Family Peer Advocate, Youth ACT

Northern Rivers Family of Services•Albany, NY

1d•$19 - $21•Onsite

About The Position

The Family Peer Advocate serves on the Youth ACT team, drawing on lived experience overcoming challenges with mental illness and parenting a youth with mental health needs to instill hope and support clients and families. The role involves partnering with clients through their recovery journeys as an ally, mentor, and advocate, contributing to treatment planning, and helping foster a culture of respect. The advocate uses personal experience to model recovery, share self-help and coping strategies, teach symptom-management skills, clarify rehabilitation and recovery goals, and help build community support systems and networks. The position includes attending team meetings and working directly with other team members to support program participants. The advocate provides in-person support to clients and families and works onsite and in the community. The role reports to the Director of Youth ACT.

Requirements

A valid New York State license is required.
Complete and obtain NYCPS-Provisional certification for review by the New York Peer Specialist Certification Board (NYPSCB) within the agreed-upon time from the start date.
Lived experience overcoming challenges with mental illness and parenting a youth with mental health needs.

Responsibilities

Engage individuals and establish trusting, collaborative relationships directed toward the goals clients identify on their treatment plans.
Contribute to client treatment plans and advocate for clients' and families' needs.
Participate in daily treatment team meetings and work with team members to support and assist program participants.
Provide individual, face-to-face support to youth and families receiving services.
Meet with families, youth, and collateral contacts to provide psychoeducation about serious mental illness.
Model recovery; educate recipients about self-help techniques and self-help group processes; teach coping strategies based on personal experience and symptom-management skills; help clarify rehabilitation and recovery goals; and help develop community support systems and networks.
Complete and obtain NYCPS-Provisional certification for review by the New York Peer Specialist Certification Board (NYPSCB) within the agreed-upon time from the start date.