Northland Counseling Center
Posting of Employment Opportunity
Certified Peer Support Specialist (PSS)
The Certified Peer Specialist works as a member of Northland Counseling Center/Northland Recovery team to help program participants, or peers, to make progress on their identified recovery goals by addressing feelings of stigma, social isolation, personal loss and systemic power dynamics that can be common when accessing mental health services. This is accomplished through a mutual shared experience of utilizing mental health services and includes, but is not limited to, modeling wellness and demonstrating personal responsibility, self-advocacy and hopefulness through appropriate sharing of the recovery journey. The PSS staff can meet with program participants where ever life happens--at a peer's home, office, in the community, and in a schedule that works for both the staff and peer.
The Role of a Certified Peer Specialistis to:
Inspire hope that recovery from mental illness is not only possible, but probable
Provide opportunities for people using mental health service to practice self-efficacy,
through activities that emphasize that acquisition, development, and enhancement of skills needed to move forward in mental health recovery.
Promote empowerment and self-determination.
Build relationships based on mutuality and shared – perspective.
Deepen the treatment teams’ understanding of the experience of being a mental health consumer.
Qualifications to Become a Certified Peer Specialist (PSS)
Be at least 21 years of age;
Have a GED, high school diploma or equivalent;
Have or have had a primary diagnosis of mental illness;
Have a valid driver’s license and automobile insurance.
Be a current or former consumer of mental health services;
Demonstrate dedication to promoting recovery opportunities in the lives of Peers;
Demonstrate ability to utilize his or her own lived experience of recovery (as defined by
that person) to inspire recovery in the lives of Peers; and
Successfully complete the Department approved Certified Peer Specialist training and
certification exam.
Essay Questions to be Completed for Application:
1)Please describe why you are interested in becoming a Certified Peer Specialist?
2)Describe how you would feel about sharing your personal mental health recovery story to person in need.
3)Describe your current strengths and weaknesses in regards to your own personal mental health recovery goals.
Attention: Applicants cansend aCover Letter, Resume and the completed essay questions to:
Amanda Okech, 3130 SE 2nd Ave, Grand Rapids MN 55744
or email (218) 326-5114
Application materials listed above must be received no later than end of day on Feb 28th to be considered. Must have completed or in the process of completing the MN Certified Peer Specialist training. For more information on Certification Training to become a CPS, please visit
Northland Counseling Center is an EOE