Peer Support Worker I/II - Older Adult Services (OASIS) (Open and Promotional)

Support older adults on their recovery journey while helping them remain healthy, connected, and independent in their community!

San Mateo County Health's Behavioral Health and Recovery Services (BHRS) is seeking a compassionate Peer Support Worker I/II to join the Older Adult System of Integrated Services (OASIS).

OASIS serves older adults that are homebound/mobility concerns and are also experiencing serious mental illness and/or co-occurring substance use disorders. As a Peer Support Worker, you will use your own lived experience with mental health recovery to inspire hope, build meaningful relationships, and help clients achieve their recovery goals.

Working as part of a multidisciplinary behavioral health team, you will provide peer support, wellness coaching, community-based services, advocacy, and practical assistance that promotes recovery, independence, and quality of life.

This is a part-time, regular position that includes travel throughout San Mateo County for home visits, community-based services, client transportation, meetings, and occasional travel to neighboring counties as needed.

Key Responsibilities 

The OASIS Peer Support Worker may be responsible for but not limited to:

• Build trusting relationships with older adults using a recovery-oriented, strengths-based approach.
• Provide one-on-one peer coaching, wellness support, and encouragement.
• Conduct home visits to assist clients in maintaining independent living.
• Transport clients to medical, behavioral health, and community appointments.
• Help clients access benefits, housing resources, healthcare, and other community services.
• Teach independent living skills such as shopping, using public transportation, and navigating community resources.
• Facilitate or co-facilitate wellness, recovery, and psychoeducational groups.
• Assist clients in developing Wellness Recovery Action Plans (WRAP).
• Document services in the electronic health record.
• Collaborate with case managers and other multidisciplinary team members to support client recovery.

Why Join OASIS?

• Make a meaningful difference in the lives of older adults.
• Use your lived experience to promote hope and recovery.
• Work in the community and build lasting relationships with clients.
• Collaborate with a supportive multidisciplinary behavioral health team.
• Help reduce social isolation and improve quality of life for vulnerable older adults.
• Receive ongoing training and professional development opportunities.

What Makes This Role Unique?

This is a community-based position requiring flexibility, independent decision-making, and frequent travel throughout the county. Successful Peer Support Workers enjoy building relationships, working in diverse community settings, and helping clients overcome barriers to recovery while maintaining professional boundaries.

The ideal candidate will:

• Be a consumer of mental health services who is passionate about using their lived experience to inspire hope and support others in their recovery.
• Have experience providing peer support, recovery coaching, advocacy, or related services to individuals living with mental illness and/or co-occurring substance use disorders.
• Demonstrate strong oral and written communication skills, with the ability to build rapport and communicate effectively with clients, families, community partners, and multidisciplinary team members.
• Have experience documenting client contacts, progress notes, case notes, or other service activities accurately and timely in an electronic health record or similar documentation system.
• Be proficient in using computer applications, electronic health record systems, databases, and other software programs relevant to client services. (Examples: Microsoft Office, Outlook, Teams, AVATAR, Epic, or similar systems.)
• Be knowledgeable about community resources and skilled at connecting clients with benefits, housing, healthcare, and other supportive services.
• Be comfortable conducting home visits, transporting clients, and providing services in community settings.
• Exercise sound judgment, maintain professional boundaries, and work effectively both independently and as part of a multidisciplinary team.

Classification Levels and Salary

Peer Support Worker I: This is the entry-level classification.

Employees receive training while developing the knowledge and skills needed to provide peer support services. Work is performed under closer supervision, with increasing independence as experience is gained.

• Hourly: $30.20 – $37.73
• Biweekly: $2,416.00 – $3,018.40
• Annually: $62,816.00 – $78,478.40

Peer Support Worker II: This is the journey-level classification. 

Employees independently perform the full range of peer support services, exercise sound judgment in carrying out assignments, and require minimal day-to-day supervision. 

• Hourly: $33.35 – $41.65
• Biweekly: $2,668.00 – $3,332.00
• Annually: $69,368.00 – $86,632.00

Salary placement depends on qualifications and experience.

Flexible Staffing and Advancement

This classification is flexibly staffed. Employees hired as a Peer Support Worker I may be eligible for advancement to Peer Support Worker II upon meeting the required qualifications and demonstrating successful job performance.

NOTE: The eligible list generated from this recruitment may be used to fill future extra-help, term, unclassified, and regular classified vacancies.

Duties may include, but are not limited to, the following:

• Develop rapport, establish, and maintain contact with members of the community served and interpret community needs and cultural patterns to professional staff members.
• Provide educational services to the clientele served; schedule, arrange, and assist in the facilitation of educational programs and activities to support client health/wellness, recovery, self-sufficiency and other goals.
• Prepare various reports or correspondence; maintain accurate notes or files related to client relations and other activities.
• May perform a wide variety of general clerical duties; coordinate calendars and make appointments; arrange for necessary materials to be available for operations; respond to requests for information; assist public at front counter and direct public to appropriate locations/staff; order and maintain office and other related supplies.
• Act as a peer advocate.

When assigned to behavioral health and recovery program services:

• Provide outreach to clients to engage them in services and overcome barriers to participation in mental health services.
• Conduct one on one or group sessions with consumers and/or families to collect data for screenings, applications, records, and needs assessments.
• Work with case management team to develop and maintain clients’ development plans.
• Assist peers and/or family members in tracking and implementing recovery and wellness goals; offer support, encouragement and hope; model effective coping and self-help strategies.
• Serve as mentor to teach and show consumers and family members how to function more independently and in finding and accessing community resources.
• Monitor cases for assigned client groups;
• Develop and/or organize educational and informational materials for outreach activities.
• Serve on various related committees and attend meetings.
• Assist clients in a wide variety of daily living activities, such as completing applications and forms, providing transportation, and navigating support service systems.
• May act as an interpreter in contacts involving non-English speaking residents.
• Assist with access/linkage to community resources such as housing, transportation, education and employment.
• Perform related duties as assigned.

Education and Experience: 
Any combination of education and experience that would likely provide the required knowledge, skills and abilities is qualifying. A typical way to qualify is:

• Peer Support Worker II: At least one year of experience providing peer support services within the assigned program.

Additional Qualifications:

Must meet the experience requirements established by the funding source of assignment.

 
License/Certification:
Some positions may require possession of a valid California driver license or equivalent.

Knowledge of:

• Problems, needs, attitudes and behavior patterns of the client population and of the total community served.
• Identification of social and community resources and how to connect individuals to these resources.
• Techniques for group and individual counseling.
• Basic case management processes.
• Perform clerical support work with accuracy, speed, and minimal supervision.
• Techniques for effectively representing the County in contacts with the general public, other agencies, community groups, and various business, professional, educational, and regulatory organizations.
• Techniques for providing a high level of customer service by effectively dealing with the public, clientele, and staff.
• Basic recordkeeping principles and practices.
• Modern office practices, methods, computer equipment and applications related to the work.
• Basic needs and difficulties faced by ethnically diverse consumers, caregivers and families.

Skill/Ability to:

• Address the client population’s unique needs in a culturally sensitive manner.
• Relate and communicate effectively with the community served.
• Establish, maintain, and foster positive and effective relationships with clients, their families and/or caregivers and others contacted in the course of work.
• Learn and understand the organization and operation of the assigned department and program.
• Respond to and effectively prioritize multiple phone calls and requests for service.
• File materials alphabetically, chronologically, and numerically.
• Use English effectively to communicate in person, over the telephone, and in writing.
• Interpret and apply administrative and departmental policies and procedures; interpret agency programs and policies to members of the community served.
• Organize, maintain, and update office database and records systems.
• Organize own work, set priorities, and meet critical time deadlines.
• Enter and retrieve data from a computer with sufficient speed and accuracy to perform assigned work.
• Use tact, initiative, prudence, and independent judgment within general policy, procedural, and legal guidelines.
• Write clear and comprehensive reports.
• Maintain confidentiality
• Stand and walk for extended periods of time and lift and carry equipment and supplies used in the course of the work.

Physical Demands:
Must possess mobility to work in a standard office setting and use standard office equipment, including a computer, and medical equipment; vision to assess emergency situations, including medical incidents and to read printed materials and a computer screen; and hearing and speech to communicate in person, before groups, and over the telephone. Depending on assignment frequent standing in work areas and walking between work areas may be required. Finger dexterity is needed to access, enter, and retrieve data using a computer keyboard, typewriter keyboard, or calculator and to operate standard office and medical equipment. Positions in this classification occasionally bend, stoop, kneel, reach, push, and pull drawers open and closed to retrieve and file information. Employees must possess the ability to lift, carry, push, and pull materials and objects up to 45 pounds.

Environmental Elements:
Employees primarily work in an office environment with moderate noise levels and controlled temperature conditions. Employees may work outdoors and are occasionally exposed to loud noise levels and cold and/or hot temperatures. Incumbents may be exposed to blood and body fluids rendering First Aid and CPR. Employees may interact with members of the public or with staff in a highly emotional setting while interpreting and enforcing departmental policies and procedures.

Open & Promotional. Anyone may apply. Current County of San Mateo and County of San Mateo Superior Court of California employees with at least six months (1040 hours) of continuous service in a classified regular, probationary, extra-help/limited term positions prior to the final filing date will receive five points added to their final passing score on this examination.

The examination process will consist of an application screening (weight: pass/fail) based on the candidates' application and responses to the supplemental questions. Candidates who pass the application screening will be invited to a panel interview (weight: 100%). Depending on the number of applicants an application appraisal of education and experience may be used in place of other examinations or further evaluation of work experience may be conducted to group applicants by level of qualification. All applicants who meet the minimum qualifications are not guaranteed advancement through any subsequent phase of the examination. All examinations will be given in the County of San Mateo, California and applicants must participate at their own expense.

IMPORTANT: Applications for this position will only be accepted online. If you are currently on the County's website, you may click the "Apply" button. If you are not on the County's website, please go to https://jobs.smcgov.org/ to apply. Responses to the Supplemental Questionnaire must be submitted in addition to the standard County employment application form. A resume will not be accepted as a substitute for the required application materials. Online applications must be received by the Human Resources Department before midnight on the final filing date.

TENTATIVE RECRUITMENT TIMELINE

Final Filing Date: Tuesday, November 3, 2026 at 11:59PM PST
Application Screening: Week of November 9, 2026
Panel Interviews: Week of December 7, 2026

About the County

San Mateo County is centrally located between San Francisco, San Jose, and the East Bay. With over 750,000 residents, San Mateo is one of the largest and most diverse counties in California and serves a multitude of culturally, ethnically, and linguistically diverse communities.

The County of San Mateo, as an employer, is committed to advancing equity to ensure that all employees are welcomed in a safe and inclusive environment. We seek to hire, support, and retain employees who reflect our diverse community, and we encourage applicants with diverse backgrounds and lived experiences to apply. Eighty percent of employees surveyed stated that they would recommend the County as a great place to work.

The County of San Mateo is an equal opportunity employer.