Full-Time

Certified Peer Support Specialist

Facility Based Crisis

Posted on 8/20/2026

RHA Health Services

RHA Health Services

1,001-5,000 employees

Community-based disability and behavioral health services

No salary listed

Wilmington, NC, USA

In Person

Category
Customer Experience & Support (1)
Required Skills
CPR
First Aid

Get referred to RHA Health Services

See people who can refer or advise you

Requirements
  • Qualified Mental Health Professional status and Peer Support certification or a certificate of Peer Support supervision.
  • A high school diploma, GED, or equivalent.
  • One year of experience working with the supported population.
  • Certification as a Peer Support Specialist, or one continuous year as a current or former recipient of mental health or substance abuse treatment or diagnosis and eligibility for Peer Support Specialist certification by the governing agency.
  • Completion of at least 20 hours of training specific to the required service components, including crisis response, within the first 90 days of employment.
  • A valid driver's license and automotive insurance.
  • Ability to pass a background check and drug screening.
  • Completion of criminal background screening, registry checks, drug testing, education verification, position-based credentialing, and employment-history or reference verification when required.
  • Proof of a driver's license, driver's insurance, and vehicle when driving is required to transport individuals.
Responsibilities
  • Provide individualized peer support services and promote self-determination and decision-making for individuals facing mental health or substance use challenges.
  • Provide expertise and consultation to the interdisciplinary healthcare team and advocate for clients.
  • Meet with clients to provide advice and support in accordance with a treatment plan.
  • Assist with peer support groups for assigned consumers on a regular basis.
  • Support consumers with daily decision-making and resolution of minor problems.
  • Help clients find resources, understand processes, follow through with proposed resolutions, locate social activities, and obtain other needed assistance.
  • Accompany clients to meetings and participate in community group meetings to advocate for consumer needs.
  • Lead recovery dialogues and self-help sessions with clients.
  • Foster clients' development of healthy relationships by encouraging participation in community activities.
  • Observe behavior and general well-being and discuss observations with clients.
  • Model effective coping and self-help techniques for individuals or groups of consumers.
  • Provide advice on empowerment skills and successful community living.
  • Inform clients about community resources and their appropriate use, and provide assigned information to consumers and families.
Desired Qualifications
  • CPR, first aid, NCI, or other role-related certification.

RHA Health Services delivers community-based health and support services for people with disabilities and health challenges across GA, NJ, NC, PA, and TN. Its programs include disability services, behavioral health counseling, substance use treatment, crisis intervention, and Deaf/Hard of Hearing supports. Care is person-centered and outcome-focused, with services such as supported living, outpatient care, vocational rehabilitation, and 24/7 crisis response in NC. The company differentiates itself through accessibility and inclusion efforts, CARF and CQL accreditations, and growth via organic expansion and acquisitions like Howell Support Services, aiming to improve independence and quality of life.

Company Size

1,001-5,000

Company Stage

N/A

Total Funding

N/A

Headquarters

Asheville, North Carolina

Founded

1989

Get referred to RHA Health Services

See people who can refer or advise you

Simplify Jobs

Simplify's Take

What believers are saying

  • RHA launched Get My Me Back in May 2026, strengthening mental-health demand capture.
  • Asheville's August 2026 co-responder pilot embeds RHA in crisis response with police and fire.
  • Trillium-backed mobile clinics serving multiple counties and Ocracoke expand reach into underserved North Carolina markets.

What critics are saying

  • Private-equity ownership under Blue Wolf and Formation Capital keeps exit pressure on margins.
  • Avery and Whipple FLSA cases filed in 2023 show persistent wage-and-hour exposure.
  • Grant-funded Asheville co-responder pilots and mobile clinics depend on renewals by 2027.

What makes RHA Health Services unique

  • RHA combines IDD, behavioral health, and substance use care across five southeastern states.
  • Its 24/7 Comprehensive Care Centers and mobile crisis teams create hard-to-replicate local coverage.
  • CARF 2025 and CQL 2024 accreditations signal durable operational quality and person-centered care.

Help us improve and share your feedback! Did you find this helpful?

Benefits

Payactiv

Employee perks and discount program

Paid Time Off

Health/Insurance

401(k) retirement savings program

Wellbeing Programs: Physical, Emotional and Financial

Chronic Disease management programs for hypertension and diabetes

Training: Free CPR, first aid, and job-specific training opportunities

Company News

Downtown Asheville
Aug 12th, 2026
Additional mental health support for Downtown and beyond.

Additional mental health support for Downtown and beyond. August 12, 2026 Asheville is expanding access to mental health resources for people experiencing crisis, with new partnerships touching both public safety and public transit. The Asheville Police Department and Asheville Fire Department's Resource and Engagement Support Team (REST) have partnered with RHA Health Services, supported by a Vaya Health grant, to place certified mental health professionals alongside first responders on select crisis calls. The pilot runs 60 days. Officers and REST firefighters will have a non-uniformed mental health professional on scene to help de-escalate situations and connect people directly with care, rather than simply making a referral. Learn more Sixty days is a short runway to judge impact, so Asheville Downtown is watching how the pilot performs and whether it becomes a permanent fixture. If it works as intended, it should mean fewer unresolved crisis calls Downtown and a stronger safety net for the people who rely on these services most. Asheville Rides Transit is adding mental health support too. As part of the City's new four-year, $54.9 million contract with RATP Dev, a crisis counselor will be stationed at the ART Transit Center at 49 Coxe Ave to connect riders in need with community resources. This is particularly critical as the transit center remains one of its most challenging areas in terms of calls for services related to safety and cleanliness. More info For Downtown, this is a meaningful program. Anyone visiting, living, and working Downtown likely regularly encounters people in crisis on the street, and until now the options have been limited. Having trained mental health professionals embedded in those responses means faster, more appropriate care for the person in crisis.

RHA Health Services
Dec 12th, 2025
RHA Launches RHA Cares Awards, Recognizing 12 Employees

RHA launches RHA Cares Awards, recognizing 12 employees. This year, RHA Health Services launched the RHA Cares Awards, celebrating excellence across its company! RHA Health Services, LLC gathered in Atlanta for an award ceremony, enjoyed fellowship and food, and recognized the following recipients. The RHA Cares Excellence Award recognizes Direct Support Professionals throughout the company for their extraordinary impact. In the ceremony, CEO Mickey Atkins honored them as "leaders in the way they act, the way they present themselves, and the way they support the people RHA cares for." Here are the recipients of the 2025 RHA Excellence Awards:

PR Newswire
Feb 28th, 2025
Rha Health Services Attains Person-Centered Excellence Accreditation From Cql

ASHEVILLE, N.C., Feb. 28, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- RHA Health Services is pleased to announce that it has achieved Person-Centered Excellence Accreditation from CQL | The Council on Quality and Leadership. This prestigious accomplishment demonstrates that RHA aligns with the highest standards in the human services field and recognizes the organization's significant impact on the lives of people with disabilities."This is a great achievement, and we're honored to partner with RHA on their accreditation!" says Mary Kay Rizzolo, President and CEO of CQL. "They're showing people supported, families, employees, and others, that they're committed to quality services that help people's dreams come true."Since 1989, RHA has partnered with and celebrated people achieving their personal goals, building meaningful connections, experiencing positive outcomes in health and wellness, and more. Throughout Georgia, New Jersey, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, and Tennessee, RHA provides care to individuals with intellectual/developmental disabilities. In North Carolina and Pennsylvania, the organization also provides behavioral health services to individuals with mental health and substance use needs and provides services to those who are Deaf and Hard of Hearing.Person-Centered Excellence Accreditation, a four-year term, is awarded to organizations that meet CQL's rigorous standards, integrate CQL tools and approaches, and establish a quality management system to drive data-based decision-making

The Association of National Advertisers
Feb 26th, 2025
Comings & Goings: February 2025

Dotty Bell retires from RHA Health Services.

McKnight's
Apr 22nd, 2024
Capital One provides senior credit

Capital One announced that it has provided a senior credit facility to support Formation Capital's acquisition of RHA Health Services LLC and its affiliates.