Job Description

Peer Support Specialist (Suicide Prevention Center)

This is a hybrid position based in Santa Ana, CA. The pay for this position is $21.38-24.59 per hour.

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About Didi Hirsch

Didi Hirsch Mental Health Services has been a national leader in whole-person mental health, crisis care, and substance use services since 1942 and is home to the nation's first Suicide Prevention Center. We are a nonprofit organization providing care to about 270,000 people annually across our programs. Didi Hirsch has deep roots in community-based mental health and a commitment to providing culturally responsive services that are just and equitable. More than 1,000 dedicated employees and volunteers make Didi Hirsch's work possible.

Summary

As a Peer Support Specialist, utilizing your valuable lived experiences, specifically related to suicide ideation, surviving a suicide attempt, and/or losing a loved one to suicide, you will work alongside other members of the multidisciplinary team to foster engagement, provide advocacy, and connect clients with resources. You will draw upon your lived experience to offer hope, understanding, and authentic support, helping clients navigate their recovery and healing journey.

Primary Duties

• Orients clients and supportive individuals in the client's life to the mental health, medical, crisis, and social services systems.
• Facilitates individual meetings with clients, as well as peer-led groups focused on suicide prevention, suicide attempt recovery, and grief and loss support.
• Assists clients in identifying and building on their strengths while exploring barriers to wellness, healing, and treatment engagement.
• Supports clients in developing coping skills to address emotional pain, suicidal thoughts, and grief, while promoting physical and mental wellness.
• Provides coaching in daily living activities (budgeting, shopping, cooking, housekeeping, using public transportation) as tools to strengthen independence and resilience.
• Acts as a role model for hope, healing, and recovery, providing support in a mutually respectful and nonjudgmental way.
• Shares their personal recovery story, related to suicide ideation, attempt survival, or suicide loss, with clients in ways that foster connection and encourage the client's own healing journey, while maintaining professional boundaries.
• Uses motivational interviewing, trauma-informed care, and harm-reduction approaches to support clients' recovery and reduce suicide risk.
• Supports clients in accessing referrals to psychiatry, housing, primary care, grief support groups, and other resources as needed.
• Accompanies clients to appointments as needed and assists clients in advocating for themselves with healthcare and social service providers.
• Communicates with the multidisciplinary team regarding client progress, challenges, and potential suicide risk, providing timely feedback to ensure appropriate support.
• Works collaboratively with team members when clients are in crisis, helping to facilitate safety planning, conflict resolution, and ongoing connection.
• Engages with the community through events, collaboratives, and outreach to raise awareness about suicide prevention, intervention and postvention resources, ensuring visibility of the program resources in the community and to increase referrals.
• Maintains documentation of all services, ensuring compliance with Didi Hirsch policies and procedures, contracts, and other regulatory agencies.
• Develops and maintains peer advocate skills through ongoing seminars, workshops, or other training related to suicide prevention, grief and loss, trauma, and recovery.
• Consults with supervisor on client care decisions and program planning.
• Leads dialogue related to recovery and healing with team members to inform treatment from the perspective of someone with lived experience.
• Actively participates in team and staff meetings, community events, and supervision/consultation.
• Performs related duties as requested that support the client, programmatic needs and initiatives of the Agency.

Position Requirements

• High school diploma or GED required.
• Must be certified as a Peer Specialist through the successful completion of a qualifying training program. Alternatively, certification may be obtained upon approval at the start of employment, allowing for immediate integration into the role while pursuing certification.
• Must have lived experience with suicide ideation, as a survivor of a suicide attempt, and/or as a survivor of the loss of a loved one to suicide.
• Have a working knowledge of peer social support services, including peer-led groups, grief and loss support, and recovery resources such as community-based programs and support groups.
• Experience with or familiarity in billing through Medi-Cal and working within electronic healthcare systems. The ability to navigate these systems efficiently and ensure proper documentation and billing processes is essential.
• Support the values and mission of Didi Hirsch as related to employment.
• Knowledge of Agency policies and procedures, HIPAA, policies and documentation guidelines, and county, state and federal regulations relating to service programs for individuals and families with a history of suicide loss, suicide attempt, mental illness and/or substance use.
• Basic advocacy skills to include a holistic approach to integrated health care, case management, and suicide prevention and postvention support.
• Skills to present ideas, information, and viewpoints clearly, both verbally and in writing.
• Able to efficiently use the personal computer to include Microsoft Office Suite and Electronic Health Record.
• Ability to travel in the community and/or between agency sites to provide services in a variety of settings, including outpatient and field-based locations (home, school, etc.).
• Demonstrate commitment to team objectives and Didi Hirsch mission.
• Adapt to changing needs by acquiring new skills and knowledge.
• Ability to transport clients using personal or Agency vehicle and/or public transportation.
• Current California driver's license, car insurance, and a driving record acceptable to the Agency's insurance carrier.
• May be required to possess language fluency in a second language.

A future where everyone has equitable access to care and is empowered to achieve optimal mental health and well-being.

Didi Hirsch provides compassionate mental health, substance use, and suicide prevention services to individuals and families, especially in communities where discrimination and injustice limit access.

Excellence: We are constantly innovating, learning from the communities we serve, and applying the latest research to advance best practices. We uphold the highest ethical standards to ensure we are providing compassionate and excellent care.

Diversity & Inclusion: We value diversity of background, experience, and ideas. We celebrate differences and prioritize creating a sense of belonging.

Equity: We are dedicated to promoting health equity in our communities, and we work to dismantle disparities and discrimination within both systems of care and society.

Well Being: We are devoted to the well-being of our staff, volunteers, and communities, and believe healthy teams lead to healthy clients.

Advocacy: We advocate across all levels of government and use our voice to reduce barriers to care with the goal of access to high quality, integrated healthcare for all.

Community Engagement: We build partnerships in the community and across sectors to create a more inclusive and responsive mental health ecosystem and enhance greater accessibility to care and support.

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