Family Peer Support Specialist

Position Summary: 

Make a Difference in the Lives of Families

Every family deserves to feel heard, supported, and empowered when navigating their child’s behavioral health journey. As a Family Peer Support Specialist, you will use your lived experience as a parent, caregiver, or guardian who has navigated the behavioral health system to help other families find hope, build confidence, and connect with the resources they need.

In this role, you will serve as a trusted mentor, advocate, and guide—helping parents and caregivers recognize their strengths, navigate complex systems, and build a lasting network of support for themselves and their children. Through compassionate, nonjudgmental support, you will help families discover their voice, make informed decisions, and become active partners in their child’s care.

Your experience can make a difference. Your voice can inspire hope. Your support can empower families.

Position Responsibilities

As a Family Peer Support Specialist, you will:

• Empower Families: Help parents and caregivers identify their strengths, explore options, set meaningful goals, and make informed decisions about their child’s care.
• Promote Self-Advocacy: Equip families with the skills and confidence to express their needs, communicate their priorities, and advocate for their children.
• Connect Families to Resources: Help families identify and access community resources, school-based supports, and natural support networks, including trusted relatives, friends, and other caring individuals.
• Navigate the Behavioral Health System: Guide families through available services, explain access requirements, and help them understand their options and next steps.
• Strengthen Collaboration: Encourage clear communication and coordination among families, clinical staff, schools, community providers, and other members of the care team while maintaining the distinct, nonclinical role of peer support.
• Build Trusting Relationships: Offer empathetic listening, encouragement, and nonjudgmental support that honors each family’s unique experiences and circumstances.
• Honor Each Family’s Identity and Choices: Respect cultural backgrounds, languages, identities, values, and family preferences while protecting confidentiality and maintaining appropriate professional boundaries.
• Grow Through Learning and Supervision: Participate in required training and supervision, follow agency policies and procedures, and seek guidance from qualified professionals when a family’s needs extend beyond the peer support role.
• Contribute to the Team: Complete other duties as assigned to support program goals and the well-being of the families served.

Required Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities

The ideal candidate brings compassion, flexibility, and a genuine commitment to helping families thrive. Candidates should demonstrate:

• Knowledge of school systems and community resources available to children, youth, and families.
• Strong organizational skills and the ability to manage time, balance competing priorities, and meet responsibilities.
• Sound problem-solving and decision-making skills.
• The ability to handle sensitive information responsibly, protect confidentiality, and maintain professional boundaries.
• The ability to build respectful, supportive relationships with individuals and families from diverse backgrounds.
• Flexibility and adaptability in responding to changing family needs and program priorities.
• A commitment to ethical, culturally responsive, and family-centered peer support.
• Comfort using technology, including electronic service documentation systems.

Minimum Job Requirements

• High school diploma or High School Equivalency (HSE).
• Personal experience as a parent, foster parent, guardian, or other primary caregiver who has navigated the behavioral health system on behalf of a child.
• Current 40-hour Family Peer Support Certificate.

Essential Functions and Physical Demands

The following physical demands and functional requirements are associated with this position:

Position and Mobility

• Driving as required to fulfill assigned job responsibilities.
• Frequent or occasional walking and stair use.
• Frequent to constant sitting.
• Rare climbing or crawling.
• Infrequent balancing, stooping, kneeling, or crouching.
• Occasional to frequent reaching and handling.

Sensory and Communication

• Constant talking and hearing to communicate effectively with families, colleagues, and community partners.
• Occasional use of midrange and far visual acuity, depth perception, and field of vision.
• Rare requirements for feeling, tasting or smelling, and color vision.

Equal Opportunity Statement

All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation