SW - Peer Mentor (Peer Educator)

CHAMINADE UNIVERSITY OF HONOLULU

1. Position Information

Title: Peer Mentor (Peer Educator)

Department: Counseling Center

Non-Exempt

Part time

1. Position Summary

The Student Worker Peer Mentor provides peer-to-peer support to students navigating academic, personal, and social challenges. This role is designed to offer an approachable, supportive, and non-clinical space where students can feel heard, understood, and connected.

Peer Mentors serve as trained, NASPA-certified Peer Educators who help bridge the gap between students and formal counseling services. Through shared student experience, Peer Mentors normalize common stressors, promote well-being, and encourage help-seeking behaviors.

This position focuses on peer support, connection, and mental health advocacy rather than providing clinical treatment. The role offers students valuable experience in communication, empathy, outreach, and understanding student support systems within a university setting.

1. Learning Outcomes 

1. Demonstrate effective peer support and helping skills: Students will apply active listening, empathy, and validation techniques to support peers, demonstrating the ability to foster connection, reduce stigma, and promote emotional well-being.
2. Recognize role boundaries and appropriately refer to professional services: Students will accurately identify when student concerns exceed the scope of peer support and demonstrate the ability to refer peers to counseling or other campus resources while maintaining ethical boundaries.
3. Develop leadership and mental health advocacy skills within a campus community: Students will design and participate in outreach, psychoeducational programming, and wellness initiatives, demonstrating increased confidence in public speaking, collaboration, and promoting help-seeking behaviors. 

1. Reports to:

Direct Report to: Director of Counseling Services

1. Essential Duties and Responsibilities

• Provide one-on-one peer support sessions utilizing active listening, empathy, and encouragement.
• Create a welcoming, non-judgmental environment where students feel safe sharing their experiences.
• Normalize common college stressors and promote emotional well-being.
• Promote awareness of campus mental health resources and support services.
• Serve as a relatable and approachable first point of contact for students hesitant to seek formal counseling.
• Identify when concerns exceed the scope of peer support and refer students to appropriate campus services (e.g., Counseling Center clinicians).
• Maintain clear boundaries between peer mentorship and clinical counseling.
• Assist in developing and facilitating workshops, outreach events, and wellness programming.
• Engage with the campus community to increase visibility and accessibility of peer support services.
• Participate in supervision, training, and team meetings.
• Maintain strict confidentiality and adhere to ethical guidelines when supporting students.
• Communicate professionally with students, staff, and campus partners.

1. Training & Certifications

• These trainings ensure Peer Mentors are prepared to recognize signs of distress, respond appropriately, and connect students to professional support when needed.
  • NASPA Peer Educator Certification (or equivalent training aligned with national peer education standards)
  • Suicide Prevention Training, including:
  • QPR (Question, Persuade, Refer) 
  • ASIST (Applied Suicide Intervention Skills Training) 

1. Disclaimer

This list of responsibilities is not exhaustive. Details relating to both essential and non-essential functions of the job are not precise and are only an approximation, which can vary on a day-to-day basis and are subject to change on an as-needed basis and/or in the sole discretion of supervisory management.

1. Education and Experience

Minimum

Must be enrolled as a full-time undergraduate or graduate student or a part-time undergraduate or graduate student at Chaminade University of Honolulu

Preferred

Student should maintain a current GPA of at least 2.5

1. Required Knowledge, Skills & Abilities 

• Strong interpersonal and communication skills, including the ability to engage effectively in peer-to-peer interactions
• Demonstrated empathy, emotional intelligence, and cultural sensitivity
• Ability to maintain confidentiality and uphold professional and ethical boundaries
• Ability to recognize limits of the role and appropriately refer students to professional services
• Strong organizational and time-management skills
• Ability to work collaboratively within a team and take direction from supervising staff
• Interest in mental health, helping professions, or student support services
• Proficiency in Microsoft Office Suite (Word, Excel, PowerPoint) and Google Docs/Drive

1. Physical Requirements

Duties involve light work in an office and community setting and requires a minimum of physical effort with intermittent sitting, standing, climbing stairs, and walking inclines. Must be able to lift 20 pounds, walk the campus with ease, and have excellent motor skills. Must have finger dexterity. Must be able to communicate information and ideas so that others will understand.

1. Other Requirements: 

• This is a Part-time Non-Exempt Student Worker position. Depending on the project cycles and workflow demands of the department, additional hours or workday schedule changes may be occasionally required. Must be willing and able to work occasional nights and weekends and a varying schedule.
• Performs such similar, comparable or related duties as may be assigned or required
• Observes all safety and health regulations and works in accordance with safe work procedures and policies of the University. Reports unsafe acts/conditions and injuries in a timely and proper manner
• The employee is expected to adhere to all University policies while employed. The policies can be found at https://chaminade.edu/compliance/resources/ or on the employee Share Portal

1. Marianist Identity/Native Hawaiian & Pacific Island Serving: 

An expressed willingness to respect and support the Catholic and Marianist identity of Chaminade University of Honolulu and to perform all duties in a manner consistent with Marianist educational values and mission of the University. Understanding of and respect for the University’s designation as an institution that serves students of Native Hawaiian and Pacific Island ancestry.