality of personal life in long-term recovery.

Reporting to NPHY’s Therapist, this position will facilitate substance abuse recovery groups and drug education and prevention classes at the NPHY Drop-In Center (DIC) for youth across NPHY’s programs, as well as provide individualized support and mentorship to youth as needed. The PRSS will also build and strengthen relationships with substance abuse agencies in the community to enhance referral options and train NPHY staff on best practices and community resources. This position will provide services to young adults, ages 12-24, with an awareness of, sensitivity to, and respect for diversity of culture, ethnicity, gender identity, physical and mental abilities, sexual orientation, race, and spirituality or religion.

Essential Responsibilities

• Facilitate regularly occurring substance abuse recovery groups at the NPHY DIC for young people experiencing homelessness across NPHY’s programs
• Offer regularly occurring drug abuse education and prevention classes at the NPHY DIC for young people experiencing homelessness across NPHY’s programs
• Encourage and support youth to participate in activities and classes offered by the PRSS
• When a need for substance abuse support is identified by the Therapist or Residential Case Manager, the PRSS will meet one-on-one with identified youth to provide individualized support and mentorship and to serve as a motivator, role model, and advocate for youth
• Meet with youth residing in NPHY sponsored housing to consistently support & encourage youth with their recovery process
• Work with NPHY Therapist on treatment planning for youth
• Build and strengthen relationships with substance abuse agencies in the community to enhance referral options and serve as a resource broker, linking youth to additional support systems
• Train NPHY staff on best practices and community resources around substance use
• Collaborate with Peer Support Specialist and Youth Programming Coordinator on NPHY activities and sponsored events for youth
• Work with Therapist, Case Managers, and Program Managers to ensure youth are meeting program expectations, making progress on their case plan goals, and working toward self-sufficiency and recovery
• Participate in staff meetings, training, and come prepared for supervision meetings with the Therapist
• Actively assist and participate in needed program activities and special events, including attending all agency-required meetings
• Maintain accurate and up-to-date files as well as inputting all service placements into HMIS by end of shift
• Carry out other duties as assigned by the Therapist and Director of Programs

• High School Diploma or equivalent required
• Must be 21 years of age or older
• Must be in recovery from addiction for at least two years
• Must be able to complete the Foundation for Recovery’s Peer Support Specialist training and certification (may be completed while in training at NPHY)
• Experience working with homelessness, substance abuse, mental health and/or trauma-informed settings
• An understanding of diverse populations and cultures and issues specific to the young adult population
• Must have a valid driver’s license and clear driving history records; use of personal vehicle required with mileage reimbursement
• Able to maintain a high level of professional and ethical standards and client boundaries
• Strong engagement and interpersonal skills

Benefits

• The Nevada Partnership for Homeless Youth offers a competitive benefits program including three weeks Paid Personal Leave and fourteen paid holidays per year.
• NPHY also offers fully paid medical, dental, vision and life insurance plans for its regular full-time employees. Employees can also participate in a company sponsored 403(b) retirement plan with up to 3.5% match, and voluntary insurance plans.
• NPHY is also proud to offer holistic benefits to invest in YOU, click here for more information.

How to Apply & Deadline

• Apply via NPHY’s recruitment page
• Position is open until it is filled