Peer Support Specialist

PEER SUPPORT SPECIALIST

We're looking for a full-time Peer Support Specialist at the Oregon Post-adoption Resource Center (ORPARC) to help lead a new adoption and guardianship parent training initiative and to supplement our ongoing support, education, and outreach to families in the state of Oregon.

Join us in doing meaningful work at a welcoming agency that is recognized for excellence as well as our focus on work-life balance and staff well-being.

ABOUT US

Northwest Resource Associates is a nonprofit child welfare agency. We envision every young person having family that nurtures their growth and potential. We work toward this vision by designing and delivering programs and technology that empower youth, strengthen families, and improve child welfare systems. More than four decades old, we are headquartered in Seattle, WA, and have offices in Alaska and Oregon as well. You can find our program work at the following websites:

• AdoptUSKids )
• Alaska Center for Resource Families )
• Northwest Adoption Exchange )
• Oregon Post-adoption Resource Center )

Oregon Post-adoption Resource Center (ORPARC), a program of Northwest Resource Associates and funded by ODHS Child Welfare, has been supporting the statewide community for 27 years. ORPARC is known for its specialty library, high-quality trainings for parents and professionals, resource-rich website, and deeply experienced and compassionate staff who work hard supporting and advocating for adoptive, guardianship, kinship, and resource families, plus adult adoptees.

Equity and inclusion are priorities across all programs at Northwest Resource Associates. We are passionate about inclusive and affirming policy and practice and are recognized by the Human Rights Campaign's All Children-All Families program. We seek staff diversity in ability, age, ethnicity, gender identity and expression, national origin, race, religion, sexual orientation, and veteran status. In addition, we welcome applications from those with lived experience in foster care or with adoption. We are an equal opportunity employer.

WHO WE'RE LOOKING FOR

ORPARC is seeking a seasoned support specialist who is well-versed in navigating Oregon's many complex statewide services, agencies, health/mental health, and coordinated care systems that serve foster-adoptive families and children, including those with extraordinary needs. You are our ideal candidate if you are:

• An experienced support specialist who works thoughtfully and therapeutically with youth and adults of diverse backgrounds and cultures, including those with disabilities, neurodiversity, and specialized needs
• A skilled and confident trainer and presenter
• A warm, outgoing communicator and enthusiastic collaborator who appreciates working closely with a team of colleagues
• A lifelong learner always seeking to research, read, take additional trainings, curate resources, and apply what you learn to help parents and your team do their best

RESPONSIBILITIES

The Peer Support Specialist is responsible for ongoing parent training and for daily therapeutic work with clients of all kinds, including primarily parents (resource or foster, adoptive, kinship, or guardianship), but also state workers, community partners, and other allied individuals.

• Help lead, roll out, schedule, track, and guide a new ORPARC/ODHS adoption, guardianship, and kinship family training initiative in partnership with other ORPARC staff.
• Provide the training on a regular schedule year-round.
• Support other ORPARC staff in a train-the-trainer role.
• Directly interact and therapeutically support clients (both training attendees, other ORPARC families, and community partners) in person, by phone, and virtually, side by side with ORPARC's team of family support specialists.
• Consult regularly on cases with other family support specialists.
• Eagerly embrace ongoing training in foster-adoption.
• Continue learning about Oregon's child welfare system and connected statewide supports and services.
• Conduct and contribute to resource collection, curation, and creation (such as information packets and library additions) as needed.
• Carry out daily office tasks and responsibilities as needed and assigned (answer phones, greet guests, process library materials, staff and table at events, etc.).

QUALIFICATIONS

Minimum Qualifications

• Master's degree in counseling, psychology or social work with licensure and 5+ years of direct client experience including in a parent support and training role OR 15+ years of direct client experience in a peer and parent support and training role
• Knowledge of foster-adoption, child welfare, disability, and specialized needs resources and community partners across the State of Oregon, including rural communities
• Experienced in parent curriculum development and adult learner education
• Experience coordinating, scheduling and training adult learners
• Experience leading parent support groups
• Demonstrated foster-adoption competency training and experience via Training in Adoption Competency (TAC), Therapeutic Life Story Work (TLSWi), National Adoption Competency Mental Health Training Initiative (NTI), and/or Trust Based Relational Intervention (TBRI).
• Robust and diverse trauma-aware and strengths-based training background, including in Motivational Interviewing
• Willingness and ability to train evenings and weekends frequently
• Willingness and ability to work a minimum of three full days per week in the ORPARC physical office
• Proficiency with Microsoft Office products plus ability to learn new programs and technologies (such as Slack, AirTable, client records software, QuickBooks)
• Knowledge of equity and inclusion principles and the importance of disrupting systemic racism and unconscious bias—or willingness to learn and participate in training and discussions

Bonus skills and experience

• Lived experience as an adoptive, foster, or kinship parent is a strong asset, though not required
• Library management and services experience
• Peer Support Specialist certification
• Experience in event planning, outreach, and marketing
• Familiarity and experience with ORPARC's services
• Spanish fluency

LOCATION, COMPENSATION, AND HOW TO APPLY

LOCATION

The ORPARC office is located at 6443 SW Beaverton Hillsdale Highway, Suite 205, Portland, Oregon This position is primarily in person with some minimal remote-hybrid work, requiring a minimum of 3-4 days per week in-office and frequent weekends and evenings. Staff can be asked to staff additional days in-office at any time. Newer staff are expected to staff in-office more often for training and support purposes. Due to the remote-hybrid model and space limitations, most staff can expect to share an office, at least at times, with other staff.

SALARY AND BENEFITS

The annual salary range for this position is $55,000-$65,000.

We offer flexible work schedules, 3.5 to 6 weeks of paid vacation per year, 15 to 16 paid holidays per year, paid sick leave, a generous family leave policy, a retirement plan, optional 403b plan, medical and dental insurance, life insurance, disability insurance, long-term care insurance, and commuter benefits.

HOW TO APPLY

Submit a brief cover letter describing why you might be a fit for the position and your resume via our AirTable form:

We will accept applications until the position is filled, prioritizing applications that come in on or before January 19, 2026.

Job Type: Full-time

Pay: $55, $65,000.00 per year

Benefits:

• 403(b)
• Dental insurance
• Flexible schedule
• Health insurance
• Life insurance
• Paid time off
• Retirement plan

Work Location: Hybrid remote in Portland, OR 97221