Firsthand Guide Peer Support Intern

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.

firsthand's Peer Support Internship is a structured training program providing individuals who have received mental health and/or substance use services and are seeking to develop work experience and skills to ultimately become a Peer Support Specialist. The program is designed to allow for interns to obtain 500 hours of work experience, generally completed over the course of 6-9 months in a part-time capacity (roughly 15-20 hours/week). Ideal candidates are individuals who are interested in building a career in peer support. Preference in consideration will be given to individuals who have previously received support services from firsthand.

The focus of the internship program is to support the interns in combining their lived experience with firsthand's specialized training to support some of our most vulnerable citizens. Interns will work alongside experienced firsthand Guides (Peer Support Specialists) and other team members as we address an individual's whole health, both mental and physical, as well as the Social Determinants of Health.

The intern role is a 1099.

As a Peer Support Intern you will:

• Learn the basic skills of peer support.

• Learn how to utilize electronic health records.

• Take the required training for confidentiality and HIPAA.

• Receive CPI training.

• Attend daily team huddles discussing the specific challenges facing the people we serve.

• Assist firsthand Guides in their day-to-day documentation.

• Assist team staff in maintaining the needs of the team.

• Participate in ride-alongs with firsthand Guides and Community Resource Guides.

• Attend support group meetings.

• Learn advanced recovery and self-care skills.

• Peer Support Interns will receive weekly supervision and mentoring provided by peers trained in supervising peer support staff.

Must have:

• High School Diploma or equivalent.

• Strong self-care skills.

• Lived experience with SMI and/or SUD.

Upon successful completion of the firsthand Peer Internship Program, interns will:

• Have gained at least 500 hours of work experience in a supervised peer support training program.

• Be prepared to take the required state training and apply for the state's Certified Peer Recovery Specialist credential.

• Have completed a personal WRAP plan.

• Be eligible to apply for a firsthand Guide position (if CPRS not yet obtained but can be within 6 months, conditional employment is an option); employment as a fG is not automatic or guaranteed, but will be eligible to participate in the application/interview process.

$15 - $15 an hour

This is a part-time, non-exempt, hourly position reporting to firsthand's Guide Team Lead. firsthand cares deeply about ensuring pay equity with every team member who joins. Commensurate on candidate experience, the expected hourly rate is $15/hr. This position does not offer benefits.

Benefits

For full-time employees, our compensation package includes base, equity (or special incentive program for clinical roles) and a 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.