About the role
Pay: $20.00 to $23.50 per hour
Description
In Person | 20–24 Hours Weekly
Portland, ME
Join a Team that Values Recovery, Connection, and Lived Experience
Have you used your own recovery journey to build resilience, hope, and connection? Your lived experience can help others navigate their path toward wellness and recovery.
Alternative Wellness Services (AWS) is seeking compassionate and recovery-oriented individuals to join our Behavioral Health Home (BHH) team as a Peer Support Specialist. In this role, you will use your personal experience with mental health and/or substance use recovery to support individuals in building meaningful goals, increasing independence, and strengthening community connections.
This is a community-based position serving members throughout the Portland and Biddeford regions, with regular travel required.
Position Summary
The Peer Support Specialist provides recovery-oriented support services to individuals receiving Behavioral Health Home services. Peer Support Specialists use lived experience to provide encouragement, advocacy, mentoring, and connection while helping members navigate services and build self-directed recovery goals.
This role is not clinical in nature and does not provide therapy services.
Key Responsibilities
As a Peer Support Specialist, you will:
Utilize lived experience to provide hope, encouragement, and peer-based support
Build supportive and therapeutic relationships with members
Assist members in identifying strengths, goals, and recovery supports
Help members navigate mental health, substance use, medical, and community-based systems
Connect individuals with community resources and support networks
Encourage independence, self-advocacy, and wellness planning
Facilitate peer connection and promote community engagement
Participate in team meetings and collaborative care coordination
Complete timely and accurate documentation within the Electronic Health Record (EHR)
Maintain professional, ethical, and trauma-informed interactions with members and community partners
Additional Expectations
Participate in required trainings and maintain compliance with state licensing, CMS regulations, agency policies, and HIPAA standards
Flexibility to work occasional evenings based on member or program needs
Schedule
Part-Time Position
20–24 hours weekly
Flexible scheduling based on program and member needs
Some evening availability may be required
Benefits
AWS values and supports our employees by offering a comprehensive and flexible benefits package for eligible part-time employees, including but not limited to:
Medical insurance
Dental insurance
Vision insurance
Paid Time Off (PTO)
Paid holidays
Additional voluntary benefit options
Professional development and training opportunities
Supportive and recovery-oriented team environment
Physical Demands & Work Environment
This position is community-based and requires regular travel to member homes, community locations, meetings, and trainings throughout the Portland and Biddeford regions.
The role requires the ability to:
Stand, walk, bend, kneel, crouch, and navigate various community environments
Climb stairs and enter buildings that may not have elevator access
Lift and carry materials, files, laptops, and supplies up to 25 pounds
Utilize computers and electronic documentation systems regularly
Maintain awareness of surroundings and respond appropriately in community-based settings
Drive safely in varying New England weather conditions, including snow, ice, rain, fog, heat, and humidity
Reasonable accommodations may be made for qualified individuals with disabilities.
Why Join AWS?
At AWS, we believe lived experience is powerful. We are committed to creating a supportive, recovery-focused environment where peer professionals are respected as valued members of the care team.
If you are passionate about supporting others in their recovery journey and want to make a meaningful impact in your community, we encourage you to apply today.
Requirements
Required Qualifications
High School Diploma or GED required; Associate Degree preferred
Personal lived experience with mental health services and/or substance use recovery
Willingness to appropriately self-disclose recovery experiences in peer and community settings
Strong interpersonal and communication skills
Ability to work independently while collaborating effectively within a team environment
Basic computer proficiency, including Microsoft Office, Outlook, and Electronic Health Records
Valid driver’s license, reliable transportation, and acceptable driving record
Ability to travel regularly throughout the service area and work in community-based settings
Certification Requirements
Current State of Maine Certified Intentional Peer Support Specialist (CIPSS) certification preferred
Candidates who are not yet certified must be willing and able to obtain provisional certification within 9 months of hire and maintain certification requirements thereafter