Peer Support Specialist Jobs

Location: Emergency Medical Services
Job Title: Certified Peer Support Specialist

Created: 11/2018
Revision Date: 08/2022, 5/2023

GENERAL STATEMENT OF JOB

The Certified Peer Support Specialist (CPSS) should be able to draw upon personal life experience in his/her
work with clients and feel comfortable with the self-disclosure of some aspects of those experiences with
mental health issues, substance use issues, and/or treatment and recovery, while maintaining appropriate
boundaries. The CPSS also provides essential expertise and consultation to promote a culture in which each
individual’s circumstances are recognized, understood, respected, and integrated into treatment,
rehabilitation, and community self-help activities.

DISTINGUISHING FEATURES OF THE CLASS

Work involves frequent public contacts, initiative and judgment. Work is performed under regular
supervision and is evaluated through conferences, results of work, reports, and public feedback. Work
generally requires that employees independently perform assigned administrative and technical functions that
support a department or program area of the County operation.

DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES

ESSENTIAL DUTIES AND TASKS

Identify candidates for referral to the Community Response Support Team in order to assist clients in
navigating Substance Use Disorder and/or Alcoholism, or other modalities similar in nature.

Develop, implement, and manage overdose response/follow-up program in coordination with partner
agencies such as law enforcement, EMS, hospital emergency departments, treatment facilities and other
entities who provide support to individuals in need.

Maintain clear and secure documentation of all client encounters

Assist clients by finding resources, advising the participants of processes, and encouraging follow through
with proposed resolutions

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Model effective coping and self-help techniques, as well as provide advice to clients on empowerment skills
and successful community living

Knowledge of the social, emotional, and behavioral challenges individuals experiencing homelessness face

Develop rapport with at-risk individuals, including the unhoused or unsheltered

Participate in community outreach events, program awareness presentations, and provide training
opportunities to community partners and the public

Must be able to maintain composure and deescalate situations when necessary during interactions with clients or others

Assists with goal setting, life skill development, and problem solving

Maintain awareness and assist with connection to available community resources

Work closely with Community Paramedics for coordination and supervision of Medication Assisted Treatment Bridge
program

Develop appropriate goals for programs

Collect and analyze program data

Maintain confidentiality of personal, medical, and financial information.

Evaluate effectiveness of programs and recommend changes

Ensure program participants have equitable access to services

Ensure compliance with state and federal regulations

Ensure program participants are treated with respect, dignity, and sensitivity

Oversee transportation of participants, as appropriate for program objectives

Enforce agency policies and procedures

Reporting any unusual behavior, conflicts, or recovery deviations to the relevant professionals

Functions as a liaison with family members and medical professionals with consent from clients

Coordinating the client’s logistics such as medical appointments and therapy session, among others

Conducting assessments and providing feedback to the client, medical professionals

Periodically provide education to other agencies on department programs

Attend multiple meetings with County coalition groups

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Generating recovery reviews and performance documents to track the rehabilitation process

Research further grant opportunities for continuation of the CRST as appropriate

ADDITIONAL JOB DUTIES

Other duties as assigned.

RECRUITMENT AND SELECTION GUIDELINES

KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS, AND ABILITIES

Basic knowledge of personal safety standards, safety techniques and safety principles that guide home visits.
Must be able to work flexible hours, including evenings, weekends or holidays on occasion, with the ability
to work as a team member. Must maintain professional boundaries while working with sensitive issues and
must be comfortable working with diverse group of people. Should have excellent written and oral
communication skills.

DESIRABLE EDUCATION AND EXPERIENCE

High school diploma or GED. Certification as a North Carolina Peer Support Specialist or experience with
Substance Use Disorders and ability to obtain credential at start of hire. Must be comfortable discussing
social and drug-related issues and experiences in a non-judgmental manner with both individuals and groups.
Lived experience with substance use. Good knowledge of recovery resources and community support
groups. Valid North Carolina Driver’s License and own transportation required.

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Physical Requirements and Working Conditions:

Please briefly summarize the Physical Requirements of this position:

Must be physically able to operate a variety of machinery and equipment including suction units, immobilization
equipment, intravenous infusions, syringes and medications, and cardiac monitors/defibrillators/pacers, two-way
radios, mechanics tools, etc. Must be physically able to operate a motor vehicle. Must be able to exert up to 150
pounds of force occasionally, and/or up to 75 pounds of force frequently, and/or 20 pounds of force constantly to move
objects. Physical demands requirements are those for very heavy work.

Please review and complete as necessary for this position:

1. The PHYSICAL ACTIVITY of this position (please mark ALL boxes that apply):

A. CLIMBING: Ascending or descending ladders, stairs, scaffolding, ramps, poles, and the like, using
X

feet and lefts and/or hands and arms. Body agility is emphasized. This factor is import if the amount
and kind of climbing required exceeds that required for ordinary locomotion.

B. BALANCING: Maintaining body equilibrium to prevent falling when walking, standing, or
X

crouching on narrow, slippery, or erratically moving surfaces. This factor is important if the amount
and kind of balancing exceeds that needed for ordinary locomotion and maintenance of body
equilibrium.

C. STOOPING: Bending body downward and forward by bending spine at the waist. This factor is
X

important if it occurs to a considerable degree and requires full use of the lower extremities and back
muscles.

D. KNEELING: Bending legs at knee to come to rest on knee or knees.
X

X E. CROUCHING: Bending the body downward and forward by bending leg and spine.

X F. CRAWLING: Moving about on hands and knees or hands and feet.

X G. REACHING: Extending hand(s) and arm(s) in any direction.

X H. STANDING: Particularly for sustained periods of time.

I. WALKING: Moving about on foot to accomplish tasks, particularly for long distances or moving
X

from one work site to another.

J. PUSHING: Using upper extremities to press against something with steady force in order to thrust
X

forward, downward, or outward.

K. PULLING: Using upper extremities to exert force in order to draw, drag, haul, or tug objects in a
X

sustained motion.

X L. LIFTING: Raising objects from a lower to a higher position or moving objects horizontally from
position-to-position. This factor is important if it occurs to a considerable degree and requires the
substantial use of the upper extremities and back muscles.

X M. FINGERING: Picking, pinching, typing, or otherwise working primarily with fingers rather than
with the whole hand or arm as in handling.

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X N. GRASPING: Applying pressure to an object with the fingers and palm.

X O. FEELING: Perceiving attributes of objects … such as size, shape, temperature, or texture by
touching with skin, particularly that of the fingertips.

X P. TALKING: Expressing or exchanging ideas by means of the spoken word. Those activities in which
they must convey detailed or important spoken instructions to other workers accurately, loudly, or
quickly.

Q. HEARING: Perceiving the nature of sounds at normal spoken word levels with or without correction.
X

Ability to receive detailed information through oral communication, and to make fine discriminations
in sound.

X R. REPETITIVE MOTIONS: Substantial movements (motions) of the wrist, hands, and/or fingers.

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2. The PHYSICAL REQUIREMENTS of this position (please mark ONLY ONE box):

The chart below defines the physical demand levels to assist with marking ONLY ONE box below:

Lifting Occurrences
Physical Demand

Level
Occasional

Frequent (3-6 hours) Constant (6-8 hours)
(0-3 hours)

Sedentary Up to 10 lbs. Negligible Negligible

10 lbs. and/or Walk/Stand/Push/Pull of Negligible and/or Push/Pull of
Light Up to 20 lbs.

Arm/Leg controls Arm/Leg controls while seated

Medium Up to 50 lbs. 10-25 lbs. Negligible

Heavy Up to 75 lbs. 25-50 lbs. 10-20 lbs.

 Occasionally is defined as up to one-third of the time.
 Frequently is defined as occurring one-third to two-thirds of the time.
 Constantly is defined as occurring more than two-thirds of the time.

A. SEDENTARY WORK: Occasionally lifting up to 10 pounds. Sedentary work involves sitting most
of the time, but may involve walking or standing for brief periods of the time.

B. LIGHT WORK: Occasionally lifting up to 20 pounds, and/or up to 10 pounds of force frequently.
Even though the weight lifted may be a lesser amount, a job should be rated light work if: 1) the job
requires walking or standing to a significant degree; 2) the job requires sitting most of the time, but
entails pushing and/or pulling of arm or leg controls; and/or 3) the job requires working at a west
production rate to entail constantly moving a weight less than 10 pounds.

C. MEDIUM WORK: Occasionally lifting up to 50 pounds, and/or moving 10-25 pounds frequently.

X D. HEAVY WORK: Occasionally lifting up to 75 pounds, and/or frequently moving 25-50 pounds,
and/or constantly moving 10-20 pounds.

3. The VISUAL ACUITY REQUIREMENTS of this position (for A and B … mark ALL boxes that apply):

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A. The worker is required to have close visual acuity to perform one or more of the following:

X Preparing and analyzing data and figures

Accounting

X Transcription

X Computer Terminal

Extensive Reading
X

X Using measurement devices

Other (please specify: Analyzing and monitoring medical equipment.
X

B. The work is required to have visual acuity to perform one or more of the following:

Operates machines such as lathes, drill presses, power saws, and mills where the seeing job is
at or within arm’s reach.

Performance mechanical or skilled trades tasks of a non-repetitive nature such as carpenters,
technicians, service people, plumbers, painters, mechanics, etc.

The worker is required to have visual acuity to be the operator of trucks, forklifts, cranes, and
other equipment.

The worker is required to have visual acuity to determine the accuracy, neatness, and
X

thoroughness of work assigned (i.e. custodial, food services, general laborer, etc.).

X Other (please specify): Analyzing and monitoring medical equipment.

4. The CONDITIONS the worker will be subject to in this position (mark ALL boxes that apply):

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A. The worker is subject to inside environmental conditions: Protection from weather conditions, but not
necessarily from temperature changes.

B. The worker is subject to outside environmental conditions: No effective protection of weather.

X C. The worker is subject to both environmental conditions: Activities occur inside and outside.

X D. The worker is subject to extreme cold: Temperatures below 32 degrees for periods of more than one
hour.

E. The worker is subject to extreme heat: Temperatures above 100 degrees for periods of more than one
X

hour.

F. The worker is subject to noise: there is sufficient noise to cause the worker to shout in order to be heard
X

above the ambient noise level.

X G. The worker is subject to vibration: Exposure to oscillating movements of the extremities or whole body.

H. The worker is subject to hazards; includes a variety of physical conditions, such as proximity to moving
X

mechanical parts, electrical current, working on scaffolding and high places, exposure to high heat, or
exposure to chemicals.

I. The worker is subject to atmospheric conditions: One or more of the following conditions that affect the
X

respiratory system of the skin: fumes, odors, dusts, mists, gases, or poor ventilation.

X J. The worker is subject to oils: There is air and/or skin exposure to oils and other cutting fluids.

K. The worker is required to wear a respirator.
X

L. The worker frequently is in close quarters, crawl spaces, shafts, man holes, small enclosed rooms, small
X

sewage and water line pipes, and other areas which could cause claustrophobia.

M. The worker is required to function in narrow aisles or passage ways.
X

N. Other (please specify):_________________________________________________________________

O. None: The works is not substantially exposed to adverse environmental conditions (such as in typical
office or administrative work).

5. Occupational exposure to potentially infectious bodily fluids (please mark the following box “if” it applies):

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X Yes, this applies

The worker is in contact with potentially infectious bodily fluids during the performance of his/her duties. If so,
please list below examples of duties in which possible exposure to potentially infectious bodily fluids occur:

1. Bandaging wounds.

2. Injections.

3. Administering Oral or Sublingual Medications.

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