Peer Support Specialist

Peer Support Specialist RecoveryWorksDenver MetroThe mission of RecoveryWorks is to create access to opportunities for community, recovery, and resources alongside our unhoused neighbors. The Peer Support Specialist provides relationship-centered support while helping maintain a safe, respectful, welcoming, and recovery-oriented environment during evening, overnight, weekend, and other non-traditional hours at RecoveryWorks. Drawing on lived and life experience, the Specialist builds trust through authentic connection and supports individual wellbeing and community safety. This work is grounded in mutuality, dignity, self-determination, and trauma-informed practice. This is a peer support role rather than a clinical, case management, law-enforcement, or traditional security position. The Specialist provides non-clinical support, assists with verbal de-escalation and crisis response, connects guests with appropriate RecoveryWorks and community resources, and engages other professionals when needs fall outside the peer support role. The Specialist also maintains awareness of the physical environment, conducts safety and facility rounds, responds to health and environmental concerns, communicates emerging needs to the broader program team, and follows established emergency and escalation procedures. This is a full-time non-exempt position that reports to Facilities and Safety Manager. Peer Support & Community Engagement Build authentic, trusting relationships with guests through consistent presence, active listening, respect, and appropriate use of lived experience. Provide non-clinical peer support that promotes hope, self-determination, recovery, connection, and individual choice. Support guests during difficult evenings or periods of distress through conversation, grounding, encouragement, and connection to appropriate resources. Model healthy boundaries, recovery-centered values, respectful communication, and community accountability. Support multiple pathways to recovery and avoid prescribing a specific recovery approach to guests. Help guests identify needs and connect or reconnect with Case Managers, behavioral health providers, recovery supports, health care, housing resources, and other services. Provide warm handoffs and communicate relevant guest needs to the daytime team to strengthen continuity of care. Facilitate or co-facilitate informal peer activities, recovery conversations, community-building activities, or groups when assigned and appropriately trained. Community Safety & Environment Maintain an active, visible, calm, and approachable presence throughout assigned shifts. Conduct routine interior and exterior rounds of common areas, guest sleeping areas, bathrooms, entrances, parking areas, and the property perimeter for health, safety, facility, and unauthorized-access concerns. Monitor entrances and common spaces, support appropriate guest and visitor flow, and follow established procedures regarding visitors and unauthorized access. Confirm designated building entrances, gates, and other secured areas are appropriately locked and report damage or access concerns. Identify and address or report environmental hazards such as spills, obstructions, trash, unsafe conditions, or facility concerns. Observe for signs of medical distress, breathing concerns, or possible overdose and respond according to RecoveryWorks emergency and overdose-response procedures. Maintain a safe and sanitary shared environment through light tidying and immediate response or reporting when conditions require additional support. De-escalation, Crisis Response & Emergency Support Use trauma-informed, person-centered verbal de-escalation and relationship-based approaches to reduce conflict and support community safety. Respond to escalating situations within training and role scope, prioritizing personal safety, guest safety, and timely escalation. Administer Narcan and initiate emergency response procedures when overdose is suspected, consistent with training and organizational policy. Contact on-call leadership, EMS, fire, law enforcement, or other emergency responders when circumstances require professional intervention. Follow established safety plans, incident procedures, and escalation protocols rather than independently intervening outside the scope of the role. Do not use physical intervention except as specifically permitted by organizational policy, training, and applicable law. Documentation, Communication & Team Coordination Complete clear, factual, timely shift documentation, incident reports, peer-service documentation, and other required records. Document peer services in applicable systems when required and within the scope of the position. Provide meaningful handoffs to Case Management, program leadership, and other appropriate staff regarding guest needs, safety concerns, incidents, and follow-up items. Maintain guest confidentiality and communicate only information necessary for continuity of care, safety, and organizational operations. Attend required team meetings, supervision, peer consultation, trainings, and other assigned meetings on time and prepared to participate. Communicate proactively regarding barriers, emerging concerns, schedule issues, or situations requiring additional guidance.