Peer Support Specialist - Familiar Faces Program

PCPS Peer Support Specialist – Familiar Faces Program

Status: Full-time, time-limited grant-funded position

Salary: $20 - $23 per hour (DOE) + benefits

Location: Salt Lake City

Reports to: Program Manager (JRSS)

Openings: Three positions

Organization Overview

Jacky’s Recovery Support Services provides accessible, culturally informed behavioral health services across eight Utah counties. Our programs include peer support, therapy, psychiatry, youth wellness initiatives, and family support activities. By combining professional expertise with lived experience, we strengthen community connectedness and improve health outcomes for underserved populations.

Program Overview

Familiar Faces is a person-centered alternative court pathway for individuals who frequently cycle through the justice system while experiencing mental health and/or substance use challenges, homelessness, and related instability. The Person-Centered Peer Support (PCPS) Pilot integrates Certified Peer Support Specialists (CPSS) into justice court and community settings to promote recovery, reduce recidivism, and strengthen connections to care and basic needs to build towards a pathway to client-led stability.

Position Summary

The PCPS Peer Support Specialist is a person in recovery who utilizes their lived experience to foster trusting, mutually beneficial relationships with participants. This position is grounded in mutual respect, hope, and shared experience to inspire and support others through their self-defined recovery journey.

Core Functions of the Peer Role

• Advocate for people in recovery within court and community settings.

• Share recovery stories, tools, and resources in a way that inspires hope and models healthy coping strategies.

• Build relationships and community that reduce isolation and promote belonging.

• Support goal-setting and mentoring based on the participant’s strengths, values, and pace.

• Facilitate or co-facilitate recovery groups and peer-led activities.

• Connect participants with resources for housing, benefits, treatment, legal aid, and other identified needs.

• Navigate systems side-by-side with participants, modeling self-advocacy and problem-solving.

• Provide field-based support, including transport (program vehicle) to court, appointments, and services.

Key Responsibilities

• Build trusting, mutual relationships grounded in respect, empathy, cultural humility, and shared lived experience.

• Use trauma-informed, harm-reduction, and recovery-oriented practices.

• Share personal recovery experiences appropriately to foster hope and connection.

• Co-develop person-centered recovery plans that reflect the participant’s strengths, culture, and goals.

• Facilitate peer-led groups, activities, and community connections.

• Court & System Navigation

• Attend Familiar Faces Court and Homeless Outreach Court weekly; help participants understand court processes.

• Collaborate with court staff, attorneys, and providers to reduce barriers to participation.

• Assist with applications for housing, benefits, and IDs; accompany participants as needed.

• Documentation & Collaboration

• Maintain accurate, timely records and basic outcome tracking (support provided).

• Participate in staff meetings, team supervision, and collaborative planning sessions.

• Uphold confidentiality, professional boundaries, and the Utah CPSS Code of Ethics.

Core Competencies for Peer Support Specialists

• Recovery-Oriented – Believes in and supports the possibility of recovery for every person.

• Person-Centered – Honors self-determination and individual choice.

• Relationships Built on Mutuality – Foster respect, trust, and equality between peers and participants.

• Trauma-Informed – Recognizes and responds to the impact of trauma.

• Culturally Responsive – Values diversity; adapts to cultural and linguistic needs.

• Empowerment-Focused – Promotes self-advocacy and skill-building over dependency.

• Ethical & Boundaried Practice – Uses lived experience intentionally; maintains professional boundaries.

Qualifications

Required:

• Certified Peer Support Specialist (CPSS) in Utah, or the ability to obtain within 3 months.

• Self-identified lived experience in recovery from a behavioral health and/or substance use disorder.

• Knowledge of, or personal experience with, the criminal legal system.

• Knowledge or personal knowledge of experiencing homelessness, and Utah’s homeless service system.

• Valid driver’s license; eligible to operate a program vehicle.

• Ability to work field-based with flexibility for evenings and weekends.

Preferred:

• Experience with recovery support services, outreach, and re-entry.

• Training/experience in Motivational Interviewing, Harm Reduction, and Trauma-Informed Care.

• Spanish/English bilingual strongly preferred.

Schedule & Conditions

In-person/field-based within Salt Lake County; weekly court attendance required. Up to 40% of travel for outreach and training—vehicle provided during work hours for participant transport and program-related duties.

How to Apply

Send your resume, and a brief statement on why peer support matters to you to: Javier H Alegre Email: javier.alegre@jackysrecovery.org