Peer Counselor I, Project Engage- Wilmington

Job Details

ChristianaCare’s Project Engage is seeking a compassionate, dependable, Full-Time Peer Counselor I who demonstrates the ability to build trusting relationships and advocate for diverse patient population. This Peer Counselor will be supporting our Wilmington Hospital Emergency Department.

The Peer Counselor is a peer with lived experience recovering from a substance use disorder (SUD). S/he is responsible for engaging individuals who present at Christiana Care and who, through screening, are determined to need additional assessment and intervention for their substance use disorder. They will identify SUD treatment resources, make linkages, and provide coaching to ensure that patients are linked to appropriate services upon discharge from the hospital. The Peer Counselor is an individual who has a unique perspective because of his/her own experience with a substance use disorder who collaborates with other Peer Counselors, Discharge Coordinators, Project Engage administrative staff, hospital and emergency department clinical teams, and community-based substance use disorder treatment providers to identify resources for patients.

Work Schedule:

• Sundays: 9:30am-7:00pm
• Mondays to Wednesdays: 12:30pm-11:00pm

Benefits & Incentives

• Medical, Dental, Vision, Life Insurance, etc.
• Two retirement planning offerings, including 403(b) with company contributions.
• Generous paid time off with annual roll-over and opportunities to cash out.
• 12 week paid parental leave.
• Tuition assistance
• Incredible Work/Life benefits including annual membership to care.com, access to backup care services for dependents through Care@Work, retirement planning services, financial coaching, fitness and wellness reimbursement, and great discounts through several vendors for hotels, rental cars, theme parks, shows, sporting events, movie tickets, insurance and much more!

Key Responsibilities:

• Works with the staff of Project Engage, Emergency Departments and the hospital units to identify individuals who have signs and symptoms of substance use to screen, assess, and, as necessary, link those individuals to treatment in the community following discharge.
• Uses lived experience with a substance use or mental health disorder to engage and direct individuals who are in the hospital to acknowledge need for treatment and agree to service linkages and assists in supporting individuals to move ahead on their recovery paths.
• Engages patients at the bedside and conducts motivational interviewing to understand patient barriers and direct patient to get the appropriate level of care.
• Provides education on the dangers of drug and alcohol use for all patients not ready to receive SUD treatment. This includes educating patients, friends and/or family members on Narcan safety and use and providing Narcan to them.
• Utilizes open beds platform to identify available, appropriate treatment for all interested patients and submitting referrals in a timely manner.  Follows up to see if patient is accepted and/or received treatment after discharge.
• Develop working relationships with ED and hospital case managers and PE discharge coordinators to coordinate care and discharge planning for patients interested in treatment.
• Document engagements each day on required forms and communicate pertinent information regarding patient engagements at the end of each day.  
• Assists clients in setting goals based on their individual needs assessments, and in identifying steps to achieve their goals.
• Other duties as assigned.

Qualifications:

• High school diploma or equivalent required
• The Peer Counselor is an individual who has a unique perspective because of his/her own experience with SUD or mental health disorder. S/he must be willing to self-disclose as appropriate and to attend training leading to certification as a Certified Peer Recovery Specialist within one year of hire.
• One year experience working in the mental health field in voluntary or paid position required.

Interested candidates should attach an updated copy of their resume during the application process.

Why ChristianaCare

ChristianaCare is rated by Forbes as the 2nd best health system for diversity and inclusion, and the 29th best health system to work for in the United States, and by IDG Computerworld as one of the nation’s Best Places to Work in IT. ChristianaCare is rated by Healthgrades as one of America’s 50 Best Hospitals and continually ranked among the nation’s best by U.S. News & World Report, Newsweek and other national quality ratings.

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Hourly Pay Range: $20.24 - $30.36

This pay rate/range represents ChristianaCare’s good faith and reasonable estimate of compensation at the time of posting. The actual salary within this range offered to a successful candidate will depend on individual factors including without limitation skills, relevant experience, and qualifications as they relate to specific job requirements.

Christiana Care Health System is an equal opportunity employer, firmly committed to prohibiting discrimination, whose staff is reflective of its community, and considers qualified applicants for open positions without regard to race, color, sex, religion, national origin, sexual orientation, genetic information, gender identity or expression, age, veteran status, disability, pregnancy, citizenship status, or any other characteristic protected under applicable federal, state, or local law.

Post End Date

Dec 31, 2026

EEO Posting Statement

ChristianaCare offers a competitive suite of employee benefits to maximize the wellness of you and your family, including health insurance, paid time off, retirement, an employee assistance program.  To learn more about our benefits for eligible positions visit https://careers.christianacare.org/benefits-compensation/