Peer Support Specialist

Who We Are: Central City Health (CCH) has been serving the under-housed and at-risk population in metro Detroit since 1972 by providing integrated healthcare services. Our services include primary and pediatric care, dental care, behavioral and SUD care, supportive housing, and community re-entry services, to name a few. In 2024, our President/CEO, Dr. Kimberly Farrow-Felton, received the esteemed Healthcare Hero Award from Crain’s Detroit Business, honoring her exceptional contributions to the health and well-being of our community.

Our Mission: To achieve wellness in the community by providing an array of primary and behavioral health care, housing, and substance abuse services with dignity and respect.

Our Core Values: CCH is guided by a set of values in fulfilling our mission.

Some of our values include:

• An environment that supports health and recovery.
• Person-centered principles in the delivery of care.
• An environment characterized by cultural sensitivity, integrity, teamwork, and trust.
• A commitment to service excellence and continuous quality improvement.
• Persons served take both an active part in their treatment and the organization.
• An atmosphere of welcoming and accessibility to people seeking our services that assures “no wrong door.”

You Get:

• 14 Paid Holidays Annually.
• 18 PTO Days (less than 1 Year; 27 Days on 1st Year Anniversary).
• Benefit Coverage after 30 Days: Medical/Dental/Vision/Short-term Disability.
• Company-Paid Life Insurance.
• Retirement Savings 403(b).
• Tuition Reimbursement.
• Continuing Education Allowance.

Job Summary:
Central City Health is committed to enabling every patient in our community to thrive by building a collaborative multidisciplinary healthcare team. The Peer Support Specialist provides peer support services to clients experiencing mental illness, chronic health condition(s), and/or homelessness. The Peer Support Specialist is an active member of the integrated care team and functions as a role model to peers, exhibiting competency in personal recovery and the use of coping skills; serving as a patient advocate and providing information and support. He/She performs a wide range of tasks to assist patients in regaining independence within the community and mastery over their own recovery process. Through skill building and other supportive interventions, the Peer Support Specialist can assist fellow consumers/patients in effectively utilizing resources, managing symptoms of their illness, and developing daily living skills to gain greater independence.
 

Responsibilities:

• Ensures job performance represents the organization in a professional manner.
• Conducts outreach services, targeting individuals in need of a medical home.
• Assists patients in gaining access to and navigating a primary health care medical.
• Conducts eligibility determinations and enrollment follow-ups.
• Provides recovery education to service recipients for every phase of the recovery.
• Assist patients in creating individual wellness plans.
• Provides patient support in identifying and creating goals and developing plans.
• Links individuals to appropriate resources when needed.
• Teaches patients how to identify and combat negative self-talk.
• Provides ongoing assistance to patient(s)/family to increase health literacy.

Education & Experience:

• High School Diploma or GED equivalent required.
• Peer Support Specialist Certification required.
• Current Michigan Chauffeur’s Driver’s License required.
• Demonstrated ability to adhere to State of Michigan driving laws.
• Experience working with patients exhibiting severe and persistent mental illness.
• Ability to work with staff and others involved in the delivery of service to patients.
• Two (2) years of experience as a certified peer support specialist preferred.
• Ability to maintain composure during stressful situations.
• Basic Life Support (BLS) certification required.

“This is an outline of the primary responsibilities of this position. As with everything in life, things change. The tasks and responsibilities can be changed, added to, removed, amended, deleted, and modified at any time by the organization. CCH is an Equal Opportunity Employer committed to a culturally diverse workforce. We are committed to providing an inclusive environment based on mutual respect for all candidates and team members. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, religion, color, age, sex, national origin, sexual orientation, height, weight, marital status, gender identity or expression, disability status, protected veteran, or other legally protected status by state or federal law. At CCH, the health and safety of our employees is our top priority. Vaccination has been proven to play a critical role in combating COVID-19. As a result, CCH prefers that employees are fully vaccinated against COVID-19; however, it is not required.”