Certified Peer Support Specialist

Requirements

• Required Education, Certifications/Licenses and Language/Cultural Skills:
• High School diploma, GED or equivalent,
• Completion of a 75-hour peer support training program approved by the County of San Diego

Minimum Experience and Qualifications Required

• Ability to establish and maintain supportive relationships with clients from diverse cultural backgrounds.
• Familiarity with harm reduction, trauma informed care, housing-first and COACH principles.
• Abide by UPAC Code of Conduct and professional code of conduct.
• Must be able to drive (when needed) for business purposes to other program locations in San Diego County. If employee drives his/her personal automobile for UPAC business, employee must have valid California driver’s license and comprehensive automobile insurance coverage, as required by law.

Additional Preferred Education or Qualifications

• Have understanding and experience with participants experiencing homelessness, criminal justice interactions, substance use and mental health symptoms.
• Bilingual, bicultural experience preferred in one of the County of San Diego threshold languages (Spanish, Arabic, Chinese (Mandarin), Korean, Persian, Somali, Filipino (Tagalog), Vietnamese.

Benefits

Health & Wellness Employer paid health, vision, dental, life, AD&D, long-term disability, and Employee Assistance Program (EAP) Low-cost Aetna HMO plan Pet Insurance, voluntary life, critical illness, and accident insurance Paid Time Off Up to160 hours of PTO accrued per year during the first 5 years of employment 40 hours of sick leave available per fiscal year 12 paid holidays (including two days for New Year’s and Christmas) 1 floating holiday per fiscal year Bereavement Leave: 5 days off (3 paid) Workplace Flexibility Hybrid work schedule (available for select programs/positions) Financial Benefits 403 (b) retirement plan Free access to a financial advisor Bilingual pay differential (available for select programs) Eligibility for student loan reimbursement (varies by program/position) Professional Development Clinical supervision for registered associates, counselors, and peer support staff Partnerships with numerous universities/schools for internship placements