Company: Key Collective
Location: Poway, San Diego, CA
Job Type: Contract / Part-Time
Compensation: $40 – $50 per hour (based on experience and education)
Schedule: Flexible (choose your own hours)
Reports to: Executive Director

About Key Collective

Key Collective has served the community for over a decade, dedicating itself to supporting individuals navigating mental health and substance use challenges through personalized mentorship and skill-building. Our approach focuses on empowering clients to build independence, develop emotional regulation, and create meaningful, sustainable change in their lives. We primarily work with clients using a goal-oriented and action-based approach, teaching them effective skills and strategies to help them reach their goals.

Position Overview

Key Collective is seeking a thoughtful, emotionally intelligent, and growth-oriented Therapeutic Mentor to provide one-on-one support to a young adult client in Poway, San Diego County, CA.

This role is ideal for an individual who is passionate about behavioral health and enjoys helping clients apply therapeutic concepts and coping strategies in real-world settings. Mentors help clients translate therapeutic concepts and coping strategies into practical skills and behavioral change in everyday environments. Mentors also provide support through relationship-building, coaching, accountability, community engagement, and skill development.

Successful mentors are warm, engaging, and authentic while also maintaining clear professional boundaries and consistency. They are able to remain calm and steady during difficult moments while helping clients develop greater confidence, self-awareness, and independence.

Mentors typically support clients for a minimum of four to six months and work closely with both families and multidisciplinary treatment teams. Mentors typically meet with clients a minimum of 2 days per week (approximately 4 hours weekly per client) and must be willing to commute to and from clients.

Key Responsibilities:

Mentorship & Support

• Build strong, trust-based relationships with clients while maintaining clear professional boundaries.
• Provide consistent one-on-one support aimed at improving each client’s current level of functioning
• Serve as a positive role model and source of encouragement
• Collaboratively identify solutions with your client for real-life challenges
• Implement individualized techniques and strategies during sessions
• Support clients in building emotional regulation, distress tolerance, and coping skills.
• Help clients identify goals and create practical strategies for achieving them.
• Serve as a consistent source of encouragement, accountability, and guidance.
• Model healthy communication, problem-solving, and interpersonal effectiveness.

Life Skills Development

Support clients in developing essential daily living skills, including:

• • Time management
  • Organization and planning
  • Task initiation and follow-through
  • Budgeting and financial literacy
  • Meal planning and self-care routines
  • Managing transitions and responsibilities
  • Support social skill development and healthy peer relationships.
• Help clients build independence and long-term self-sufficiency
• Support individuals with executive functioning challenges
• Provide accountability and structure when client's motivation decreases
• Engage clients in the real-world by going out into the community with them and doing purpose-driven activities

Collaboration & Care Planning

• Work collaboratively with a multidisciplinary team to support individualized care plans
• Attend monthly team meetings and trainings, contributing insights on client progress
• Maintain clear, timely, and professional documentation

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree required; Master’s preferred in Psychology, Social Work, Counseling, or a related field
• Minimum of 2 years of experience in mentoring, coaching, or a related role in the field of mental health and substance use
• Experience working with individuals facing mental health and/or