Peer Support Specialist, Mobile Response and Stabilization Services

Job Description:

Peer Support Specialist, Mobile Response and Stabilization Services

Description

Summary

ABOUT THE DEPARTMENT:

Deschutes County Health Services supports over 400 staff in Behavioral and Public Health programs working to promote and protect the health and safety of the community in a broad variety of community-based settings.

Deschutes County Behavioral Health (DCBH) is the Community Mental Health Program providing safety net and core clinical services for community members in Deschutes County dealing with mental health and substance use conditions. DCBH is also a Certified Community Behavioral Health Clinic (CCBHC). As such, DCBH relies on multi-disciplinary teams to provide innovative, evidence-based, recovery-oriented services in behavioral healthcare settings co-located with physical health providers.

To hear from staff about working at Deschutes County Behavioral Health, please click HERE.
ABOUT THE COUNTY:

We know where you choose to live, work and play matters. Deschutes County is one of the largest employers in Central Oregon and the largest municipal government in the region. Our dedicated and passionate workforce of more than 1,250 employees provide County services in a number of departments, divisions, and offices.

Located in the heart of Central Oregon, between the towering Cascade Mountain Range to the west and the high desert plateau to the east, Deschutes County is the outdoor recreation capital of Oregon. W e enjoy a renowned quality of life, with big-city opportunities and small-town neighborhoods.

We hope you’ll consider joining our talented team.

ABOUT THE JOB:

Deschutes County is currently accepting applications for a Family Partner Peer Support Specialist as part of our Mobile Response and Stabilization Services (MRSS) program. The MRSS Peer Support Specialist works as part of a multidisciplinary mobile team to provide immediate crisis stabilization and follow-up support to families. They act as a bridge between the family and professional systems, fostering empowerment and helping families maintain children in their homes safely.

Incumbents will also be responsible for satisfactorily completing paperwork and electronic health record documentation according to Deschutes County Behavioral Health (DCBH) policies, procedures, and data integrity standards. A Peer Support Specialist is an individual with either personal experience with mental health or addiction issues, or a family member of an individual with mental health or addiction issues. A Peer Support Specialist draws on his/her own personal experience to assist clients in achieving recovery goals and resiliency; promotes self-determination, personal responsibility, and empowerment inherent in recovery; acts as a role model to persons in recovery to inspire hope; and shares life experiences and lessons learned as a person in recovery.

Key Responsibilities:

• Crisis Response and Stabilization: Provide face-to-face mobile support in homes, schools, or community settings during behavioral health emergencies.
• Family Mentoring: Share personal recovery stories to build rapport and model hope for families facing similar challenges.
• System Navigation: Help parents understand and access complex service systems (e.g., mental health, juvenile justice, and special education).
• Advocacy and Skill Building: Coach parents on self-advocacy and conflict resolution skills to improve family functioning.
• Resource Connection: Identify natural supports and community resources, assisting with applications for benefits (ie; Medicaid when necessary) and support with coordinating care with various agencies (ie; hospital, residential care, educational systems).
• Safety Planning: Collaborate with clinicians and families to develop and implement immediate safety and crisis prevention plans.

What You Will Bring:

Knowledge of or experience with:

• Personal experience as a parent or primary caregiver of a child who has navigated behavioral health challenges or social service systems.
• Approaches and skills used to promote resiliency, wellness, and empowerment.
• The effect of trauma on health, coping and other aspects of client needs.
• Principles of recovery, consumer-involvement and trauma-informed care.
• Crisis de-escalation.

Skill in:

• Strong active listening.
• Basic computer proficiency (for electronic health records).
• Modeling personal responsibility and self-care.
• Advocating for clients.
• Supporting and coaching strategies/skills for managing distressing symptoms.
• Sharing own experiences in appropriate ways.
• Keeping boundaries and form appropriate relationships with clients.
• Performing a wide variety of tasks to assist client's wellness.
• Communicating effectively both verbally and in writing.
• Establishing and maintaining effective working relationships with others at all times.
• Strong interpersonal skills, and the ability to work in a team environment.
• Experience and/or ability to work within high-pressure, crisis situations.

*This posting is not meant to be an all-inclusive list of duties and responsibilities, but rather constitutes a general definition of the position's scope and function.

Notification to all candidates will be sent via email and/or text only. Please opt in for text messaging or check your email and your Governmentjobs.com account for application status.

Review the full job description by clicking HERE.

Compensation

$4,267.00 to $5,718.24 per month for a 172.67-hour work month. Excellent County benefit package when eligible. This union-represented position is available immediately.

BENEFITS:

Our robust healthcare package covers medical, prescription, dental, and vision coverage at a minimal cost of $100 for employee only and $121 per month for employee plus dependents, which includes an innovative on-site clinic, pharmacy, and wellness and wellbeing services. Additionally, we include life insurance, retirement (PERS), generous paid time-off (14-18 hours/month to start, pro-rated for part-time), holidays, and professional development opportunities. Please click HERE for full benefit details.

Minimum Qualifications

• Must have a high school diploma or GED equivalent.
• As defined by Oregon Administrative Rule 309-032-1501, a "Peer Support Specialist" provides peer delivered services to an individual or family member with similar life experience, under the supervision of a qualified Clinical Supervisor. A Peer Support Specialist must complete an Addictions and Behavioral Health Division certified peer support specialist training program either at the time of hire or within four months from date of hire, and be a self-identified person currently or formerly receiving mental health services; or a self-identified person in recovery from a substance use disorder, who meets the abstinence requirements for recovering staff in alcohol and other drug treatment programs; or a family member of an individual who is a current or former recipient of addictions or mental health services.

Preferred Qualifications :

• Parent, foster parent or guardian of a person currently or formerly receiving mental health service or combined mental health and substance use disorder.
• Past personal involvement as a parent, foster parent or guardian with successful completion of services through behavioral health, child welfare, courts and/or alcohol and drug services.
• Bilingual in English and Spanish.

Necessary Special Requirements

Driving is a requirement for this position. Possession of or ability to obtain a valid Oregon driver's license within 30 days of hire date. The employment offer will be contingent upon presentation of an acceptable and verifiable driver's license, pre-employment screening for criminal history, driving history, and controlled substances (NOTE: Positive test results for marijuana use may result in rescission of a contingent offer of employment). This screening must be completed with satisfactory findings in order for a formal offer of employment to be extended.

Must have dependable transportation and be willing and able to drive throughout Deschutes County in sometimes-adverse weather conditions.

Must be willing to work a flexible schedule when needed to meet the needs of the client and department.

Must complete an Oregon Health Authority approved Certified Peer Support Specialist training program within four months of hire date.

Physical Requirements. Requires sufficient ambulatory ability to drive throughout Deschutes County and to provide face-to-face services in a variety of settings in the community, including but not limited to hospitals, jails, clinics, client homes, and community and residential settings within required response times; possess sufficient hand coordination to perform keyboarding and data entry; arm/hand movements to retrieve work materials and operate a variety of general office equipment. The position is frequently required to sit, walk, stoop, bend, reach, stand, grasp, talk, hear, see, and may occasionally lift up to 10 pounds.

If the final candidate is a current client of the Deschutes County Health Services Behavioral Health Division, they will be re-assigned to another agency for services.

Excellent County benefit package when eligible.
Deschutes County offers eligible employees a comprehensive healthcare package that covers medical, prescription, dental, and vision coverage at a minimal cost of $100 for employee only and $121 per month for employee plus dependents. Included in the health care package is the Deschutes Onsite Clinic (DOC), which provides a wide range of health, wellness, and primary care services to employees and their dependents. The DOC offers convenient hours and no out-of-pocket costs to patients. The DOC Pharmacy is a full service pharmacy available to employees and dependents to have their prescriptions filled at a discounted co-pay. In addition to the health care package, Deschutes County provides a generous and comprehensive benefits program to eligible employees.

When Are you Eligible:
If you are hired on the first business day of the month, your benefits will start on the first of that month (immediate benefits, either that day or back to the first of the month if the first is on a Saturday or Sunday). If you are hired after the first business day of the month, your benefits will start on the first day of the following month.

Employer paid benefit offerings include:

• Life Insurance for employee and dependents
• Accidental Death and Dismemberment Insurance
• Long-term Disability Insurance
• Employee Assistance Program
• Retirement Program through Oregon PERS
• Time Management Leave

Employee paid voluntary benefit offerings include:

• 125 Flexible Spending Program
• 457 Deferred Compensation Program
• Supplemental Life and Accident Insurance

To learn more about Deschutes County's generous benefit offerings, please visit www.deschutes.org/hr and click on Employee Benefits or click HERE for full benefits guide.

Closing Date/Time: 3/17/2026 11:59 PM Pacific

Salary:

$4,267.00 - $5,718.24 Monthly