Peer Liaison - Vocational Services

Peer Liaison
About Shepherd Center
With five decades of experience, Shepherd Center provides world-class clinical care, research, and family support for people experiencing some of the most complex conditions, including spinal cord injury, brain injury, multi-trauma, traumatic amputation, stroke, multiple sclerosis, and chronic pain. Ranked among the nation's top rehabilitation hospitals by U.S. News & World Report, Shepherd Center is recognized as both a Spinal Cord Injury and Traumatic Brain Injury Model System. Shepherd is also the only rehabilitation hospital in the United States with an on-site intensive care unit, allowing rehabilitation to begin sooner for individuals with the most medically complex injuries.
At Shepherd Center, our culture is built on hope, humor, and hard work. We believe exceptional rehabilitation is grounded not only in clinical excellence but also in authentic human connection. Our team members enjoy meaningful work, opportunities for professional growth, supportive leadership, and a collaborative environment where many employees build careers spanning decades.
Position Summary
The Peer Liaison serves as a professional member of Shepherd Center's interdisciplinary rehabilitation team by using personal lived experience of spinal cord compromise to provide hope, encouragement, education, and practical guidance to patients and families facing similar life-changing spinal cord injuries or diagnoses.
Through authentic peer relationships, the Peer Liaison helps individuals envision life beyond rehabilitation, supports adjustment to disability, encourages participation in therapy and education, promotes community reintegration, and models successful long-term adaptation.
The Peer Liaison complements clinical care by offering a perspective that can only come from lived experience. This role requires professionalism, sound judgment, healthy personal adjustment, and the ability to intentionally use one's own experiences to benefit others while maintaining appropriate boundaries.
________________________________________

Essential Responsibilities

• Establish supportive peer relationships with patients and family members through shared lived experience.
• Assess Peer Support needs and collaborate with the interdisciplinary team to promote optimal patient and family outcomes.
• Share personal experiences in a thoughtful, patient-centered manner that inspires hope while respecting each individual's unique recovery journey.
• Encourage participation in therapies, education classes, support groups, and other rehabilitation opportunities.
• Meet regularly with patients and families and accurately document peer interactions.
• Facilitate inpatient Peer Support programming, self-care education, and community meetings.
• Participate in co-treatment sessions with clinical staff when appropriate to demonstrate adaptive strategies, community living skills, and activities of daily living.
• Model healthy community participation, self-advocacy, and long-term adjustment following injury or illness.
• Identify patients and family members who may become future peer volunteers following successful community reintegration.
• Assist with volunteer orientation, mentorship, and ongoing support as assigned.
• Participate in community outings, educational presentations, conferences, outreach activities, and public speaking opportunities.
• Contribute to research initiatives, quality improvement activities, and program evaluation as requested.
• Support outreach and communication efforts, including digital and social media initiatives when appropriate.
• Foster an environment of dignity, inclusion, empathy, and respect for every patient and family served.

Professional Expectations

• Demonstrate professionalism, integrity, accountability, and compassion in every interaction.
• Exercise sound judgment and maintain appropriate professional boundaries while using lived experience therapeutically.
• Communicate effectively with patients, families, volunteers, and interdisciplinary team members.
• Manage multiple responsibilities while maintaining excellent organizational skills and attention to detail.
• Protect confidential information and comply with HIPAA and organizational privacy standards.
• Support Shepherd Center's mission, vision, values, and pillars of excellence.
• Maintain compliance with organizational policies, accreditation standards, and safety requirements.
• Report safety concerns, incidents, and potential risks according to established procedures.

Required Qualifications

• Demonstrated successful adjustment to life with a spinal cord injury, including meaningful community participation and the ability to serve as a role model for others.
• Ability to intentionally and professionally use lived experience to build authentic peer relationships, foster trust, educate, encourage, and support patients and families.
• Excellent interpersonal, communication, and active listening skills.
• Demonstrated empathy, emotional maturity, professionalism, and sound judgment.
• Ability to maintain confidentiality and establish appropriate professional boundaries.
• Efficient computer skills and ability to learn electronic documentation.
• Ability to collaborate effectively within an interdisciplinary healthcare environment.

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience providing peer mentoring, advocacy, volunteer leadership, or community education.
• Experience presenting to groups or facilitating support groups.
• Knowledge of disability resources, adaptive recreation, community services, and independent living.
• Intermediate proficiency with Microsoft Office applications.

Physical Demands

• Frequent movement throughout the hospital, including patient rooms, therapy gyms, classrooms, and activity spaces.
• Ability to participate in community outings using Shepherd Center transportation.
• Ability to demonstrate adaptive techniques and functional daily living strategies when appropriate to patient care.
• Ability to safely perform the physical requirements necessary to fulfill assigned responsibilities.

Working Conditions

• Primarily indoor work within Shepherd Center facilities.
• Occasional local travel for community presentations and outreach activities.
• Possible exposure to blood, body fluids, and other healthcare-related environmental conditions.
• Occasional exposure to outdoor weather conditions during community programming.

Minimum Required Education

High school diploma or equivalent preferred.

Application Materials

To help us better understand your interest in this role, applicants are strongly encouraged to submit a cover letter describing what uniquely qualifies them to serve as a Spinal Cord Injury Peer Liaison. We are particularly interested in learning how your lived experience, personal adjustment, and commitment to supporting others have prepared you to serve as a professional peer within Shepherd Center's interdisciplinary rehabilitation team.

The above statements are intended to describe the general nature and level of work performed by people assigned to this classification. They are not intended to be an exhaustive list of all job duties performed by personnel so classified.