Job Posting: Peer Support Specialist – Miller Manor

At Avalon, housing is a basic human right. We envision a community in which all of our neighbors have a home and an opportunity to thrive. We build supportive housing communities as a long-term solution to homelessness.

Avalon Housing is a non-profit supportive housing provider. Supportive housing is a combination of affordable housing (that we build) paired with services, like case management. We don't just help people find housing. Our property managers and support coordinators help people stay in their homes. This is not easy work, but as one of our tenants says: "Avalon will get in the trenches with you."

Using a Housing First approach, The Miller Manor Services Team provides 24/7 outreach, case management and housing support to tenants living at Miller Manor, a 106-unit property owned and operated by the Ann Arbor Housing Commission. The individuals served by Avalon have many challenges, including mental illness, substance use disorders and chronic medical conditions, alongside a history of chronic homelessness.

The Peer Support Specialist will be responsible for providing additional support to tenants to get them involved in the Miller Manor community. The Peer Support Specialist is an individual in recovery with a self-identified lived experience. They have personally received services and support from mental health, substance use disorder, and/or housing/homeless service providers. The Peer Support Specialist helps tenants regain control over their lives and over their own recovery process, as they define it.

Here are some of the key benefits that Avalon staff receive:

Paid Time Off Paid time off includes three weeks of vacation time plus additional sick and personal time allowances. There is also an extra paid holiday every month!

Medical Full-time employees can choose from three different medical insurance plans with dental, vision, and prescription coverage, including an option with no per-payroll premium contribution, even for families! Your personal annual deductible is capped at $1,000.

Life and Disability Plans All staff working more than 16 hours per week are given Life insurance and Short- and Long-Term Disability plans, with Avalon covering the premium cost.

403(b) Retirement Plan Avalon sponsors a 403(b) retirement plan through Vanguard, available to all employees.

Job Responsibilities

• Provide assertive outreach and engagement to tenants
• Provide extra support and assistance to tenants with accessing and navigating community resources
• Assist and support tenants in maintaining cooperative and effective relationships with their primary service provider and/or property management
• Coordinate and collaborate with a network of care for tenant, including natural
• Promote recovery through role modeling and sharing experiences, providing hope and encouragement and connection to community
• Participate in planning and implementation of tenant assessment and action plans as needed
• Assist in the coordination of social, educational and recreational activities for tenants, initiate peer- led groups and events for tenants
• Facilitate mutual aid groups for tenants onsite, with an emphasis on options embracing multiple pathways to recovery
• Initiate and oversee tenant leadership development opportunities, speaker series, and/or tenant council
• Assist tenants in the development of life skills: resolving interpersonal conflicts in their environment, maintaining housing, developing work, safety and social skills, receiving and maintaining benefits

• Assist tenants as needed with activities of daily living such as transportation, housekeeping, meal preparation, medication, shopping, laundry, or other hands on assistance as needed
• Meet documentation requirements as dictated by program need

Supplemental Job Duties

• Work with clients in their homes, in community centers, and in the larger community
• Attend staff meetings, retreats and professional training sessions

Required Qualifications

• Completion of CCAR or other peer certification training within one year of hire
• Person who has progressed in their own recovery; has minimum one year of addiction recovery and is actively involved in recovery activities
• Participate in occasional evening and weekend work if/as necessary

Desired Skills and Abilities

• Understanding of homelessness and various characteristics of the homeless adult population; experience with the issues of mental illness and/or chemical dependency preferred.
• Knowledge of peer support, community resources, entitlements
• Highly positive and enthusiastic attitude and strong commitment toward helping those in need
• Interest and experience in working with individuals who are difficult to engage and refer to traditional programs, knowledge and/or acceptance of harm reduction principles
• Adhere to housing first and harm reduction model of peer advocacy
• Avalon Housing is dedicated to eliminating racial inequities. Successful candidates will demonstrate the ability to work effectively with diverse populations in a non-judgmental way.

Physical Demands

The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions. While performing the duties of this job, the employee will be required to sit for long periods of time, drive a vehicle with passengers, communicate with other persons by talking and hearing, required to lift and carry items weighing up to 25 pounds and to operate computer hardware systems.

A valid Michigan driver's license and reliable transportation is required.

Title: Peer Support Specialist

Reports to: Miller Manor Team Lead

Status: Full Time (Monday- Friday 9 am to 5 pm)

Salary: $40,393.60

Benefits including excellent health insurance options, dental & vision, 403(b), generous vacation and additional holidays, Life / AD&D / Short and Long-term Disability plans, Employee Assistance & Wellness programs