Remote Peer Support Specialist

Position Title: Remote Peer Support Specialist

Status: Full-Time (40 hours)/Non-Exempt

Reports To: Peer Support Program Supervisor

Salary Range: The starting pay for a Peer Support Specialist at Lines for Life is $23 per hour, with a $2 differential for employees with a graduate degree in a related field ($25/hr.), if applicable. This is a union position with a step progression based upon years of service at Lines for Life, and below is the current step scale:

0-3 years: $23.00

3-5 years: $24.15

5-7 years: $25.36

7-10 years: $26.63

>10 years: $27.96

This role also comes with a great benefits package valued at over $14,750 per year, including $11,400 in premium coverage for employee health, vision, and dental coverage, full coverage of short and long-term disability and life insurance premiums; a matching 401K plan equivalent to 3% of the annual salary during the first 2 years of employment after passing the match eligibility date; as well as a flexible spending plan; an employee assistance program; and a free Fitbit.

Oregon Premium Differential: Employees who live and work from the state of Oregon are eligible for a 2% differential over their base rate of pay for hours worked in Oregon.

Schedule: Thursday–Monday, 1:30 PM–10:00 PM Pacific time (40 hours)

Location: Remote.

Application Deadline: November 7th, 2026

About the Organization: Lines for Life is a regional non-profit that is dedicated to preventing substance abuse and suicide. We offer help and hope to individuals and communities and promote mental health for all. Our work addresses a spectrum of needs that include intervention, prevention, and advocacy. We educate, train, and advocate to prevent issues of substance use, mental health challenges, and thoughts of suicide from reaching crisis levels. But when a crisis arises or support is needed, we are available 24/7/365 to intervene with personalized help.

Program Purpose: The purpose of the Lines for Life (L4L) Peer Support program is to provide compassionate, empathic support in a judgement-free space where individuals can engage in collaborative communication with Peer Support Specialist through shared lived experiences, understanding, and inspiration. L4L Peer Support encourages resilience and comfort as participants navigate their path beyond the crisis at hand, we aim to assist in alleviating feelings of isolation and distress, while acting as a partner through de-escalation, coping strategies, and empowerment as individuals identify and access their journey towards recovery, safety, and well-being.

Position Summary: This position is a key element to a program to add peer viewpoints into the crisis continuum. In occupying this role, a Peer Support Specialist will be part of a team delivering peer services to contacts made through 988.

Responsibilities:

• Demonstrate the culture of Lines for Life by modeling behavior that supports the organization’s goals and philosophies.
• Answer referred calls with mutuality and relationality, applying the best practices of peer delivery models.
• Complete intakes into peer follow-up program and manage caseload of callers in peer follow up program
• Place outbound follow-up calls as assigned.
• Provide referrals for long-term community peer support and assist with resource verification.
• Complete call documentation in a timely manner with key information from the calls.
• Consult with the supervisor as needed about high acuity and complex calls.
• Perform other duties, such as administrative and organizational tasks as needed.

Required Qualifications:

• Internal candidates must be willing to get the Peer Support Specialist certification in the state of Oregon
• Strong communication and interpersonal skills
• Able to handle high levels of stress
• Ability to develop meaningful connections and empathize
• Team-oriented
• Proficient in web-based computer environment and multi-line phone system
• A HIPAA compliant workspace at home
• Private high-speed internet
• Strong attendance & punctuality - able to consistently show up on time, work the full scheduled shifts, and provide at least 2 weeks' notice for time off requests or as soon as possible in the event of an emergency

Preferred Qualifications:

• Certified Recovery Mentor (Certifications - MHACBO)
• Crisis intervention experience
• Experience in a call center environment

Work Schedule:

We are currently looking to fill this position with the schedules listed below.

• Thursday–Monday, 1:30 PM–10:00 PM Pacific time (40 hours)

Interview

• Interviews are conducted via Zoom with a Lines for Life supervisor and HR team members and are recorded so that members of the Hiring Committee who are unable to attend the live interview are able to watch the recording and give feedback afterwards.

Training:

• Internal candidates must be willing to get the Peer Support Specialist certification in the state of Oregon which requires completing 4-5 weeks of crisis intervention training for peers with a combination of classroom and peer and on-the-job training, as well as complete ongoing trainings as assigned to meet contractual/grant and internal requirements and continue to learn about best practices in the delivery of peer services. (Lines for Life will pay for this certification for internal candidates if selected for the role. You can be located outside of the State of Oregon and still get this certification).

Remote Work:

• Telecommuting requires passing a clinical and technical evaluation, having a HIPAA compliant workspace at home, and meeting technology requirements. Supervisors provide support to telecommuters by listening in on acute crisis contacts and using an internal messaging system (Microsoft Teams) to communicate.
• Daily tasks require a stable and consistent internet speed of 10 Mbps for both Upload and Download speeds, as well as Jitter below 20. Packet Loss should be 0%. You may test if your network requirements are met by doing a speed test here: https://speed.cloudflare.com/
• Private highspeed internet is required for a HIPAA compliant workspace
• Lines for Life utilizes Windows based PCs.

Physical Requirements:

• Work is mainly conducted in an office environment and requires sitting or standing for long periods of time.
• This position requires high energy, patience and controlling one’s emotions, as well as the ability to think analytically.

Quality Assurance:

• We want to let you know that all crisis contacts are recorded – inbound and outbound. We review them regularly to ensure safety and quality assurance and for training and supervisory purposes. What this means is that you will have crisis contacts randomly picked for review and you will receive clinical feedback on how you are doing. This happens every few weeks and is one way that we ensure professional growth of our team. Another aspect of this technology is that while you are taking crisis contacts, supervisors can listen in to provide support if a crisis contact is particularly challenging or high risk. This supports our Peer Support Specialists so they are not alone and ensures safety for our crisis contacts.

Compensation Package:

The starting pay for a Peer Support Specialist at Lines for Life is $23 per hour, with a $2 differential for employees with a graduate degree in a related field ($25/hr.). This is a union position with a step progression based upon years of service at Lines for Life, and below is the current step scale:

0-3 years: $23.00

3-5 years: $24.15

5-7 years: $25.36

7-10 years: $26.63

>10 years: $27.96

Employees who live and work from the state of Oregon are eligible for a 2% differential over their base rate of pay for hours worked in Oregon. Lines for Life offers a great benefits package valued at over $14,750 per year, including $11,400 in premium coverage for employee health, vision and dental coverage, full coverage of short and long-term disability and life insurance premiums; a matching 401K plan equivalent to 3% of the annual salary during the first 2 years of employment after passing the match eligibility date; as well as a flexible spending plan; an employee assistance program; and a free Fitbit.

If you need reasonable accommodations to participate in the application process or interview, including any pre-employment testing, please inform us by contacting hr@linesforlife.org

This job description is not meant to be an all-inclusive list of duties and responsibilities but, constitutes a general definition of the position's scope and function in the company. 

EEO: Lines for Life strives to create a diverse, inclusive environment to better represent the communities that we serve. We are an equal opportunity employer. Lines for Life shall not discriminate against any employee or applicant for employment because of race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, or national origin. However, it shall not be a violation of this clause for the Lines for Life to extend a publicly announced preference in employment to Indians living on or near an Indian reservation, in connection with employment opportunities on or near an Indian reservation, as permitted by 41 CFR 60-1.5

All Lines for Life employees must be approved to work by the Oregon Department of Human Services’ Background Check Unit. Background checks are completed after a conditional offer of employment has been extended.