Peer Support Specialist I

About Our Job

The City and County of Denver offers a competitive salary commensurate with experience and education. The starting pay range is $23.89 to $25.50 per hour based on your experience. We also offer generous benefits for full-time employees which include but is not limited to:

• A guaranteed life-long monthly pension, once vested after 5 years of service
• 457B Retirement Plan
• 132 hours of PTO earned within first year
• 11 Paid Holidays per year, plus 1 personal holiday, and 8 hours of Denver Good Deeds volunteer time
• Career Bank – 8 weeks of Paid Family Leave (after the probation period is passed)
• Free RTD Eco Pass
• Competitive medical, dental and vision plans effective within 1 month of start date

What We Offer

In this position you will work on site at the Office of the Municipal Public Defender, at: 710 W Colfax, Denver CO 80204. This position will be 100% onsite from 8:00AM – 4:00PM with flexible work hours as needed.

Who We Are

The Office of the Municipal Public Defender (OMPD) is a comprehensive, holistic public defender office that is client-centered, independent, and innovative in the representation of defendants who face jail time for municipal ordinance violations and traffic offenses, and municipal youth offenses. Many of our clients live with mental health conditions, substance use disorders, and traumatic brain injuries and over half are experiencing homelessness or housing instability. OMPD’s Client Support Team (CST) consists of four Peer Support Specialists, a Behavioral Health Navigator, and a Bilingual Outreach Case Coordinator who work alongside attorneys in court daily, create re-entry plans with clients in jail, and connect clients with resources like shelter/housing, benefit enrollment, behavioral health treatment, and more. The CST division serves as part of the defense team and are bound by the Colorado Rules of Professional Conduct including rules regarding attorney-client privilege and client confidentiality.

What You'll Do

OMPD is seeking a Peer Support Specialist I to provide peer support and resource navigation to the individuals OMPD represents. Job duties and responsibilities of this position include, but are not limited to the following:

• Support OMPD’s holistic defense by working under the direction of attorneys to provide peer support, resource navigation, and mitigation for OMPD clients
• Build person-centered relationships with clients using a trauma informed peer support model
• Demonstrate SAMHSA’s Core Competencies for Peer Workers in work with clients: recovery oriented, person-centered, voluntary, and relationship focused; and the National Practice Standards for Peer Supporters in work with clients
• Collaborate with OMPD staff across divisions, including administrative staff, paralegals, attorneys, and Client Support Team staff, to provide holistic, client centered representation
• Use shared lived experiences to inspire hope and to provide linkages to a variety of recovery, mental health, community supports, and services for individuals OMPD represents
• Engage clients with goal setting methods to identify services, resources, develop timelines, and partners with clients to succeed in self-determined goals, and monitor success
• Support the defense team by being present regularly at court, including the first appearance court, OMPD’s office, and the Denver Detention Center (jail), to provide timely peer support
• Visit clients in Denver jails and partners with clients to create reentry plans and supports connections to community resources upon release
• Actively participate in connecting clients to services by supporting clients to make phone calls, attend court and other appointments with clients, and coordinate services with clients across multiple systems
• Complete and enter all required documentation into OMPD’s case management system. Accurately document progress, client interactions, and meets timelines
• Other duties as needed and assigned

Research shows women and other underrepresented and historically marginalized groups tend to apply only when they check every box in the posting. If you are reading this and hesitating to click “apply” for that reason, we encourage you to apply. Our ideal candidate will have:

• Held one (1) year of experience providing peer support as a volunteer or professional
• Lived experience of mental health, substance use, trauma, and/or co-occurring conditions is highly valued
• Knowledge and experience with the Denver Criminal Justice system, court processes, public defense – including the role of the defense council
• Experience providing peer support services in a criminal justice or social services setting
• Skills in addressing the needs of people experiencing homelessness, individuals living with mental health and substance misuse conditions and other vulnerable populations
• Bilingual Spanish proficiency is highly valued

Demonstrated commitment to justice, equity, diversity, accessibility, and inclusion

Proficient in Microsoft Office applications and data entry experience

Required Minimum Qualifications

• Education Requirement: Graduation from high school or the possession of a GED, HiSET or TASC Certificate
• Experience Requirement: One (1) year of experience providing peer support as a volunteer or professional

Education and Experience Equivalency

A combination of appropriate education and experience may be substituted for the minimum education and experience requirements.

Required Documents

To be considered for this position, please include the following on your job application (upload the multiple attachment(s) to the Resume/CV section on the My Experience tab):

• Up-to-date resume (Required)
• Cover Letter (Required)

Please include a section in the cover letter highlighting how your experience aligns with this position, including your:

• Description of your volunteer or professional experience providing peer support services, including any peer support specialist training and/or certification(s) you have completed
• Knowledge, skills, and abilities to provide peer support and resource navigation to clients involved in the criminal justice system

About Everything Else

Job Profile CS3163 Peer Support Specialist I To view the full job profile including position specifications, physical demands, and probationary period, click here.

Position Type Unlimited Position Salary Range $23.89 - $35.84 Target Pay $23.89 - $25.50/an hour, based on education and experience

Agency Office of Municipal Public Defender Redeployment during Citywide Emergencies City and County of Denver employees may be re-deployed to work in other capacities in their own agencies or in other city agencies to support core functions of the city during a citywide emergency declared by the Mayor.

The City and County of Denver provides equal employment opportunities to all employees and applicants for employment without regard to race, color, religion, national origin, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability, genetic information, age, or any other status protected under federal, state, and/or local law. It is your right to access oral or written language assistance, sign language interpretation, real-time captioning via CART, or disability-related accommodations. To request any of these services at no cost to you, please contact Jobs@Denvergov.org with three business days’ notice.

Applicants for employment with the City and County of Denver must have valid work authorization that does not require sponsorship of a visa for employment authorization in the U.S. For information about right to work, click here for English or here for Spanish.