Certified Peer Support Specialist II

Date: Aug 3, 2026   Location: Harlingen, TX

About the Role

Join the Texas Health and Human Services Commission (HHSC) and be part of a team committed to creating a positive impact in the lives of fellow Texans. At HHSC, your contributions matter, and we support you at each stage of your life and work journey. This position provides peer support services to patients with serious mental illnesses, forensic commitment, and/or addiction issues, and serves in the orientation and training of other peer specialists. Under the supervision of the Director of Peer Support, the Certified Peer Support Specialist will function as a role model to peer specialists and persons served; exhibiting competency in personal recovery.

The Certified Peer Support Specialist performs a wide range of tasks providing guidance to other Peer Support Specialists and persons served, assisting peers of all ages in regaining independence within the community and mastery over their own recovery process. Work involves engagement in interactions with persons served, assisting management of the peer services department, assessing competency of peer specialists, and leading individual and group sessions. May serve as a lead worker providing direction to others. Works under limited supervision, with considerable latitude for the use of initiative and independent judgment.

Other duties include actively participating in disaster response and/or recovery or Continuity of Operations (COOP) activation, which may require an alternate shift pattern assignment and/or location. This position may also be eligible to earn additional pay for work performed on maximum security locations.

Responsibilities

• Supports persons served in developing communication, social skills, problem solving, and self-help skills.
• Models recovery achievements and supports persons served with their recovery efforts.
• Builds and maintains individual relationships and shares recovery stories with persons served and external stakeholders.
• Teaches problem solving techniques and assists patients in combating stigma and handling problems in interactions with others.
• Shares personal recovery experiences, skills, strengths, supports, and resources.
• Assists patients in articulating personal goals for recovery using one-to-one and group sessions.
• Supports patients in identifying and creating goals and developing recovery plans.
• Assists patients in working with their case manager or treatment team to achieve recovery goals.
• Supports persons served with preparation for team meetings and ensures their participation in recovery planning.
• Provides orientation, training, and competency assessment to new and current Peer Specialists.
• Periodically observes both individual and group facilitation to assure quality of service delivery.
• Provides ongoing updated training regarding current practices in peer support and recovery to Peer Specialists.
• Completes all required documentation, focusing on services provided and patient ability to comprehend and participate in treatment process.
• Periodically reviews Peer Specialist documentation and recovery plans to assure quality of service delivery.
• Leads educational panels for organizational staff, committees, and communities.
• Shares recovery materials with others at continuing education seminars and attends such seminars and in-service training.
• Fosters integration of persons served into communities, including safely transporting patients to appropriate destinations.
• Assists patients in setting up and sustaining community mutual support groups.
• Supports patients’ vocational choices and assists them in overcoming job-related anxiety by reviewing job applications and providing interview tips.
• Provides opportunities to visit potential discharge settings and involves patients in discharge preparation.
• On occasion, provides oversight of peer support specialists during outings.
• Performs other duties as assigned, including disaster response and COOP activation.

Requirements

• At least two (2) years of documented experience working with persons with mental illness.
• Two years of experience navigating mental health, substance use, and interfacing with the criminal justice system preferred.
• Must be a Certified Peer Support Specialist by a State of Texas credentialing authority.
• Must possess a valid Texas driver license or obtain it no later than 90 days after hire date to drive a state vehicle.
• Applicants with an out-of-state driver’s license must provide an original certified driving record from the state of driving licensure.
• Must pass a fingerprint criminal background check, pre-employment drug screen, and registry checks including the Client Abuse/Neglect Reporting System (CANRS), Nurse Aid, Medication Aide, and Employee Misconduct, List of Excluded Individuals/Entities (LEIE).
• Males between the ages of 18-25 must be registered with the Selective Service.
• All applicants must be at least 18 years of age; Waco and Terrell Center for Youth applicants must be 21 years of age.
• Flexibility in work hours may be required; the position may require working overtime.

Qualifications

• Knowledge of the recovery process, person-centered care, trauma-informed care.
• Knowledge and skill to teach and engage in basic problem-solving strategies to support individual patients in self-directed recovery.
• Knowledge of the signs and symptoms of mental illness (e.g., auditory and visual hallucinations, aggressive talk and behavior, thoughts of self-harm or harm towards others, isolation).
• Knowledge and skill sufficient to use community resources necessary for independent living and ability to teach those skills to others.
• Knowledge of how to establish and sustain self-help (mutual support) and educational groups.
• Knowledge of peer programs for persons with behavioral and intellectual challenges, peer philosophy and role, recovery models, trauma-informed care, and general knowledge of medications administered to persons.
• Working knowledge of current trends and developments in the mental health field by reading books, journals, and other relevant materials.
• Skills in the use of a computer and applicable software (e.g., CAPPS, AVATAR).
• Ability to provide training and mentoring to other Peer Specialists.
• Ability to facilitate recovery using established standardized mental health processes.
• Ability to assist patients to address symptoms using strategies such as positive self-talk.
• Ability to communicate effectively and provide support and encouragement to persons served toward achievement of individual treatment and discharge goals.
• Ability to share personal challenges, listen, assess, document, and monitor interactions between employees and persons served.
• Ability to operate a state vehicle (van, wheelchair van, or sedan).
• Ability to lead teams, communicate effectively, and train others.
• Ability to assure adherence to trauma-informed care, recovery model, and person-centered care philosophy.
• Ability to follow policies and procedures.
• Ability to work with persons in challenging situations.
• Ability to audit and assess competency for peer specialist services.
• Ability to identify self as having a lived experience with mental health/substance abuse challenges and willingness to share own personal recovery story.

Benefits

Our comprehensive benefits package includes:

• 100% paid employee health insurance for full-time eligible employees.
• A defined benefit pension plan.
• Generous time off benefits.
• Numerous opportunities for career advancement.

Explore more details on the Benefits of Working at HHS webpage.

Pay

Salary Range: $2,820.00 - $4,149.83 per month

Schedule

• Full-time, regular position.
• Shift: Day (First).
• Pay Frequency: Monthly.
• Travel: Up to 10%.
• Telework: Not eligible.