Peer/Family Advocate Lead
About The Position
The Peer/Family Advocate Lead works individually with patients in an inpatient psychiatric setting under the direction of clinical staff responsible for patient safety and treatment. The role provides services that empower people receiving mental health, substance use disorder, and/or co-occurring disorder services to regain personal control over their lives and recovery. The advocate serves as a peer role model, supporting patients in recovery-oriented activities and community integration. The position also takes on lead responsibilities, including orienting and onboarding new peer bridger staff, assisting with or independently maintaining the peer bridger referral tracker, creating an inpatient-unit peer newsletter, participating in interviewing and hiring, training and supervising peer interns, overseeing peer bridger schedules, and supporting ongoing education and service quality. The role reports directly to the r Sup, Substance Use Counselor.
Requirements
- High school diploma or equivalent.
- Direct personal experience overcoming challenges and recovering from mental illness or substance use disorder.
- Knowledge of and ability to mentor people diagnosed with and recovering from mental illness, including helping them navigate mental health services and community resources.
- Availability to work a flexible schedule, including occasional evenings and weekends.
- Effective communication and teaching skills, and ability to empathize with patients and their support systems.
- New York Certified Peer Specialist certification required upon hire.
- Valid New York State driver license with a satisfactory driving record required upon hire.
Nice To Haves
- Two years of experience as a Peer Advocate preferred.
Responsibilities
- Build rapport and trust with patients, interact as a peer, and share common experiences.
- Help patients identify and practice individualized skills for managing mental health, substance use, and co-occurring disorder symptoms.
- Support patients in understanding their symptoms, identifying support needs and relapse warning signs, and developing coping strategies, crisis plans, and crisis management skills.
- Convene and facilitate self-help groups and activities, and teach self-help techniques and group-process skills.
- Help establish peer support networks, natural supports, and social support systems, including attending and transporting patients to supportive recovery activities using fleet vehicles when needed.
- Help patients develop assertiveness and communication skills and carry out tasks toward their recovery goals.
- Teach daily living, learning, working, social, recreational, parenting, and other skills relevant to individual recovery goals.
- Support patients’ community reintegration after discharge and provide peer support and outreach for up to 90 days to promote continuity of care and linkage to the next level of care.
- Teach patients to navigate service systems, provide entitlement information, support self-advocacy, and help patients understand and exercise their rights.
- Educate mental health and general human services providers about patient issues and perspectives.
- Orient and onboard new peer bridger staff; assist with the peer bridger referral tracker; develop the peer newsletter; and participate in interviewing and hiring.
- Assist the supervisor with fleet-vehicle-related tasks and OMH grant tracking needs.
- Facilitate monthly group supervision and document meeting notes.
- Build and manage relationships with community and governmental partners to further peer support services and programming.
- Oversee peer bridger support schedules and scheduling.
- Provide and support ongoing education and training, and educate program participants and staff about recovery approaches.
- Develop professional competencies through reading, supervision, in-service training, and attendance at conferences and workshops.
- Assist the supervisor with case consultation, education, direct observation, and service delivery to achieve program objectives.
- Assist with interviewing, hiring, evaluating, training, and monitoring to ensure quality services.
- Collaborate with the clinical supervisor to provide effective clinical supervision to peers.
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What This Job Offers
Job Type
Full-time
Career Level
Senior
Education Level
High school or GED
