Peer Family Advocate

University of Rochester•City of Rochester, NY

7d•$19 - $26•Onsite

About The Position

The Peer Family Advocate works in the community and inpatient setting in collaboration with an interdisciplinary clinical leadership team. The role provides connections to services that engage, support, and empower patients and families after a patient is discharged from inpatient care with a mental health challenge. The goal is to help patients regain personal control over their lives and recovery. The advocate serves as a role model during and after treatment and throughout the recovery process. The position engages patients and families through active listening, rapport-building, peer support, self-help groups, and the development of peer networks and natural and social support systems. It supports patients in managing crises, understanding psychiatric symptoms, exercising their rights, developing coping strategies, and building skills relevant to rehabilitation goals. The advocate also provides short-term emotional support and information to families, helps them navigate treatment and recovery, connects them with community resources, and participates in treatment planning with the interdisciplinary team. This is a part-time position scheduled for 20 hours per week, with a day shift. The work schedule must be flexible and may include occasional evenings and weekends. The listed compensation range is $19.15 to $25.85 per hour.

Requirements

High school diploma or GED.
Experience with the population supported, such as personal experience recovering from mental illness or experience as a parent or primary caregiver of a child with emotional or behavioral health challenges.
An equivalent combination of experience and education is acceptable.
Availability for a flexible work schedule, including occasional evenings and weekends.
Effective communication and teaching skills.
Ability to empathize with families and/or support systems.
Provisional Certified Peer Specialist or Provisional Certified Family Peer Advocate certification.
Driver’s license and satisfactory driving record.

Nice To Haves

Two years of experience as a Peer Advocate preferred.

Responsibilities

Engage patients and families through active listening, rapport-building, and trust-building.
Facilitate self-help groups and activities and help establish peer networks and natural and social support systems.
Communicate with patients as a peer, sharing common experiences to support patient growth.
Model and teach self-help techniques, including identifying individual warning signs of relapse and developing coping strategies.
Assist patients in managing crises on the unit, processing crisis-management skills, reviewing crisis plans, and connecting with natural supports in the community.
Facilitate patients’ exploration and understanding of psychiatric symptoms and help identify areas where they need support.
Help patients understand and exercise their rights and teach advocacy skills within mental health and human services systems.
Assist with development of patient safety plans and promptly report lethality concerns to the clinical team.
Teach daily living and other rehabilitation skills in individual and group settings, including learning, working, socializing, recreation, and parenting skills as relevant to patient goals.
Facilitate group services as appropriate.
Provide short-term support to families, including emotional support, relevant information, education resources, and access to comfort measures while supporting the patient.
Help patients and families navigate treatment and recovery processes, communicate with treatment and recovery staff, and identify and communicate concerns effectively.
Maintain current knowledge of community resource policies and procedures; help families identify needs, provide or connect them with appropriate resources, and advocate for them.
Collaborate as a member of the interdisciplinary leadership team and participate in treatment planning.
Model ICARE values and support diversity and inclusion strategies and approaches that reduce stigma, engage patients, and promote patient-driven decision-making.
Perform other duties as assigned.