Peer Support Specialist (Crisis Walk-in Center) ($28-$32/hr + 4 Days Off Each Week)

Description

OUR MISSION

Wellness Equity Alliance (WEA) is a novel national public health organization comprised of a multidisciplinary team of population and public health experts with backgrounds in infectious disease, public health, emergency medicine, primary care, cardiology, pediatrics, psychiatry, community health work (CHW), nursing and advanced practice pharmacy. We work nearly exclusively with underrepresented communities, fundamentally addressing healthcare disparities and the social determinants of health (SDoH) that have been amplified during the COVID-19 pandemic, prioritizing the following:

• People experiencing homelessness
• Indigenous communities
• Immigrant communities
• Rural communities
• BIPoC communities
• LGBTQIA+ communities
• Justice-impacted communities

Indio Crisis Walk-in Center

WEA’s Crisis Walk-In (CWI) Center, located on the behavioral health campus of Riverside University Health System in Indio, CA, offers 24/7 walk-in, voluntary crisis services for adults and children ages 5 and older. Designed to provide immediate, accessible care, the center serves up to 20 patients at a time, including both youth and adults.

Position Summary

As a Peer Support Specialist, you are the "warm welcome" and the living proof that recovery is not just possible, but happening right now. Working the Anchor Shift (Mon–Wed), you serve as the front-line expert for adults entering our Crisis Walk-In (CWI) center during its highest-impact hours. You aren't just a staff member; you are a Peer-Expert who uses your own lived experience with mental health or substance use recovery to build immediate, non-clinical rapport with neighbors in their most vulnerable moments.

In this role, you bridge the gap between crisis and stability. You will work alongside a multidisciplinary clinical team, ensuring that every individual is met with dignity rather than a diagnosis. Whether you are de-escalating a tense situation, helping a participant navigate the complex "Front Door" of the behavioral health system, or co-creating a safety plan, your primary tool is your authentic story. You are here to replace fear with hope and to ensure that no one walks their recovery path alone.

 Key Highlights

• Compensation: The compensation range for this role is $28 to $32 an hour, with final compensation determined based on experience, qualifications, and role scope.
• Work Location & Expectations: This role requires daily in-person engagement at Indio Crisis Walk-in Center location.
• Professional Development: Opportunity to collaborate with cross-functional leaders across Behavioral Health, Medical, Street Medicine, Public Health, Rural Health, and Tribal Health initiatives. 

Key Responsibilities

1. High-Impact Crisis De-escalation

• The First Voice: Serve as the primary point of contact for adults entering in distress, using lived experience to model calm and hope while lowering the "temperature" of the room.
• Active Engagement: Utilize non-clinical, peer-based de-escalation techniques (such as the "Intentional Peer Support" model) to build immediate rapport and prevent the need for more restrictive interventions.
• Environmental Awareness: Monitor the "Front Door" energy, proactively engaging with participants who appear overwhelmed or anxious before a crisis peaks.

2. Collaborative Safety Planning

• Peer-Led Planning: Facilitate the creation of individualized Safety Plans that focus on the participant's strengths, triggers, and preferred coping strategies—not just "contracting for safety."
• Post-Crisis Grounding: Support participants in the vulnerable hours following a clinical assessment, helping them process their experience and internalize their immediate stabilization goals.
• Wellness Tools: Introduce participants to wellness tools (like WRAP or similar frameworks) that they can take home as tangible resources for self-management.

3. Expert Community Navigation

• Warm Handoffs: Move beyond providing a list of phone numbers; personally assist participants in navigating the "Front Door" of social services, housing resources, and outpatient programs.
• Bridge to Recovery: Act as the liaison between the CWIC and community-based peer organizations, ensuring participants have a "peer-to-peer" connection waiting for them upon discharge.
• Resource Advocacy: Educate participants on how to advocate for their own needs within the behavioral health system, empowering them to become active participants in their care.

4. Team Integration & Advocacy

• The "Human" Element: Participate in multidisciplinary team huddles to provide the peer perspective on participant care, ensuring the team sees the person behind the crisis.
• Documentation: Maintain accurate, timely, and person-centered documentation that reflects the participant’s progress and the unique value of the peer intervention.

Benefits & Culture:

We believe that to take care of our community, we must first take care of our team. 

1. Work-Life Balance

• "36 for 40": Work three 12.-hour shifts (36 hours of work) but are paid for a full 40-hour week.
• The 4-Day Weekend: Every single week, you have four consecutive days off (Thursday–Sunday). This isn't a perk; it’s our standard. It provides the deep rest required to remain effective in crisis work.
• Predictability: No "on-call" shifts, no last-minute schedule rotations, and no surprise overtime. Your life outside of work belongs to you.

2. A Peer-Led Culture

• Lived Experience as Expertise: You are an expert in navigating the challenges of the behavioral health system. Our clinical team views your lived experience as a vital diagnostic and stabilization tool.
• Supportive Supervision: We provide regular, peer-specific supervision and debriefing. We understand the emotional weight of crisis work and ensure you have the space to process it.
• Professional Growth: We don't just want you to have a job; we want you to have a career. We provide ongoing training in advanced peer practices and support your continuing education units (CEUs).

Our Commitment to Diversity & Inclusion

We are an Equal Opportunity Employer. We celebrate diversity and are committed to creating an inclusive environment for all employees.

Because we serve a diverse community in the Coachella Valley, we actively encourage applications from people of color, members of the LGBTQ+ community, and individuals with unique recovery backgrounds. We do not discriminate based on race, religion, color, national origin, gender, sexual orientation, age, marital status, veteran status, or disability status.

Requirements

Qualifications & Requirements

1. The Core Requirement: Lived Experience

• The Peer Foundation: You must have personal, lived experience with mental health challenges and/or substance use recovery.
• The Goal: You are comfortable and skilled at using your own recovery journey as a professional tool to inspire hope and model stability for others.

2. Certification & Education

• California PSS Certification: Must possess (or obtain within 6 months of hire) a valid Medi-Cal Peer Support Specialist Certification issued by the California Mental Health Services Mental Health Services Authority (CalMHSA).
  • Don't forget, if you have your active CA PSS Certification in hand on your start date, you are eligible for the $500 sign-on bonus.
• Education: High School Diploma or GED equivalent or higher is required.

3. Essential Skills

• Crisis Competency: Ability to remain grounded and empathetic in a fast-paced, high-intensity clinical environment.
• Communication: Strong verbal and written skills for documenting peer notes and collaborating with a multidisciplinary clinical team.
• Cultural Humility: A deep commitment to serving a diverse population in the Coachella Valley with dignity and respect.

Preferred Skills

• Bilingual (Spanish): While not required, the ability to provide peer support in fluent Spanish qualifies for a stackable pay differential.
• Specialized Training: Priority will be given to candidates with existing training in Intentional Peer Support (IPS), WRAP (Wellness Recovery Action Plan), or Motivational Interviewing.

4. Compliance & Background

• Clearance: Must be able to pass a standard background check and drug screening (consistent with healthcare facility requirements).
• Transportation: Must have reliable transportation to the Indio site for 7:00 AM shift starts.