Build it with us.
We do not have open positions yet. We are building Skorpion Strength carefully, starting in Nebraska. The people we serve trust us with some of their hardest weeks, so we set a high bar and we say so up front. We are not looking for just anyone. We are looking for the right people, and we want you to know exactly what that means.
We want you here. The people we support need you here. Work with us, not for us.
We are building a team, and it is made of people from many different backgrounds. Some of our stories look alike. Some do not. We all share one thing: we are here because we care.
We show up for the participants. We also show up for each other. Supporting people is meaningful work, and it can be heavy. Nobody on this team carries it alone, and nobody here has to have it all figured out.
Who this is for. Who it is not.
We would rather you read this and step away than join and be unhappy. That is fair to you, and it is fair to the people we support.
This is for you if…
- You have lived it, and you came out wanting to walk beside someone else. Not read about it. Lived it.
- You are certified, or you are on the road to it, and you take that seriously.
- You can sit with someone’s hard day without needing to fix it, fast.
- You listen more than you talk, and you protect what people share.
- You want to be here, and you want to build something with a team.
- You will give honest feedback, and take it.
This is probably not for you if…
- You are looking for a paycheck or a line on a résumé. The work is too heavy for that.
- You want to practice as a clinician: to diagnose, treat or advise. That is a great calling. It is a different one.
- You need to be the hero, or you tend to make a participant’s story about yours.
- You want a rigid script, a ladder to climb, or a corporate playbook.
- You would blur the line between supporter and participant. We keep that line, with care.
- You are here only for the title.
Peer support comes first.
Peer support specialists
People with lived experience who hold the Nebraska Certified Peer Support Specialist (CPSS) certification, or are on the way to it, and who want to walk alongside others as equals. Support, not help.
Reliable and kind
You respond when you say you will. You can stay calm with someone who is having a hard day, and you know your own limits.
Comfortable with the app
Our app is on Android first, and iOS is coming soon. You will check in on participants and answer rough-week notes the same working day.
Bonus: fitness know-how
A trainer certification (NASM, ACE, ACSM, NSCA or similar) is a plus, but never a requirement. The workout is always optional for participants.
The CPSS is set by the state. Learn how it works at Nebraska DHHS. If you are certified in another state, Nebraska has a reciprocity path.
The practical kind.
We do not mean a textbook, a course, or a case you once read about. We mean you have been through your own hard stretch. You know what it is to feel stuck, to be talked at, to be handled. You know what actually helped, and what did not.
That is what makes you useful to someone else: you can show, without a script, that getting through it is possible. Your story is yours. You decide what to share and when, and you never use it to take the focus off the participant.
Training matters too. The certification shows you took this seriously, and it is how the state keeps participants safe. We want both: the experience and the training.
Peer support, our way.
There are other peer support groups out there, and many do good work. Here is how we do it differently.
Not clinical
No clipboard, no diagnosis, no treatment plan. Peer support is not therapy, and we never pretend it is.
Clear roles, real respect
Supporters support. Participants lead. We are not friends-for-life, not rescuers, and not therapists. We hold that line kindly, and it protects everyone.
Mind first, then body
The conversation comes first. A workout is there if someone wants it, and never if they do not. Music is welcome too. Whatever helps a person open up.
Everyone belongs here
We do not make it about us. Our stories are tools, not the main event.
What every supporter needs.
These come from the state certification process and from our promise to participants. They are not negotiable, so we list them first.
- 19 or older
Nebraska requires this for the peer support certification. - Education and training
A high school diploma or GED, plus completion of a state-approved core curriculum, such as the 60-hour program in Nebraska, which includes 10 hours of ethics. - Certification exam
You apply for and pass the state-approved peer recovery exam (IC&RC). If you are not certified yet, you can start the process with us in mind. You will need to be certified before you work with participants. - Background check
Required, with your written permission, after we have talked. See “Everyone has a story” below. - Lived experience
Personal experience with mental health and/or substance use recovery, or you are a parent or primary caregiver of someone who has been through it. The state asks you to attest to at least one year of recovery and lived experience. - Staying certified
Nebraska certification renews every two years with continuing education. We support you in keeping it current. - Core duties
Non-clinical peer support. Sharing your recovery story to inspire hope. Helping people set their own goals. Connecting people with community resources.
Peer support is not therapy or treatment, and our supporters never diagnose or give medical advice.
This work is heavy. You are supported too.
Supporting people through their hardest weeks takes something out of you. We know that, and we plan for it. You are a part of this on every level, and you matter here as much as anyone.
Regular check-ins
We check in with every supporter regularly. Not about numbers. About how you are doing.
A team behind you
You are never on your own with a hard moment. Reach out and someone answers.
Permission to step back
Need a breather? Say so. Taking care of yourself is part of doing this well.
A voice
Your ideas and feedback shape how we work. We listen, and we tell you what we did with it.
Appreciated, out loud
We say thank you, and we mean it. You are valued here.
Not for us. With us.
We are building something from the ground up, and we want people who want to build it with us: to share ideas, push back, and help it grow into something great.
We do not call this a family. You have heard that one before. We call it a team: people with their own roles, working alongside each other by choice, and looking out for each other.
If that sounds like where you want to be, we would love to meet you.
A breath of fresh air.
Hiring has become exhausting: seven rounds, take-home projects, essays, tests. Not here. We would rather get to know you.
One chat
A single 60-minute, casual, get-to-know-you chat. Come as you are. You can ask us anything, too.
No hoops
No multiple rounds. No projects. No essays. No tests. No trick questions.
No guessing
We tell you the steps, the timing and what comes next. If it is a no, we tell you, and why when we can.
Some steps do come after the chat, because the work calls for them: a credential check, references and a background check. Those are not hoops. They protect participants, and we explain each one before we ask.
A careful process, on purpose.
Every supporter goes through the same steps, in the same order, including our founders. It starts with one chat, not a gauntlet. No one sees participant information until the steps are done.
A get-to-know-you chat
One relaxed 60-minute conversation about who you are, why peer support matters to you, and what you are looking for. Your lived experience is yours to share, or not.
Credentials and references
We confirm your CPSS and speak with two people who have seen you work with others.
A background check
With your written permission, before any decision. We are open about what we look at and why.
Agreement and training
You sign a confidentiality agreement and complete a short training on the rough-week flag and safety.
A gentle start
One participant at first, and a check-in with us after week one and week four.
All backgrounds are welcome to apply.
A past record is not an automatic no. We look at each person as a whole: what happened, how long ago, and who you are now. We will tell you what we find and give you the chance to respond before any decision.
A few things we cannot make exceptions for, because supporters work one-on-one with people in distress: sexual offenses, and harm to children or vulnerable adults. Serious violence is reviewed with great care, and a recent or serious offense will usually end the process.
We do not ask about your record on the interest form below. If we get to that step, we will explain it first.
How we show up.
Participants, not clients
We work with people, not caseloads. Everyone belongs here.
Privacy first
What people share is theirs. We protect it like it matters, because it does.
Judgment-free
Come as you are. No fixing, no lecturing, no pretending.
Show up
Consistency is the quiet part of strength. People count on us.
What to expect from us.
A reply
We answer every message, and we aim to do it within a week. If we do not have a role open yet, we say so.
Not an offer
Joining the interest list or having a chat is not a job offer. Offers are always in writing.
Clear terms
Before you agree to anything, we explain how the role is set up, how and when you are paid, and what the work involves.
Your pace
Start with one participant. Flexibility is part of how we work, and you will have real say in your own availability. We spell out the details before you agree.
Accommodations
Need something to make the chat or the work accessible? Tell us. We will make it work.
Your privacy
We never contact your references or run a check without your permission, and we do not ask about your record on the form.
Tell us who you are.
We are still shaping our roles. When positions open, we will post them here with the details. Until then, leave your info and we will reach out first.