NAYA Family Center is seeking a compassionate, authentic, and community-minded Peer Mentor Specialist to join our Youth & Education Services Department and Youth Housing Program. In this role, you’ll build trusting relationships with young adults ages 18–24 experiencing homelessness or housing instability and impacted by substance use. Drawing on your peer experience, you’ll provide recovery-oriented and harm reduction support, encourage healthy decision-making, and connect young people with housing, health care, recovery resources, and other services that support their goals. You’ll collaborate with case managers, behavioral health providers, and community partners to help youth navigate challenges, strengthen support networks, and move toward greater stability and well-being. This is a part-time role, and the compensation is $20-22 per hour.

Who You Are

• You have a high school diploma or equivalent, at least six months of relevant experience, and knowledge of Native American history, local American Indian and Alaska Native communities, and the Urban Indian experience.
• You understand the experiences of young people facing homelessness, housing instability, and substance use challenges, and you bring personal experience with addiction or knowledge of issues affecting youth impacted by substance use.
• You have at least one year of continuous clean and sober time and are comfortable drawing on your experience to encourage and support others.
• You hold a current Certified Recovery Mentor (CRM), Peer Support Specialist (PSS), Peer Wellness Specialist (PWS), or equivalent certification, or can obtain the required certification within 60 days of hire and maintain it.
• You have, or can obtain and maintain, CPR, First Aid, and AED certifications.
• You build trusting relationships through active listening, clear communication, respect, and a nonjudgmental approach while maintaining professional boundaries and confidentiality.
• You understand recovery-oriented and harm reduction approaches and can remain calm, use sound judgment, and respond appropriately when young people experience distress or challenging circumstances.
• You communicate effectively with people from diverse backgrounds and have basic computer skills, including email, Microsoft Word, Excel, databases, and web-based research. Experience working with urban or reservation-based Native American communities or Native-serving organizations is strongly preferred.

What You'll Do

• Build trusting relationships with youth experiencing homelessness or housing instability and provide consistent, recovery-oriented peer support that respects each young person’s goals and choices.
• Serve as a positive role model for healthy, clean and sober living while using harm reduction and strengths-based approaches to meet youth where they are.
• Connect youth with NAYA programs, recovery resources, support groups, housing options, health care, behavioral health services, benefits, and other community resources.
• Support youth in accessing and following through with appointments, treatment, and services, including providing accompaniment and introducing them to relevant service providers.
• Help facilitate substance-free recreational activities, youth programming, and opportunities for positive social connection both on and off site.
• Collaborate with case managers, Alcohol & Drug Specialists, behavioral health providers, and community partners to coordinate wraparound support and advocate for youth as they navigate service systems.
• Participate in crisis prevention and intervention as needed, maintain accurate participant documentation and outcome data, and assist with reporting requirements.
• Represent NAYA and the Youth Housing Program professionally while participating in trainings, meetings, cross-departmental projects, and efforts to maintain a safe and welcoming environment.

Application Instructions

Providing a cover letter helps us better understand your experience supporting young people, your peer experience, and your interest in joining NAYA, so we encourage you to submit one along with your resume. If you need accommodation during the application process, please email jobs@nayapdx.org.

Questions? Want to learn more about this opportunity before applying? We'd be happy to connect you with our Youth Housing Services Manager or Human Resources.