Peer Grief Support Specialist

Job Description (Full-time, salary)

Reports To Laura Vargas, Director of Outreach Programs

Applications will be received until February 28, 2025. To apply, please visit www.sadod.org/pgss-app and utilize the form to submit a resume AND cover letter. In the cover letter, please share about your own experience with grief and loss, and how that has shaped you and your interest in this work.

Duties & Responsibilities:

The Peer Grief Support Specialist (PGSS) is responsible for providing peer-based bereavement support to people affected by a death from substance use (not only from overdose but also from suicide, homicide, accident, and medical complications due to drug use). This position is housed within PSCP’s SADOD (Support After a Death by Overdose) program and will collaborate with local and national stakeholders responding to the overdose crisis (e.g., local police departments, health departments, etc.) to reach individuals as soon as possible after the substance-use-related death of a loved one. The PGSS will coordinate and improve the provision of peer-based bereavement care for those individuals affected by a substance-use-related death. This position will be conducted primarily virtually (phone and computer), with some occasional need for in-person, Massachusetts-based support. Candidates must have moderate to advanced computer skills. This position requires a high level of responsibility, integrity, and initiative. There is plenty of flexibility for the candidate to add their own creative approach to the role. 

Candidates must have experienced the death of a loved one to substance-related causes and feel comfortable sharing their experience with others. PSCP provides equal employment opportunities to all employees and applicants for employment. Individuals  of color, LGBTQIA+ people, those with disabilities, those in recovery, and others with lived experiences as part of marginalized communities are encouraged to apply. Candidates must be local to Massachusetts.

The job of the Peer Grief Support Specialist will involve the following core responsibilities: 

  • Participate as a member of the Community Peer Grief Support (CPGS) Program Team;

  • Attend meetings and engage in communications between and among Team members;

  • Collaborate with and promote connectedness among Team members;

  • At a level in accord with the employee's skills, knowledge, and personal experience in peer support and grief support (and in related areas):

    • Provide peer grief support primarily to people bereaved by a substance-use death;

    • Contribute to planning, developing, implementing, sustaining, improving, and growing Community Peer Grief Support programs;

    • Take care of the administrative, logistical, practical, and other tasks necessary to accomplish the above.

  • Conduct outreach calls to offer support and assistance with resources to individuals who very recently experienced the death of a loved one due to substance use;

  • Provide ongoing support to grieving individuals, as requested and as in line with PGSS protocols;

  • Participate in SADOD’s RIVER training on best practices for peer-based grief support and implement this during all interactions with grieving individuals;

  • Participate in other training and professional development activities;

  • Identify any bereavement, health-related or social service needs of grieving individuals and  families and help connect them to the proper community resources;  

  • Collaborate with other internal departments and with external partners on tabling and other in-person events that provide opportunities to connect with grievers;

  • Manage a list of local resources and referrals by periodically seeking out new resources and checking in with existing resources to determine continuity;

  • Connect with existing and potential program partners with the goal of growing the program;

  • Deliver presentations and trainings to potential and existing program partners on our work;

  • Maintain required notes for all interactions;

  • Other duties as assigned. 

Skills and Qualifications

The Peer Grief Support Specialist must exhibit many varied skills and qualifications. Communication, reliability, and decision-making are paramount. Specific skills include:

  • An interest and lived experience in grief and loss;

  • Knowledgeable of and open to all paths to substance use recovery (including non- abstinent Harm Reduction);

  • Bilingual (Spanish or Portuguese) a plus;

  • Decision-making: Make independent decisions daily, addressing the best way to handle specific tasks and manage project timelines with a high degree of organizational skill; 

  • Communications and collaboration: Regularly collaborate with other administrators and support personnel, management, and constituents;

  • Organizational skills: Organization, time management, and prioritization are core elements of the position;

  • Moderate to advanced Computer Skills: Microsoft Suite, Google Suite, Zoom;

  • Experience working directly with individuals from diverse racial, ethnic, and socioeconomic backgrounds; 

  • Ability to adapt outreach approaches to multiple cultural environments and client environments; 

  • Understanding of social and cultural factors that contribute to attitudes and behaviors common to trauma and grief;  

  • Understanding of social and cultural factors that contribute to attitudes and behaviors common to having a loved one who uses substances;

  • Understanding of principles, practices and techniques related to working with bereaved individuals; 

  • Ability to observe, recognize, analyze and report on individuals’ and families’ behavioral, attitudinal, emotional and social needs, and to help provide useful information and links for future support; 

  • Ability to function under the direct supervision of a program manager and within the scope and standards of the provision of peer-based grief support; 

  • Writing: Spelling, punctuation, and sentence structure are essential, as is proficiency in various styles, from creative to professional to technical, etc;

  • Must have working wifi and own cell phone, along with a quiet space to work from. PSCP will provide a laptop and monitor.

Work Environment: 

This position is mostly remote with no designated office space. The PGSS may be asked to travel throughout Massachusetts for meetings/events approximately four (4) times per month. This position requires the ability to manage and participate in multiple virtual meetings daily. This is a full-time salaried-exempt position. Standard work schedule is Monday-Friday 9:00-6:00 PM (or mutually agreed upon schedule) with an hour lunch break. Hours may vary due to the different schedules of the grieving people being served, as a result, some evening and weekend hours may be required.

Physical Demands: 

None apart from standard office work. 

Compensation Range:

Position ranges from $48,000 to $52,000 a year. Compensation is dependent on experience.

Benefits:

  • Health & Vision Insurance

  • Paid Holidays

  • PTO

Timeline:

Applications will be received until February 28th. Individuals selected for interviews will be notified by March 5th. The start date is flexible, but will ideally be between March and April, 2025. 

TO APPLY:

Visit www.sadod.org/pgss-app OR email a Resume AND Cover Letter to Laura@SADOD.org by February 28, 2025. In the cover letter, please share about your own experience with grief and loss, and how that has shaped you and your interest in this work.

Peer Support Community Partners is an equal opportunity employer and does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national origin, sex, religion, age, disability, sexual orientation, gender identity, veteran status, height, weight, or marital status in employment or the provision of services. Knowing its importance to the success of our work, PSCP is committed to diversity and inclusion, and we aspire to build a diverse staff team and community, including groups that are traditionally underrepresented among our sector leadership.