Attendant Care Worker/Peer Support Specialist (Bilingual)
CrossWinds Counseling & Wellness·Emporia, Kansas
CrossWinds Counseling & Wellness·Emporia, Kansas
Provide consumer-centered support and mentorship to clients using lived experience to assist in psychiatric symptom management and recovery goals. Assist clients with daily living activities, community resource navigation, and the development of independent living skills.
Reports to Hispanic Outreach Manager: Position Type Full Time Travel Regular travel within service area
Work Hours Monday – Friday, 8: 00 am – 5:00 pm
Summary The Attendant Care Worker/Peer Support Specialist provides quality, consumer-centered support services through a rehabilitation and recovery-oriented approach to assist clients in achieving individualized treatment, recovery, and personal growth goals. Utilizing both lived experience and direct support services, this position helps clients manage psychiatric symptoms, develop independent living skills, navigate daily life activities, access community resources, and increase community integration. Services are designed to promote recovery, enhance quality of life, support successful independent functioning in community settings, and prevent or reduce hospitalizations. Services may be provided in English and Spanish, as appropriate to client needs.
Essential Functions Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable qualified individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.
Assists clients in achieving individualized treatment, recovery, and personal growth goals through the delivery of quality peer support and attendant care services.
Utilizes lived experience with mental health recovery to provide encouragement, mentorship, and hope while serving as a positive role model for clients.
Provides individual and group services that promote recovery, independent living skills, social functioning, community integration, and successful daily living.
Assists clients in developing natural support systems and connecting with others who have shared similar experiences through peer support, community resources, and consumer-run organizations.
Supports clients in identifying, securing, and maintaining community resources and services through coordination with community agencies, employment contacts, and CrossWinds programs.
Guides clients in developing coping strategies, recovery skills, and wellness tools, including identifying and responding to triggers that may impact functioning.
Encourages clients to actively participate in treatment, make informed decisions regarding their recovery, and effectively communicate goals, questions, and concerns with treatment providers.
Completes and utilizes recovery planning tools, including the Wellness Recovery Action Plan (WRAP), to support personal and client recovery efforts.
Observes and reports significant behavioral, emotional, physical, or mental health changes to supervisors and other appropriate treatment team members.
Assists in maintaining a safe, supportive, and therapeutic residential environment, including meal preparation, laundry, housekeeping, and supporting clients with activities of daily living and personal hygiene as needed.
May facilitate psychosocial groups and skill-building activities designed to improve social, emotional, behavioral, and independent living skills.
May assist clients with medical appointments by gathering vital signs and current health information and coordinating communication with clinical staff.
May transport clients to appointments, community activities, employment opportunities, treatment services, and other approved destinations as assigned.
Provides leadership, coaching, and hands-on support to help clients practice and apply recovery and independent living skills in real-world settings.
Maintains accurate, timely, and complete documentation of all client services in accordance with agency policies, licensing regulations, funding requirements, and accreditation standards.
Completes progress notes, service documentation, treatment-related records, timesheets, and other required paperwork within established timeframes.
Attends and participates in required supervision, staff meetings, trainings, and professional development activities to maintain and enhance job knowledge, skills, and certifications.
Adheres to all CrossWinds policies, procedures, confidentiality requirements, safety standards, and ethical guidelines while promoting a culture of recovery, dignity, and respect for all clients.
Skills & Abilities Education High school diploma or equivalent is required. Experience Prior experience in the health and human services field is preferred. Certifications & Licenses Must complete Peer Support Specialist certification training. Computer Skills Computer experience in Microsoft Office programs and basic computer fluency.
Additional Qualifications Must be a consumer of mental health services with a minimum of one year in the active stage of recovery (i.e. does not require services more intense than medication services, individual therapy or group therapy); bilingual fluency in oral and written English and Spanish; ability to work with persons with severe and persistent mental illness; must be able to demonstrate knowledge of recovery practice and wellness philosophy; possess demonstrated interpersonal skills and ability to work independently and as a member of a therapeutic team; must have satisfactory results from KBI, DCF child abuse registry check, adult abuse registry check, and motor vehicle reports before hire.
Work Environment This job operates in a community setting, as well as in a professional office setting. This position primarily works with clients out in the community and within the agency’s residential facilities. This role occasionally uses standard office equipment such as computers, phones, photocopiers, and filing cabinets.
Physical Requirements 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. This list is not exhaustive and may be supplemented as necessary.
While performing the duties of this job, the employee is occasionally required to stand; walk; sit; handle objects; grasp and reach for items with hands and arms; manipulate hands and fingers; climb stairs; balance; stoop, kneel, or crouch; and talk or hear.
The employee must occasionally lift or move up to 25 pounds.
The employee is required to become certified in Managing Aggressive Behaviors (MAB), which includes training in proper restraint/physical intervention techniques to be utilized as a last resort.
Specific vision abilities required by the job include close vision, distance vision, color vision, peripheral vision, depth perception, and the ability to adjust focus.
Language skills are required, including the ability to read, write, comprehend, and speak the English language.
This position also requires the ability to interpret written materials, write reports and business correspondence, and effectively present and respond to questions.
Important Information This job description has been examined for compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA).
The agency has reviewed this job description to ensure that essential functions and basic duties have been included.
It is intended to provide guidelines for job expectations and the employee’s ability to perform the position described.
It is not intended to be construed as an exhaustive list of all functions, responsibilities, skills, and abilities.
Additional functions and requirements may be assigned by supervisors as deemed appropriate.
This document does not represent a contract of employment, and the agency reserves the right to change this job description and/or assign tasks for the employee to perform, as the agency may deem appropriate.
Skills & Abilities Education High school diploma or equivalent is required. Experience Prior experience in the health and human services field is preferred. Certifications & Licenses Must complete Peer Support Specialist certification training. Computer Skills Computer experience in Microsoft Office programs and basic computer fluency.
Additional Qualifications Must be a consumer of mental health services with a minimum of one year in the active stage of recovery (i.e. does not require services more intense than medication services, individual therapy or group therapy); bilingual fluency in oral and written English and Spanish; ability to work with persons with severe and persistent mental illness; must be able to demonstrate knowledge of recovery practice and wellness philosophy; possess demonstrated interpersonal skills and ability to work independently and as a member of a therapeutic team; must have satisfactory results from KBI, DCF child abuse registry check, adult abuse registry check, and motor vehicle reports before hire.
Market context
In Kansas, behavioral health hiring often centers on clinicians who can work across outpatient, school-based, and community settings, with demand strongest for candidates who are license-eligible and comfortable with complex caseloads. These roles are competitive because employers look for a master’s degree, clinical conceptualization skills for eating disorders and dual diagnoses, and readiness to collaborate with multidisciplinary teams. Review the AI-summarized requirements and benefits here to quickly compare fit, then confirm licensure steps and highlight any direct experience with co-occurring conditions in your application.
