Integrated Care and Recovery Services provides a range of supports to assist the program participants with mental health and/or substance use issues in the recovery process. Peer support specialists within the Pathways Specialized Unit are persons with lived experience with homelessness, mental health and/or substance use that will have a targeted focus of assisting program participants navigate service programs, transition into stable housing, and sustain their housing while also supporting participants’ mental wellness. Peer support specialists will partner closely with a social worker and a mental health/substance use professional in service delivery. Peer support specialists promote wellness, self-direction, and recovery by enhancing the skills and abilities of program participants to meet their chosen goals. They may assist by teaching daily living skills, helping participants navigate community resources, engage in meaningful daily activities such as work or school. Peer support specialists also help participants navigate service systems with dignity and without trauma.

• Self-Disclosure as a Tool: Use your own lived experience to provide relatable insights and mentorship that inspire hope and recovery.
• Cultivate Empowering Relationships: Build supportive, empowering relationships with peers, drawing from your lived experience to create trust and engagement.
• Inspire Hope: Inspire hope for recovery, stability, and wellness by modeling resilience and showing that change is possible.
• Facilitate Self-Determination: Promote self-determination as a guiding principle in your work, encouraging peers/program participants to make informed decisions that align with their goals.
• Respect and Inclusivity: Create an environment that respects peers and honors the value of lived experience, recognizing the significance of culture, community, and identity in their lives.
• Resource Sharing & Navigation: Provide information about community resources and recovery-oriented supports to guide peers/program participants toward services that meet their needs.
• Goal Setting: Facilitate person-centered goal setting to help peers/program participants identify and pursue their housing, recovery, and wellness aspirations.
• Trauma-Informed Practice: Apply trauma-informed approaches in peer relationships, creating safe spaces that acknowledge past trauma while promoting healing and recovery.
• Crisis Support: Assist peers/program participants in moments of crisis, offering emotional support and connecting them with appropriate resources.
• Effective Communication: Communicate clearly and empathetically with peers/program participants, team members, and clinicians, ensuring coordinated care and support.
• Collaboration and System Improvement: Actively participate in the homelessness response partner network, including Pathways Conferencing, to collaborate with community partners and improve service delivery and outcomes for individuals.
• Collaboration with Case Managers: Work closely with social workers and other service providers to ensure comprehensive and coordinated care.
• Documentation and Reporting: Accurately document client interactions and progress using required systems to ensure compliance with Medicaid billing and other funding sources.
• Adherence to Ethics & Competencies: Demonstrate a strong understanding of and adherence to the Code of Ethics, Scope of Practice, and Core Competencies as outlined by the WI Certified Peer Specialist Program in conjunction with ethics guidelines for La Crosse County employees and Core Competencies for staff in psychosocial rehabilitative programs.
• Housing Transition and Sustaining Support: Assist clients in preparing for housing transitions, finding suitable housing, and educating them on tenant/landlord responsibilities. This includes but not limited to hands-on assistance with housing searches and applications, identifying transportation and other housing-related resources, helping to address legal, credit issues and other barriers to housing.
• Post-Housing Support: Offer ongoing support to help clients sustain their housing, including skills coaching, problem-solving, and conflict resolution. This includes but not limited to supporting recovery plans, budgeting skills, transportation skills, medical self-management, re-building social connections, and connecting to resources.

• Strong interpersonal and communication skills.
• Empathy and ability to connect with individuals from diverse backgrounds.
• Problem-solving skills, particularly in housing and resource navigation.
• Ability to work collaboratively in a multidisciplinary team.
• Strong organizational skills and attention to detail for documentation purposes.
• Knowledge of the concept of functional zero homelessness.
• Knowledge of the Pathways Home plan, a City-County initiative aimed at reaching functional zero homelessness, and how to actively support and contribute to its goals.
• Familiarity with local community resources to assist with housing navigation
• Familiarity with local community resources to assist with mental health and substance use recovery supports
• Requires good computer and keyboarding skills for inputting data, and for using various computer programs, including internet, intranet and e-mail.
• This position may require schedule patterns to include evenings and/or weekends. Work hours will generally be Monday – Friday 8:00-4:30.

• Lived Experience: Must have personal experience with homelessness and/or self-disclosed mental health and/or substance use.
• Preference for at least one year of experience working with persons with needs relating to homelessness, housing instability, mental health, and/or substance use recovery
• Certification: Wisconsin Certified Peer Support Specialist or willingness to obtain certification within a specified timeframe.
• Valid driver's license and access to personal transportation, or other reliable means for city and rural travel