Program Supervisor

Job Responsibilities:

1. Program Leadership & Operations
Provide operational leadership and oversight of the Emergency Department Peer Support Program across participating hospital sites.
Serve as a liaison between peers, ED clinical staff, hospital leadership, security staff, EMS, social work, and community-based behavioral health providers.
Champion the peer support program and promote understanding of peer roles among hospital staff and administrators.
Ensure program activities align with trauma-informed, recovery-oriented, and patient-centered care principles.
Coordinate peer staffing schedules across participating ED sites.
Participate in strategic planning, quality improvement, and program development activities.
Assist with implementation and sustainability planning for ED-based peer support services.
Support compliance with institutional policies, grant requirements, documentation standards, and program deliverables.
Participate in on-call or crisis support coverage as needed.
2. Peer Recruitment, Hiring & Workforce Development
Assist in development and refinement of peer job descriptions, hiring criteria, and interview guides.
Participate in recruitment, interviewing, selection, and onboarding of Peer Support Specialists.
Assess peer readiness, competencies, and fit for ED-based crisis work.
Support development of competency assessments and professional development plans for peers.
Foster a supportive work environment that promotes peer wellness, resilience, retention, and professional growth.
3. Peer Training & Onboarding
Collaborate with hospital and research teams to design and implement peer orientation and training programs.
Assist in development of peer training manuals, workflows, educational materials, and simulation-based training sessions.
Facilitate training on:
o trauma-informed care,
o recovery-oriented approaches,
o crisis de-escalation,
o ED workflows,
o workplace safety,
o professional boundaries,
o documentation practices,
o cultural humility,
o patient engagement strategies,
o and behavioral crisis response.
Oversee onboarding processes, including hospital orientation, electronic medical record training, safety training, and intervention-specific protocols.
4. Supervision, Fidelity & Quality Improvement
Provide regular individual and group supervision to Peer Support Specialists working in the ED.
Assist in ensuring compliance with research activities related to the collection of data.
Conduct site visits and direct observation of peer-patient interactions as needed.
Support peers in applying lived experience appropriately and therapeutically in clinical settings.
Monitor fidelity to program workflows, peer role expectations, and evidence-based recovery support practices.
Evaluate peer performance and provide coaching, mentorship, and corrective guidance when necessary.
Assist in identifying staff support needs and strategies to mitigate burnout and vicarious trauma among peers.
Participate in quality improvement activities, incident review, and performance monitoring.
Ensure accurate and timely completion of required documentation and reports.
5. Patient Support & Community Coordination
Support peers in assisting patients with:
o identifying recovery goals,
o strengthening self-advocacy,
o engaging in treatment,
o and connecting with follow-up behavioral health services and community resources.
Assist peers in addressing barriers related to social determinants of health, including housing instability, food insecurity, transportation, and access to care.
Promote culturally informed, strengths-based approaches to patient engagement.
Collaborate with ED teams, mobile crisis providers, law enforcement, EMS, and community agencies to support safe and coordinated transitions of care.

Minimum Qualifications:
To qualify you must have a Strong interpersonal communication and relationship-building skills
Knowledge of trauma-informed and recovery-oriented care principles
Ability to work collaboratively within multidisciplinary healthcare teams
Cultural humility and commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion
Leadership and supervisory skills
Crisis intervention and de-escalation skills
Systems-oriented thinking and operational problem solving
Ability to balance clinical, operational, and implementation priorities
Commitment to peer support ethics and professional boundaries
Ability to work effectively in fast-paced, high-stress environments

Preferred Qualifications:
Lived experience of recovery from mental health and/or substance use challenges strongly preferred.
Certification as a Peer Support Specialist, Recovery Support Specialist, or Recovery Coach preferred.
Bachelors degree in behavioral health, public health, psychology, social work, or related field preferred, or equivalent experience.
Minimum 2 years of experience working as a peer support specialist or supervising peers.
Experience working in emergency departments, crisis services, behavioral health, or acute care settings preferred.
Experience training or supervising peer staff preferred.
Experience with program implementation, quality improvement, or research projects preferred.
Knowledge of community behavioral health resources and recovery systems.
Valid drivers license and willingness to travel across participating sites.