Peer Advocate

Lenox Hill Neighborhood • New York, NY

3d • $0 - $29 • Onsite

About The Position

Lenox Hill Neighborhood House, a leading human services provider founded in 1894, offers a wide range of services including social, educational, health, housing, mental health, nutritional, and fitness programs to approximately 16,000 individuals annually on Manhattan's East Side. Our clients span all age groups and include older adults, unhoused individuals, children and families, persons with disabilities, and adult learners. The Women's Mental Health Shelter, located on the Upper East Side, is a 24-hour program serving 80 homeless women aged 45 and over with histories of mental illness. The shelter provides a comprehensive continuum of care, including social work, medical, nursing, psychiatric care, peer support, housing placement, benefits assistance, arts, recreation, and nutrition programs. The multidisciplinary team, consisting of social workers, mental health clinicians, nurses, psychiatric providers, peer advocates, and program assistants, aims to help clients transition from homelessness to permanent housing.

Requirements

• High school diploma or GED required
• New York State Certified Recovery Peer Advocate (CRPA) certification is required
• A minimum of one year of relevant experience working with unhoused populations, mental health, severe and persistent mental illness (SPMI), substance use, trauma, and/or residential or shelter-based services is strongly preferred.
• Applicants must be able to serve as a role model of personal recovery and possess lived experience with mental health recovery, substance use recovery, and/or housing instability, with the ability to appropriately utilize lived experience to support individuals navigating the New York City homeless system.
• Successful candidates will demonstrate strong engagement, relationship-building, de-escalation, boundary-setting, and crisis intervention skills, as well as the ability to respond sensitively to client needs and work effectively in a fast-paced environment.

Nice To Haves

• Bachelor's degree preferred
• Experience supporting women experiencing homelessness and co-occurring mental health and medical complexities is a plus.
• Spanish fluency is preferred.

Responsibilities

• Provide direct peer support services to clients, including peer counseling, coaching, engagement, recovery-oriented support, referrals to community resources, and case management support using a person-centered, trauma-informed, culturally responsive, and harm reduction approach.
• Build rapport and establish meaningful therapeutic relationships with clients to support their mental health, recovery, wellness, housing stability, and independent living goals.
• Utilize personal lived experience, when appropriate, to foster trust, engagement, empowerment, and recovery among clients navigating homelessness, mental illness, substance use, trauma, and housing instability.
• Conduct outreach and engagement efforts with clients who may be reluctant to participate in services and support increased engagement in programming, treatment, housing planning, and appointments.
• Complete Homeless Management Information System (HMIS) assessments for all newly assigned clients within 24–48 hours of shelter assignment, along with other required intake and program-related assessments to support timely client engagement, continuity of care, and individualized service planning.
• Assist clients in obtaining and maintaining vital documents, including birth certificates, New York State identification cards, Social Security cards, benefit verification documents, and other essential records needed to access benefits, housing opportunities, medical care, and community-based services.
• Lead weekly peer support, psychoeducational, and wellness groups focused on mental health recovery, self-management, coping skills, substance use recovery, smoking cessation, harm reduction, and community integration.
• Escort and accompany clients to housing interviews, subsidy briefings, lease signings, apartment viewings, medical and mental health appointments, benefits appointments, and other community-based services, while advocating for clients and supporting continuity of care.
• Assist clients with activities of daily living (ADLs), independent living skills, wellness goals, and community adjustment as needed.
• Participate in treatment planning, implementation, clinical case conferences, and interdisciplinary staff meetings, while collaborating effectively with social workers, psychiatric providers, nurses, housing staff, and other program staff.
• Support community building and client engagement by attending meals, participating in community meetings, facilitating recreational and wellness activities, and maintaining a visible and supportive presence throughout the shelter.
• Help de-escalate crises and conflicts through problem-solving, emotional regulation, peer support, and conflict resolution strategies in a safe, respectful, and person-centered manner.
• Maintain timely, accurate, and comprehensive documentation in all required databases and systems in accordance with agency and regulatory standards.
• Interface daily with clients, providing excellent customer service, responding to questions, and addressing client concerns and needs appropriately and respectfully.
• Support clients transitioning to permanent housing by assisting with housing readiness, move preparation, aftercare engagement, and linkage to community-based supports to promote long-term housing stability.
• Support the day-to-day operations of the Women’s Mental Health Shelter and ensure services are delivered in accordance with agency standards, high-performance expectations, and government regulations.
• Collaborate with the multidisciplinary team to assess and support client needs related to housing, mental health, recovery, benefits, and community stabilization.
• Complete all other responsibilities and duties as assigned by the Clinical Director.

Benefits

• Monthly Film and Dinner nights, bowling parties, Mets and Yankee games, cruises, food trucks, holiday parties, parties on our two Green Roofs, chocolate event for Valentine’s Day and ice cream socials, and much more.
• State-of-the Art Fitness Center, Gym and Swimming Pool
• PSLF (Public Service Loan Forgiveness) Eligible Employer
• The best colleagues in New York!

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Part-time
• Career Level: Entry Level
• Education Level: High school or GED