Kitsap Mental Health Services Careers

Full-Time Peer Support Specialist – Residential Services

Hiring Range: $20.07 – $24.58 Per Hour

Benefits: 

• Comprehensive Health & Wellness Coverage: Enjoy extensive health, dental, and vision benefits to support your well-being, with access to top-tier care and services.
• Generous Paid Time Off: Take advantage of up to 19 days of paid time off (PTO), plus 2 mental health days and 10 paid holidays in your first year, giving you the time you need to recharge and take care of yourself. (Pro-rated for part-time employees.)
• Company-Paid Life & Disability Insurance: We’ve got you covered with short-term disability, long-term disability, and life insurance, all provided at no cost to you, so you can feel secure in every situation.
• Student Loan Assistance & Professional Development: Benefit from student loan repayment assistance and a commitment to your growth with extensive training and development opportunities to advance your career.
• 403(b) Retirement Plan: Take control of your future with a wide range of investment options in our 403(b) plan. Depending on eligibility, you could also receive generous company contributions to help grow your retirement savings.
• Employee Assistance Program (EAP): Access confidential support through our EAP, offering resources for personal and professional challenges, including counseling, financial advice, and more.
• Pets Best Pet Insurance: Keep your furry family members healthy with comprehensive pet insurance for your cats and dogs, covering a variety of treatments and services.
• 2MorrowHealth Behavioral Change App: Improve your mental and physical well-being with free access to 2MorrowHealth, a powerful app designed to support healthy behavior changes and wellness goals.
• Home Support Services: Whether you’re buying, selling, or refinancing, we offer valuable resources to assist with your home journey, helping you navigate the process with confidence.
• Dynamic, Collaborative Team Environment: Join an incredible team that thrives on collaboration, creativity, and support, where every voice is heard and every idea valued.

Kitsap Mental Health Services (KMHS) is hiring a Residential Services Peer Support Specialist to provide hope and guidance to individuals navigating their recovery from serious mental illness. Drawing on personal lived experience, the Peer Support Specialist plays a vital role in the recovery process by building trust, reducing stigma, and helping others work toward independence and personal goals. This is an incredible opportunity to be part of a mission-driven team that believes in the power of peer support and client self-determination.

Primary Responsibilities:

• Provide one-on-one peer support, offering encouragement and practical guidance using lived experience.
• Promote empowerment and help individuals achieve recovery goals and increase independence.
• Assist clients in understanding and applying recovery concepts to daily life and care planning.
• Facilitate peer-led groups and contribute to a therapeutic, trauma-informed environment.
• Observe and assess client mental status; follow behavioral protocols and safety procedures.
• Support clients in planning and participating in social and leisure activities, including evenings and weekends.
• Act as a liaison to consumer advocacy groups and help clients identify and utilize community resources.
• Educate and support clients in exercising their rights, including navigating grievance processes.
• Maintain appropriate professional boundaries while providing compassionate, peer-based support.
• Complete documentation, clinical notes, and other paperwork in a timely and accurate manner.
• Participate in staff meetings, training, and ongoing supervision to maintain certification and agency standards.

Minimum Qualifications:

EDUCATION: High School Diploma or GED

EXPERIENCE: Entry level (no prior related work experience)

This position requires driving clients in a personal vehicle on behalf of the agency; therefore, the incumbent must meet agency driving requirements, including meeting the minimum age requirement of 21 years old, successfully completing a motor vehicle history check, possessing and maintaining a current, valid driver's license in the state of Washington, and having reliable, insured transportation.

Valid WA State Food Worker Card

LICENSURE: Agency Affiliated Counselor Registration. Completion of the Washington State Mental Health Division’s Peer Counselor Training and the subsequent certification as a Peer Counselor within six months of employment.

Preferred Qualifications:

EXPERIENCE: Relevant experience working with clients with severe and persistent mental illness.

Capacity to work well with children and families.

Performance Requirements:

KNOWLEDGE:

1. Maintain a working knowledge of current trends in community mental health, including health care reform and automation of job tasks using computer technology.
2. Maintain a working knowledge of mental health rehabilitation standards.

SKILLS:

1. Skill in establishing and maintaining effective working relationships with other employees, clients, organizations, and the public.
2. Communication ‑ Communicates clearly and concisely.
3. Computer skills - The ability to operate a personal computer, fax machine, printer, and copier proficiently.

ABILITIES:

1. Demonstrated ability to maintain appropriate professional boundaries while balancing the sometimes conflicting demands of being both a peer to clients and an employee of the agency.  Seek appropriate clinical supervision where necessary, particularly around boundary issues.

1. Demonstrated ability to meet or exceed productivity standards.
2. Ability to provide oral and written feedback on consumer progress to the treatment team, including the timely completion of e-cet based clinical notes.
3. Demonstrated ability to work cooperatively and collaboratively as a team member.

Equipment Operated: Standard office equipment including computers, fax machines, copiers, printers, telephones, etc.

Work Environment: Frequent mobility and/or sitting required for extended periods.

Mental/Physical Requirements:  While performing the job duties, the employee is required to walk, sit, use hands and fingers, reach with arms, talk, or listen.  Peripheral vision is also required for this position.

Our recruitment processes are designed to prevent discrimination against our people regardless of gender identity or orientation, religion, ethnicity, age, neurodiversity, disability status, citizenship, or any aspect which makes someone unique.