We're accepting applications for PSS, CHW, or THW (with lived experience.) OR and OH only.
We review applications on a rolling basis. We do not guarantee an interview for this position.
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About us
At Flourish Labs, we’re on a mission to bring accessible, affordable mental health support to everyone who needs it by empowering people to support each other. We believe that peer support is an effective, yet underutilized solution to the mental health crisis. Peer supporters use their own lived experience of mental health challenges to help others.
We are growing the workforce of Certified Peer Supporters by training students in peer support skills, such as active listening, building rapport, strengths, self-care, coping strategies and safety. We’ll offer peer supporter jobs in our peer support network, launching later this year. Students who want support will be able to find Certified Peer Supporters in our network who match their needs, and book support sessions via our digital platform.
We’re partnering with nonprofits and colleges to bring the peer supporter training and job opportunity to students. Youth Era, a peer-led organization based in Oregon with deep experience in training youth peer supporters, is our training partner. We’ve been designing our program with Active Minds, the largest nationwide network of student mental health volunteers with chapters on over 600 college campuses.
About the role
Peer support is a system of giving and receiving help using empathy and shared experience. As a peer supporter, you will model wellness, personal responsibility, self-advocacy, and hopefulness through appropriate sharing of your story based on your own lived experience of mental health challenges.
At Flourish Labs, peer support is delivered virtually on a platform. You will make your schedule available to individuals seeking peer support and meet one-to-one with your seekers.
We are currently hiring already trained and certified California, Oregon, Ohio, Peer Support Specialists who are currently certified and registered in their respective states.
What you’ll do in this role
- Provide peer support to youth and young adults aged 12-30 with mental health challenges, using your own lived experience as well as culturally responsive and evidence-based skills and practices from the training program
- Empower your seekers to advocate for themselves, set goals and implement achievable steps towards reaching them
- Role-model effective problem-solving skills, habits of mental health and wellness hygiene, and help-seeking
- Provide seekers with access to external resources, community support and crisis intervention as needed
- Participate in continuing education, supervision, and additional trainings as relevant
What we’re looking for
The responsibilities and qualifications set out below are a guide to help you and us assess if this role is right for you. You may see the list above and feel discouraged because you don't match all the items. Please apply anyway: there's a good chance you also have important skills we’ve missed!
Prerequisite
- Valid Peer Supporter Certification (Oregon and Ohio). (certification cannot be lapsed)
- and/or
- Currently registered on OR THW registry or OH registry
- (Other State Certifications, Please apply to "Untrained." Our platform requirements including peers holding a certification in either/both CA/OR/OH as a minimum requirement.)
Key qualifications
- 18 -35 years old
- Have lived experience of mental health challenges or emotional distress or trauma. You do not need to have a formal diagnosis of a mental health condition.
- Are willing to share your story in the context of peer support
- Have been active in your recovery/wellness journey, and out of inpatient and/or hospitalization for at least 6 months
- Have a High School Diploma or equivalent (GED, HiSET, ect)
- Excellent oral communication and interpersonal skills, including empathy and listening
- Able to speak and write in English fluently and idiomatically
- Ability and interest in working effectively with people from diverse backgrounds and cultures
Preferred / Additional qualifications
- Responsible and organized. Ability to work independently, and confidence to ask for help
- Demonstrated social/situational problem-solving skills
- Spanish Speaking
What we offer you
All Flourish Labs peer support specialists enjoy the following benefits:
- Attractive compensation
- A meaningful role where you use your own lived experience to help others
- Flexible working hours: set your own schedule
- Flexible work location: support sessions are held remotely, in your own safe space
- Work experience that is relevant for future jobs in mental health and other fields
- Additional trainings and/or paid opportunities to obtain CEU's or further competencies/trainings in the field
Diversity, equity & inclusion at Flourish Labs
At Flourish Labs we embrace and support differences because it is the right thing to do, makes us a more fun and effective team, and helps us build better products for our users, who are equally diverse. We are building our products and our company with people who have lived experience of mental health challenges. We are committed to hiring talent with a wide range of backgrounds and experiences, and enabling them to flourish at our company by ensuring everyone has a voice and opportunity to succeed. We especially encourage members of traditionally underrepresented communities to apply, including women, people of color, LGBTQ+ people, veterans, and people with disabilities. We consider part time and job sharing arrangements for any role, just ask.
Equal opportunity statement: We are an equal opportunity employer. If we hire you, it will be based solely on your merit and qualifications directly related to professional competence. We do not discriminate against any employee or applicant because of race, creed, color, religion, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity/expression, national origin, disability, age, genetic information, veteran status, marital status, pregnancy or related condition (including breastfeeding), or any other basis protected by law. We also consider qualified applicants regardless of criminal histories, consistent with legal requirements.
Peer Support Specialist Compensation Philosophy: Flourish Labs//Peers.net deeply values education and personal growth, the accomplishment/pursuit of any higher education degree is an incredible achievement. However, as a peer support specialist, the core of the role is based on lived experience, recovery journey, and the ability to connect authentically with our seekers. These factors are the foundation of how we assess contributions and determine compensation in this role, rather than formal educational qualifications. Our approach is designed to ensure that our platform is accessible and inclusive to all peer supporters, regardless of their educational background. This helps us build a diverse community of peers and stay true to valuing lived experience and relatability as the cornerstone of peer support.
We’re always looking for ways to support professional growth throughout both orgs. While this role doesn’t take formal education into account for compensation, there may be other opportunities in the future where an advanced degree could be a great asset.
