Peer Partner Jobs in California (NOW HIRING)

Salary : $42,036.80 - $68,598.40 Annually
Location : Throughout Riverside County
Job Type: Regular
Job Number: 26-79726-05-EM
Department: Behavioral Health
Opening Date: 05/21/2026
Closing Date: 9/8/2026 7:00 AM Pacific
For questions regarding this position, please contact the Recruiter listed in the Supplemental Information section.
ABOUT THE POSITION
Riverside University Health System - Behavioral Health is seeking Multiple Certified Peer Support Specialist/Trainee - Parent Partners to support a variety of programs. This recruitment will be used to fill current and future vacancies across multiple locations throughout Riverside County.
In this role, Peer Support Specialists/Trainee Parent Partners provide support, encouragement, and guidance to parents and primary caregivers of children or youth receiving behavioral health services, drawing on their own lived experience supporting their own children, foster children, or children in their care through behavioral health recovery. They assist parents and primary caregivers with navigating services, accessing community resources, developing coping strategies, and working toward personal goals. Incumbents share their experiences, when appropriate, to inspire hope, promote resilience, and strengthen engagement in treatment. They also collaborate with clinical teams by offering the parent or caregiver perspective, advocate for the children's needs, support system navigation, and complete required documentation while participating in ongoing training and supervision.
Competitive candidates will possess current or previous experience as a parent or primary caregiver of a child or youth who is receiving, or has received, behavioral health services for at least one year.
Application Information:

• Applicants will complete a questionnaire covering personal experience, work history, and qualifications. The most competitive candidates, based on relevant skills and experience, will be referred for interviews.
• Applicants will receive email notification when their application is no longer under consideration due to candidate pool expiration.
• Applications may remain active for up to six (6) months
• Applications will be reviewed in the order in which they are received.
• Some positions may require a law enforcement background investigation which requires completion of an extensive questionnaire, meeting with a background investigator, and submitting several references.

Schedule: Work Schedules vary depending on program and operational needs.
Hourly Salary Range:
Peer Support Specialist Trainee : $20.2151-$27.7092
Certified Peer Support Specialist : $24.2363-$32.9854
A valid California Driver's License and CalMHSA Medi-Cal Peer Support Specialist Certification may be required depending on the specific position and program assignment.
Meet the Team!
Riverside University Health System - Behavioral Health is a leading provider of mental health and substance use services in Riverside County. With a dedicated team of professionals, including psychiatrists, clinicians, peer specialists, and paraprofessionals, RUHS-BH serves over 45,000 individuals annually.
We are committed to delivering culturally competent, evidence-based care across all ages. Our programs, including Mental Health Services, Substance Use Services, and the Public Guardian's Office, address the diverse needs of our community.
At RUHS Behavioral Health, you'll join a compassionate, innovative team where your skills make a real difference. We offer opportunities for growth, collaboration, and meaningful impact.
If you're passionate about advancing your career while improving mental health in Riverside County, RUHS Behavioral Health is the place for you!
For more information, please visit
EXAMPLES OF ESSENTIAL DUTIES
• Provide meaningful self-disclosure of lived experience as a parent/primary caregiver of a child or youth's behavior health-related recovery and resiliency to families served in the system of care (required by State Certification).
• In a training capacity, inform, train, support, and empower families and caregivers of children and youth who directly or indirectly receive behavioral health services.
• Communicate, represent and promote the parent and caregivers' perspective within the behavioral health system.
• Facilitate self-help groups for youth, family members, and caregivers.
• Attend and participate in special events, conferences, workshops, and trainings within the behavioral health system and in the community.
• Develop activities, programs and resources which support families and caregivers in achieving their goals.
• Support the appropriate recognition, acceptance and understanding of social and cultural factors in the provision of behavioral health services.
• Develop effective working relationships with agencies and organizations to advocate for consumer, family and caregiver empowerment.
• Help prepare and support clients, families and caregivers at progress consultation meetings and at a variety of formal and informal hearings.
• Help parents and primary caregivers and those who support them to articulate their needs.
• Focus on and is sensitive to parent and caregiver satisfaction with the services received and general satisfaction with behavioral health services.
• Document all activities as required, following appropriate Medi-Cal billing practices.
MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS
Peer Support Specialist Trainee Recruiting Guidelines:
Education: Possession of a high school diploma, G.E.D. equivalency or high school proficiency certificate is required.
Experience: Current or previous recovery experience as a parent or primary caregiver of a child or youth who has received behavioral health services for at least one year.
Other Requirements:

• Medi-Cal Peer Support Certification must be obtained within two (2) years of the employee start date. Failure to obtain a Medi-Cal Peer Support Certification may lead to termination.
• Possession of a valid California Driver's License may be required.
• Spanish Bilingual exam may be required.

Knowledge of: The basic needs and difficulties faced by ethnically diverse consumers, caregivers and families of behavioral health and/or substance abuse consumers; the public and/or private agency services available for families, children and adults with serious behavioral health needs, such as schools, social services and other systems.
Ability to: Learn the basic principles of the behavioral health system and effectively work within the system; represent and advocate for the consumer perspective within the community and behavioral health system; understand the cultural and social factors affecting behavior patterns; effectively communicate the workings of the behavioral health system to service consumers, parents, family members, and caregivers; establish and maintain working relationships with a wide range of community agencies and organizations; obtain and record accurate information for case documentation and other reports.
Certified Peer Support Specialist Recruiting Guidelines:
Education: Possession of a high school diploma, G.E.D. equivalency or high school proficiency certificate is required.
Experience: Current or previous recovery experience as a parent or primary caregiver of a child or youth who has received behavioral health services for at least one year.
AND
California State Medi-Cal Peer Support Specialist Certification.
A valid Medi-Cal Peer Support Certification must be obtained prior to the employment start date. Employees holding a Medi-Cal Peer Support Certification must be re-certified every two (2) years. Failure to maintain a valid Medi-Cal Peer Support Certification may lead to termination.
Other Requirements:

• Possession of a valid California Driver's License may be required.
• Spanish Bilingual exam may be required.

Knowledge of: The needs and difficulties faced by ethnically diverse consumers, families and caregivers of behavioral health and/or substance abuse consumers; the public and/or private agency services available for families, children and adults with serious behavioral health needs, such as schools, social services and other systems; the self-help and consumer oriented treatment models; and methods to effectively communicate with consumers, families and caregivers, the community and the behavioral health treatment team.
Ability to: Understand the principles of the behavioral health system and effectively work within the system; effectively represent and advocate for the consumer perspective within the community and behavioral health system; understand and articulate the cultural and social factors affecting behavior patterns; effectively communicate the workings of the behavioral health system to service consumers, parents, family members and caregivers; establish and maintain strong working relationships with a wide range of community agencies and organizations; obtain and record accurate information for case documentation and other reports.
SUPPLEMENTAL INFORMATION
Physical Requirements:

• Must be able to remain standing for long periods, with or without reasonable accommodation, depending on departmental needs.
• Must be able to independently lift and move items weighing up to 50 pounds, with or without reasonable accommodation, depending on departmental needs.

Application Status: To confirm your application was received or check on the status of your application, log-in to , click on your name in the upper right corner, and click on "Applications & Status."
Sign Up for Job Alerts: Go to , click on "Careers," click on "County Job Openings," and click on "Subscribe to Job Alerts" icon.
For questions regarding this recruitment:
Please contact Edgar Manzo at (951) 955 - 0951 or
Please allow 1-2 business days for a response to general inquiries.
APPLICATION INFORMATION
Veteran's Preference
The County has a Veterans Preference Policy applicable to new hires. To qualify, attach the required documents to your job application. Documents include a copy of your (or your spouse's) Member-4 Form DD-214 indicating dates of service. For spousal preference, and as applicable, the following documents: a copy of your marriage certificate, spouse's death certificate, a letter of spouse's disability and/or letter of service-related death (if available) from the U.S. Veteran's Administration. For privacy reasons, it is recommended that you remove your social security information from the document(s). A Human Resources Representative will review the materials and determine if you qualify for veterans' preference. For complete details and documentation requirements, please review the Veterans Preference Policy, C-3 here:
Reasonable Accommodations
The County of Riverside is committed to providing reasonable accommodation to applicants as required by the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and Fair Employment and Housing Act (FEHA). Qualified individuals with disabilities who need a reasonable accommodation during the application or selection process should contact the recruiter for the position noted above. For additional information and/or to obtain the appropriate form for requesting a reasonable accommodation, please visit the Disability Access Office web page located at:
Work Location and Telework
In-person attendance is the standard work expectation for County of Riverside assignments. Certain assignments may be eligible for a hybrid telework schedule; however, telework arrangements are subject to management approval, operational needs, and/or may be modified or discontinued at any time. Employees who telework are expected to be able to report to their assigned worksite on short notice or as operational needs require. Unless otherwise specified for a particular position, employees are expected to reside in California following appointment. Limited exceptions may apply. Applicants should contact the assigned recruiter for additional information regarding work location expectations, telework eligibility, and residency requirements.
Proof of Education
If using education to qualify or when requested by the recruiter, upload a copy of any license(s), official/unofficial transcript(s), degrees, and/or related employment documents to your NeoGov account at the time of application and before the closing date. Official or unofficial transcripts will be accepted.
If your education was completed outside of the United States, you will need to provide a copy of your Foreign Education Equivalency evaluation from a member of the National Association of Credential Evaluation Services () or Association of International Credential Evaluators, Inc. ().
Work Authorization Requirement
Applicants must be legally authorized to work in the United States at the time of application. The County of Riverside does not participate in visa sponsorship programs, including H1-B visas, and will not provide sponsorship for any employment-based visas.
Equal Opportunity Employer
The County of Riverside is an Equal Opportunity Employer. It is the policy of the County of Riverside to provide equal employment opportunities for all qualified persons. All applicants will be considered without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, disability, sexual orientation, gender, gender identity, gender expression, marital status, ancestry, medical condition (cancer and genetic characteristics), genetic information, or denial of medical and family care leave, or any other non-job-related factors.
Pre-Employment
All employment offers are contingent upon successful completion of pre-employment requirements including