HCBS Peer Support Specialist, Certified

About the role

The Certified Peer Support Specialist (CPSS) provides support services to individuals with severe mental illness and who may be dually diagnosed. The Certified Peer Support Specialist is a fully integrated Assertive Community Treatment Team (ACTT) Member who provides highly individualized services in the community, promotes recovery and self-determination for members served ACTT. The CPSS works under the direction of the ACTT Team Lead.

Responsibilities

• Provides coaching and mentoring to individuals with severe mental illness and who may be dually diagnosed to promote recovery, self-advocacy, and self-direction.
• Fosters wellness management strategies, which include delivering manualized interventions (e.g., Wellness Recovery Action Planning or Illness Management and Recovery).
• Assists individuals in developing psychiatric advance directives, modeling recovery values, attitudes, beliefs, and personal action to encourage wellness and resilience.
• Completes and maintains documentation according to federal and state guidelines.
• Prepares for daily interventions.
• Actively identifies and supports linkages to community resources that support the recovering individual’s goals and interests.
• Arranges medical appointments, therapy sessions, support groups, and other resources to aid the individual.
• Identifies, develops, and maintains referral sources.
• Training will be provided in the areas of Medicaid rules governing Assertive Community Treatment Team activities, client rights, confidentiality, “Best Practice” methods, SPMI population, Person Centered Thinking, Essential Elements, Crisis, De-escalation, Motivational Interviewing, stage wise treatment, behavior management techniques, the recovery process and Strategic Interventions, Inc. policies and procedures.
• Participates in regular supervision with the Assertive Community Treatment Team Leader.
• Travel requirements: Valid Driver’s License and insurance required. Travel will vary depending on the daily schedule for this position. All travel is in the community where the members live and work.
• Perform other duties as assigned/required.

Requirements

• No experience required; a minimum of one to three years’ experience preferred, working with adults who have a mental illness and/or substance abuse diagnosis.
• Per North Carolina Medicaid regulations, must have “lived experience” and a personal recovery story specific to primary mental illness.
• Minimum of a high school diploma or high school equivalency certificate.
• Certified in North Carolina as a Certified Peer Support Specialist.
• Requirements for certification and licensure: https://pss.unc.edu/certification and https://pss.unc.edu/sites/default/files/2026-06/NCCPSS-Program-Policies-Final--5-2026.pdf.