Program Manager (Peer Services)

Organization:

Founded in 2003, AMI Housing is a California-based nonprofit organization whose mission is to house and support the most vulnerable residents of the Sierra Region by enhancing the lives of people with mental illness by providing housing, employment, and supportive services. 

Summary of primary job functions:

The Peer Support Services Program Manager provides leadership and strategic oversight for peer-led programs focused on behavioral health, community services, and community engagement. The position directly supervises the Behavioral Health Peer Services Supervisor and the Housing and Community Peer services Supervisor, ensuring alignment with agency values, contractual obligations, and peer support best practices. The Program Manager is responsible for guiding the growth, quality, and integration of peer services across multiple service areas. This includes program development, staff supervision, training implementation, and quality assurance. The role requires collaboration with internal departments, external partners, and system stakeholders to strengthen peer workforce initiatives and expand client-centered, trauma-informed support.

This role should be held by someone familiar with the services and resources available in the community. Important functions will also include providing recovery-oriented peer services, skill building, ethical problem solving, crisis management and de-escalation, optimizing professional growth, and performing administrative duties. Qualified individuals who have navigated public behavioral health services in any California county, are bilingual/bicultural, or identify as members of traditionally underserved populations (BIPOC, LGBTQ+, veterans, immigrants, refugees, former foster youth, previously unhoused, justice involved, etc.) are strongly desired.

This position requires maintaining a valid Medi-Cal Peer Support Specialist Certification and successful completion of an approved peer supervisor training program.

Examples of essential duties may include, but are not limited to, the following:

• Liaise with and assist with the development and implementation of adult treatment and advocacy services at Adult System of Care; provide supervisory support to staff; and meet regularly with the ASOC Program Manager regarding expectations, deliverables, and outcomes.
• In collaboration with the ASOC Program Manager, provide training and technical assistance to Placer County mental health and substance use services programs; assist with concept papers, newsletters, and related documents; research policies, programs, legislation, regulations, and related issues; analyze data; and formulate recommendations.
• Coordinate and facilitate collaborative efforts among public, private, and nonprofit organizations to address targeted community needs.
• Provide overall leadership and direction for Peer Support Services and ensure alignment with contractual requirements, recovery principles, peer support values, and agency expectations.
• Supervise and support Peer Services Supervisors and Peer staff, including coaching, staff wellness, workload management, performance feedback, and professional development.
• Oversee daily program operations, staffing, scheduling, service coverage, and performance management.
• Oversee staff productivity and Medi-Cal billing performance, including monitoring individual and program-level productivity rates, identifying performance gaps, and implementing corrective strategies to ensure established billing targets, contractual requirements, and program financial goals are met. 
• Maintain knowledge of recovery concepts, peer support, BHSA requirements, adult mental health services, community resources, and applicable laws and regulations.
• Oversee the Speakers Bureau and Consumer Council, including recruitment, mentoring, training, participation, and continuation of required activities.
• Support and/or lead peer development programs, including NAMI Peer-to-Peer, WRAP, Seeking Safety, CASRA, Peer Certification Training, and related opportunities.
• Promote member participation in community boards, committees, task forces, and commissions through recruitment, coaching, mentoring, and skill building.
• Participate in planning and developing community and member-focused events, including Recovery Happens.
• Monitor contractual deliverables, program outcomes, performance measures, and effectiveness and complete required reporting.
• Monitor documentation and data entry for accuracy, timeliness, quality, and compliance, including MHSA and contractual requirements.
• Prepare performance reports, track metrics, provide program updates, and respond to audits and monitoring requests.
• Lead Peer workforce recruitment, interviewing, onboarding, and offboarding activities.
• Contribute to staff performance evaluations and ensure employees meet expectations for productivity, quality, conduct, and outcomes.
• Address escalated employee relations, disciplinary, performance, and high-risk matters in collaboration with Director and Human Resources.
• Develop and maintain policies, procedures, workflows, and tools that support the Peer workforce and program quality.
• Identify training needs and coordinate ongoing training, technical assistance, certification, and professional development for Peer staff.
• Monitor service delivery and program fidelity to peer support values, recovery principles, contractual requirements, and applicable standards.
• Develop or expand peer-led initiatives based on member needs, community needs, and identified system gaps.
• Build and maintain partnerships with behavioral health, housing, criminal justice, and community organizations and support peer workforce development.
• Facilitate communication among Peer teams, ASOC, County partners, community organizations, and agency departments.
• Approve timecards and PTO requests, oversee scheduling, and review mileage reports in accordance with agency policies.
• Ensure that supervisors and peer staff are trained on MAA time study protocols and eligible activities
• Oversee and support accurate documentation of MAA-claimable outreach, referral, and facilitation activities
• Coordinate with the MAA Program Lead to track participation, ensure compliance, and improve documentation quality
• Encourage community-based outreach, public education, and engagement that align with Medi-Cal eligibility and access 

• General Leadership Expectations:
  
  Upholds lawful and ethical standards in both business operations and delivery of services, including maintaining a working knowledge of significant developments and trends in the field.
• Provides visionary leadership to champion AMIH mission to make meaningful change in people’s lives.  
• Actively promotes the AMIH culture and values within the practice and communities.  
• Manages and continually builds relationships in local communities to elevate the company's presence.  
• Maintains current knowledge of changing laws that impact the peer program.   
• Upholds lawful and ethical standards in both business operations and delivery of services.   
• Synthesizes operational efficiencies and proposes opportunities for improvement.   
• Trains and mentors’ managers, supervisors, and others involved in employee development efforts.   
• Utilizes strong supervisory and leadership skills; demonstrates ability to build productive teams of staff performing varied functions.   
• Ability to establish and maintain effective relationships with contractors, employees, and the general public and to promote a positive team environment. Interact with staff in a caring and respectful manner and with due understanding of and consideration for cultural differences.  
• Demonstrate the ability to deal with sensitive situations with tact and diplomacy.  Manage and resolve issues of direct reports with other agency programs.  
• Provide support to the CEO and other Senior Leadership members when requested.   
• Perform other duties consistent with the goals and objectives of the program as assigned. 

Human Resources Management and Leadership: 

• Provide direct supervision, leadership, and support to program staff, including Peer Support Specialists, Family Support Specialists, and other assigned staff.
• Promote an empowering, person-centered, recovery-oriented approach to service delivery that supports participant well-being, housing stability, and self-sufficiency.
• Oversee staff performance, productivity, and adherence to program expectations through ongoing supervision, coaching, mentoring, and annual performance evaluations.
• Participate in recruitment, interviewing, selection, and hiring of qualified staff who support the organization’s mission and program objectives.
• Ensure new staff receive appropriate orientation, onboarding, training, and ongoing professional development.
• Address performance and conduct concerns through appropriate coaching, corrective action, and disciplinary processes in coordination with the Program Director and Human Resources.
• Support employee retention, engagement, professional development, and a positive, collaborative team environment.
• Provide on-call coverage, as assigned, for after-hours and weekend crisis situations.
• Collaborate with Finance and program leadership to develop and monitor annual budgets, track expenses across multiple funding sources, and ensure program and staffing expenditures remain within approved budgets.

Community Relations 

• Liaises with Placer County Health and Human Services Department, community partners, and stakeholders.
• Represents the organization at community activities to enhance the organization's community profile.
• Intervenes with community agencies in peer services matters to ensure AMIH interests are advanced. 
• Participates in committees, task forces, and special projects as required.
• Cultivate new and existing partnerships in AMIH’s service areas to increase client skills and establish goals (life management skills, educational and/or career goals, financial management skills, health and wellness goals, and decision-making skills).
• Work collaboratively with community partners to increase awareness and support of the program and the agency. 
• Complete time study logs accurately and on schedule (monthly or quarterly, as assigned).
• Record time spent on eligible MAA activities using the correct categories.
• Perform outreach to connect clients to Medi-Cal covered services (e.g., medical, mental health, substance use, housing support services).
• Refer or assist clients in accessing Medi-Cal and related benefits.
• Coordinate non-direct services that help clients navigate systems of care.
• Maintain detailed notes/logs of MAA-eligible tasks (e.g., referrals, benefit navigation).
• Ensure documentation supports what is entered in time studies.
• Participate in required MAA training sessions to understand eligible activities and documentation requirements.
• Ask questions or request support if unsure whether an activity qualifies.
• Share updates and ask for guidance on complex cases involving MAA tasks.
• Respond to feedback on time study accuracy or documentation quality.
   

Knowledge:

• The structure and functions of California’s Public Behavioral Health System and key elements, values, and goals of the MHSA
• The role and duties or peer providers in behavioral health settings
• Medi-Cal Peer Support Specialist Certification and Specialization standards and requirements
• The history of the consumer and peer support movements; application and prioritization of wellness, recovery, resiliency, and self-help principles in behavioral health services
• Core competencies, best practices, and service delivery standards for peer providers
• Effective peer hiring, supervision, evaluation, and career development practices
• Common workplace barriers and challenges experienced by peers
• Principles, methods, and techniques of effective employee supervision
• Business documentation and record-keeping practices (including protection of confidential information)
• Program administration, operations, management, and reporting
• Basic employment laws
• Elements of service contracts, including scopes of work, deliverables/outcomes, and budgets
• Professional etiquette and collaborative approaches for business communications and interactions
• Local behavioral health services and supports in Placer County
• The complex relationships among government agencies, public and private organizations, groups, and private enterprises affecting clients and other stakeholders
• Medi-Cal documentation standards and billing requirements for Certified Peer Support Specialists

Skills: 

• Familiarity with best practices, including but not limited to harm reduction, trauma-informed care, and motivational interviewing concepts and strategies. 
• Outstanding capacity to build strong relationships with various program participants, colleagues, and community members. 
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills. 
• Experience in budget preparation and monitoring and demonstrated ability to prepare budget and statistical reports. 
• Strong supervisory and leadership skills; Demonstrated ability to build productive teams of staff performing varied functions 
• Excellent conflict resolution skills and demonstrated ability to deal with sensitive situations tactfully and diplomatically. 
• Must multitask with attention to detail while working in a fast-paced and sometimes chaotic environment.
• Ability to plan, organize, and prioritize work. Demonstrated ability to work under pressure, multi-task conflicting demands, meet deadlines, and work independently 

Ability to: 

• Promote a positive team environment. 
• Ability to work effectively independently and as part of a team with flexible and adaptable work style. 
• Prepare and adhere to budget and statistical reports.
• Demonstrated ability to deal with sensitive situations with tact and diplomacy 
• Demonstrated ability to prepare budget and statistical reports 
• Ability to plan, organize, and prioritize work and demonstrated ability to work under pressure, multi-task conflicting demands, meet deadlines, and work independently 
• Continuously sit at a desk and stand at the counter for extended periods; use a keyboard to communicate through written means; run errands; lift lightweight.
• Continuously sit at a desk for long periods; intermittently walk, stand, bend, climb, squat, twist, and reach while retrieving or returning files or making field visits. Intermittently twist to get equipment surrounding desk; perform simple grasping and fine manipulation; see with correctable acuity sufficient to read characters on a computer screen; hear and speak with enough sense to communicate with others. 
• Make rapid and accurate arithmetic calculations, including addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division. 
• Understand the organization and operations of the AMIH and community partners as necessary to assume assigned responsibilities. 
• Compile and maintain extensive records and files. 
• Operate a variety of office machines/computers and software systems. 

Education/Background: 

• Bachelor’s degree in behavioral health, social work, psychology, human services, or a related field required.
  • Four (4) years of relevant experience in peer support, behavioral health, mental health, substance use services, advocacy, or a related field may substitute for the degree requirement.
• Complete and pass pre-employment background checks (fingerprints, drug and alcohol testing, and criminal background checks). 
• Bilingual fluency (English/Spanish) is preferred.

 Personal Lived Experience:

• As an individual with a history of mental health challenges, substance use disorder, and/or homelessness that has accessed services related to this history and received recovery support
• A close family member of an individual with a history of mental health challenges, substance use disorder, and/or homelessness who has navigated the system and services offered

Work experience may include:

• A minimum of three years of demonstrated work experience performing the core responsibilities of this role is required.
• A minimum of two years of demonstrated work experience in a supervisory or mentorship capacity is required. 
• Experience working in housing services or social service-related fields and/or with individuals with serious mental illness and a background of homelessness is required.
• Strong desire to help others through recovery, advocacy and support. 
• Experience in providing case management/service coordination with individuals experiencing symptoms of mental illness, substance misuse, and/or homelessness.

Licenses and Certification:

• A Medi-Cal Peer Support Specialist (MPSS) Certification that is current and in good standing. (AMIH will fund and facilitate the Medi-Cal Peer Support Specialist Certificate upon employment.)
• Certification as a Registered Alcohol and Drug Technician (RADT) or other AOD-related certifications are preferred
• Completion of a state-approved peer supervisor training
• Possess a valid driver's license with a clean driving record as required by the position.
• Proof of adequate vehicle insurance and medical clearance is required. 

Computer Proficiency: 

• Strong computer proficiency (i.e., Microsoft Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook, SharePoint, Microsoft Teams, Zoom, Adobe, DocuSign, Welligent, AppFolio, Google Docs, Internet, and Calendar) to complete daily duties within the expected timeframes with little to no supervision.

Personal Characteristics:

• Be welcoming and supportive. Displays a solid desire to advance the agency’s mission and help people with mental illness improve their lives by becoming independent, successful community members.
• Displays a solid desire to advance the agency’s mission and help people with mental illness improve their lives by becoming independent, successful community members.
• Possesses strong leadership skills to manage staff, resources, and delivery of services effectively.