Job Summary
Peer Mentors support people with developmental disabilities to live, work and belong in their communities.
Peer Mentors help people to:
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Be independent
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Learn problem-solving and self-advocacy skills
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Build self-esteem and self-confidence
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Set goals and make action plans
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Prepare for their Person-Centered Planning (PCP) meetings and provide support at the meeting, if asked
- Connect to resources for public benefits, health and wellness, housing, employment, transportation, training and education, advocacy, and recreation
Peer Mentors are expected to:
- Share their personal life experiences about reaching goals
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Share how they used services and supports to reach their goals
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Share how they became more self-directed and self-empowered
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Build positive, trusting relationships
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Make a safe, understanding space for people to talk about their problems and challenges
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18 years old
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Have an intellectual/developmental disability (IDD)
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Willingness to share personal experiences to guide and support others
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Experience receiving disability-related supports and services
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Understand and explain individual rights
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Obtain certification as a Peer Mentor by attending Peer Mentor 101 training and successfully complete a 90-hour internship
- Ability to work in-person and virtually
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Ability to use phone, email, computer, and virtual technology
- Preferred experience:
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lives or has lived independently (with or without support, not in your family home)
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has or has had a job in the community, and
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is actively involved in your community.
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Ability to be excited, honest, and upbeat with people
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Ability to listen closely and work to find solutions to problems
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Ability to support people to develop Self-Determination skills
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Ability to find services and resources
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Knowledge about local agencies
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Ability to develop relationships with agencies
Duty 1 Peer Mentoring (70% of their work time)
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Create good relationships with people they mentor
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Get to know the people’s hopes and dreams
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Develop a list of goals and action steps with people.
- Assist people in building their circle of support
- Assist people to connect with community resources to meet their goals
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Serve as an advocate with family members and friends to assist the people in having self-direction
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Participate in the person-centered planning process, when invited
- Spend time with people support them to reach their goals
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Medicaid reporting: log the date of your meetings, the length of time of your meetings, what you talked about, if it was in-person or virtual meeting, next steps with the action plan. This reporting may be done using a computer.
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Attend trainings in person or virtually to improve skills with mentoring, person-centered planning, independent facilitation, self-determination, community inclusion, employment, health and wellness, independent living, and transportation.
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Stay involved with the Peer Mentor group through monthly and quarterly virtual meetings and other scheduled meetings.
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Attend an in-person Peer Mentor retreat once a year
- Present about Peer Mentoring and self-determination at conferences, trainings and other events, when asked.
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Provide group peer education on self-advocacy, self-determination, and rights.
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Attend agency new employee orientation and training.
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Complete all State, County, and agency training requirements.
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Follow all agency policies and procedures, including code of conduct and ethics.
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Share information at meetings for people, staff, and funders about the role of a Peer Mentor and Peer Mentor services
