Peer Counselor- The Family Room

Ellis Medicine•Schenectady, NY

15d•$16 - $24

About The Position

The Family Room program is a groundbreaking mental health crisis diversion program, the first of its kind in the New York State. Located within the Ellis Mental Health Outpatient Services building, the Family Room is a quiet and comfortable atmosphere for youth and their family, called “guests”, to receive support in their time of need. The purpose of the Family Room program is to provide guests with free and person-centered crisis counseling, referrals, and other community resources needed to prevent unnecessary Emergency Room visits. The Family Room staff specializes in a wide range of treatment interventions, including trauma-informed care and integrated mental health and substance use treatment. The Family Room Psychiatric Peer Counselor will have the opportunity to provide direct care and advocacy for a diverse and vulnerable population. The role of a Peer Counselor encompasses a broad range of support for guests, all of which have the person’s best interest in mind. The roles include advocacy, mentoring, active and compassionate listening, providing information, offering emotional support, validation, encouragement, sharing hopefulness and using one’s experience of success to serve as evidence of the possibility and likelihood of recovery. The Peer Counselor helps equip guests with the necessary tools and resources to manage their experiences, resulting in an increased sense of independence and self-worth.

Requirements

Personal experience with mental health and a basic understanding of a variety of mental health diagnoses
High school diploma or GED
NYS Peer Specialist Certification or successfully completed the NYS Peer Specialist training provided by The Academy of Peer Services and working towards completing 2,000 hours in peer advocacy services for NYS Peer Specialist Certification preferred
Should be able to push/pull, lift/move 35 lb., be able to perform moderately difficult manual manipulations such as using a keyboard, writing, and filing for extended periods of time, must be able to perform tasks which require hand-eye coordination such as data entry, typing and using photo copiers.
Mobility requirements may include the ability to be stationary at a workstation for a prolonged period time in addition to being able to squat or be mobile for a reasonable length of time and distance.
Communication requirements include the ability to comprehend the spoken English language in addition to being able to communicate and read the English language.

Responsibilities

Provides direct care to a diverse population of people, some diagnosed with Serious and Persistent Mental Illness (SPMI).
Performs mental health assessment for guests including assessing for determinants of health.
Provides risk assessment to guests to determine appropriateness for Family Room services by utilizing the CASE (Chronological Assessment of Suicide Events) approach to assess suicide/homicide risk and safety. In such cases safety risk is present, the Peer Counselor will notify additional team members for support and guidance
Develop a personalized recovery-oriented plan for each guest being served. This plan should encompass the guest’s current goals, support systems, and perceived barriers, with a clear outline of the steps needed to achieve success
Provide continuous, non-judgmental support, and guidance to guests with concerns working to educate and connect them with necessary resources.
Advocate for guests to receive the best possible care and support
Educate guests on effective treatment plans, including medication and other therapy options
Develop healthy relationships and participate in community outreach and engagement.
Provide excellent communication and listening skills demonstrating compassion, patience, and empathy
Willingness to use self-disclosure as an effective therapeutic tool as appropriate
Participate as an active member of the staff by attending meetings, supervision, and community events
Establish and maintain healthy, professional and HIPPA compliant boundaries in relationships with guests and other staff
Utilize opportunities for personal and professional growth and to further develop skills through trainings, observation, interactions with others
Quickly develop therapeutic alliance with guests who may be in crisis.
Provides warm hand-off to other team members for assistance in their area of expertise as needed
Completes all documentation within required time frames.
Adheres to all hospital policies and procedures including but not limited to annual mandatory education requirements and employee health requirements.
As guest volume varies by day, peer counselor must be able to both handle/delegate multiple tasks, while at other times self-direct to other tasks (i.e. checking for referrals on phone line, etc.)