Peer Counselor Team Lead

firsthand supports individuals living with SMI (serious mental illness). Our holistic approach includes a team of peer recovery specialists, benefits specialists and clinicians, which focuses on meeting each individual where they are and walking with them side by side as a trusted guide, partner, and first call on their journey to wellness.

firsthand's team members use their lived experience to build trust with these individuals and support them in obtaining socio-economic assistance and in reconnecting to primary and behavioral care. Support like this creates substantial savings for managed care organizations (Medicaid providers) and taxpayers by decreasing inappropriate healthcare utilization. This enables us to build solutions that scale and, as a result, change the way our society supports those most impacted by SMI.

We are cultivating a team of deeply passionate problem-solvers to tackle significant and complex healthcare challenges with us. This is more than a job—it's a calling. Every day, you will engage in work that resonates with purpose, gain wisdom from motivated colleagues, and thrive in an environment that celebrates continuous learning, creativity, and fun.

We named our company firsthand because we believe that lived, or “first-hand,” experience is invaluable for gaining trust and building meaningful relationships. While we are listing this role externally as Peer Counselor Team Lead—a widely recognized term—the position we call “Guide Team Lead” goes beyond the traditional “peer supervisor” scope. The Guide Team Lead (GTL) is responsible for providing support to firsthand Guides (peers), Community Resources Guides (social services personnel), and Health Guides (nurse practitioners or physician assistants) in their quest to connect individuals living with serious mental illness to community-based supportive services. This role will serve as a mentor and leader by providing clinical guidance, reflective trauma-informed supervision, and promoting professional growth. 

The GTL must be able to work in the community, meeting individuals where they are, and be comfortable working in non-traditional settings and unstructured environments. Experience supervising peer recovery specialists and/or community behavioral health staff is required.

As GTL, you will:

• Coordinate activities of Care Team consisting of firsthand Guides (peers), Community Resources Guides (social services personnel), and Health Guides (nurse practitioners or physician assistants). Includes direct supervision of firsthand Guides and Community Resources Guides.
• Coordinate the implementation of services and practices in accordance with firsthand’s mission. 
• Provide clinical guidance and recommendations for social and behavioral health assessments and care plans.
• Serve as a player-coach by actively participating in outreach and engagement activities with the other members of the Guides team including supporting access to community-based resources and supportive services including SSA benefits, community programs, housing, food, etc.
• Facilitate completion of all training needed by Team members and provide on-boarding support to new team members
• Maintain a robust directory and relationships with community stakeholders/resources. 
• Support Guides in completing interviews and obtaining needed documentation for benefits applications. 
• Engage in care coordination as part of a multidisciplinary team of peers, social workers, and clinicians to assist individuals in accessing appropriate services and support.
• Assist in outreach and engagement efforts led by firsthand Guides, which may include visiting homes and communities, local homeless shelters and drop-in centers, hospitals, and emergency departments.
• Coordinate access to tools and resources that can be used to reduce barriers for individuals receiving services from the firsthand team, including phone cards, bus passes, gift cards, etc. 
• Provide direct assistance, when appropriate, when individuals are facing challenging situations, and triage to appropriate additional interventions.
• Utilize clinical documentation and records to measure progress of an individual’s care plan, improvement in outcomes, and equitable service delivery.
• Advocate for Certified Peer Recovery Support services within the community.
• Provide clinical supervision to staff seeking clinical licensure, as applicable.
• Create an inclusive and equitable work environment for diverse staff.
• Manage team after-hours warmline responsibilities on a rotational basis.

GTLs should have:

• Empathy, compassion, and approachability
• Excellent listening, communication, and interpersonal skills
• Desire to help people in need and support their path to wellness
• Clinical knowledge, inclusive of SMI, substance use, and physical health conditions
• Tolerance for ambiguity 
• Experience or interest in providing reflective supervision
• Willingness to spend time on staff development
• Comfort working as part of a multidisciplinary team, and enjoy mixed roles and duties - this is a mix of direct service, teaching, and care management
• Cultural humility, knowledge of trauma informed care, and social determinants of health
• Familiarity with local resources and community programs
• Strong organizational skills, attention to detail, and writing skills
• Ability to prioritize multiple tasks and meet deadlines
• Ability to maintain professional boundaries and engagement skills with a population with challenges and in non-traditional work conditions

The required experience you bring to this role includes:

• Minimum of two years supervisory experience, idealling in a community setting and preferably with peer specialists.
• Meet any state requirements to supervise Certified Peer Recovery Specialists.
• Ability to operate a vehicle, including a driver’s license that is active and in good standing; must be eligible to drive under Company insurance policy.

Bonus points for:

• Bachelors or Masters Degree in social work, psychology, or related human services field
• Prior experience performing direct in-person outreach and engaging individuals with SMI
• Prior experience in Care Coordination and/or disease management
• Prior experience of managing a program budget
• Trained in motivational interviewing, recovery-oriented services, and/or trauma-informed care
• Trained in Certified Peer Recovery Specialist supervision
• Lived experience with SMI and/or SUD
• SSI/SSDI Outreach Access Recovery (SOAR) certification

Benefits 

For full-time employees, our compensation package includes base, equity (or special incentive program for clinical roles) and performance bonus potential. Our benefits include physical and mental health, dental, vision, 401(k) with a match, 16 weeks parental leave for either parent, flexible vacation, and a supportive and inclusive culture.

Unfortunately, we are not able to offer sponsorship at this time.

Vaccination Policy

Employment with firsthand is contingent upon attesting to medical clearance requirements, which include, but may not be limited to: evidence of vaccination for/immunity to COVID-19, Hepatitis B, Influenza, MMR, Chickenpox, Tetanus and Diphtheria. All employees of firsthand are required to receive these vaccinations on a cadence/frequency as advised by the CDC, whereas not otherwise prohibited by state law.

New hires may submit for consideration a request to be exempted from these requirements (based on a valid religious or medical reason) via forms provided by firsthand. Such requests will be subject to review and approval by the Company, and exemptions will be granted only if the Company can provide a reasonable accommodation in relation to the requested exemption. Note that approvals for reasonable accommodations are reviewed and approved on a case-by-case basis and availability of a reasonable accommodation is not guaranteed.