Peer Specialist

Services For The Underserved, Inc.•New York, NY

129d•$40,000 - $50,000•Hybrid

About The Position

The Peer Specialist role focuses on engaging with participants and families in the Harlem/Bronx communities to build strong connections and promote awareness of S:US services. This role involves outreach, encouraging help-seeking, and acting as a liaison between treatment teams and participants, especially when there is ambivalence about substance use treatment. A key responsibility is combating overdose by training and distributing Naloxone kits. The position emphasizes building authentic relationships through empathy and shared experiences, understanding and discussing various life experiences related to substance use and psychosis, and using language that supports recovery narratives. Peer Specialists will advocate for program participants within the community and the team, and collaborate with participants to develop personal visions and wellness toolkits, strengthening self-awareness, life skills, and community connections. They will also positively influence team culture by advocating for clients, promoting a youth-friendly approach, and encouraging recovery-oriented language. Maintaining open communication with the team, reporting concerns, and documenting visits are also essential. This role offers a hybrid schedule opportunity.

Requirements

Certified Recovery Peer Advocate (or Provisional) Certification required.
Two years of active participation in substance use/mental health self-help activities, peer support or peer advocacy programs, or participant run organizations or similar experiences or programs required.
Demonstrate good interpersonal communications skills and the ability to empathize with, relate to and effectively work with participants of mental health services.
Must possess the ability/ willingness to disclose their recovery story (where appropriate) for the purposes of empowerment.
Excellent judgment/ability to understand boundaries when working with participants of substance use/mental health services is required.
Adhere to on call cell phone system to facilitate crisis intervention, emergencies and other situations that require immediate action.
Significant travel to engage clients at shelters, in their community and other settings is required; 75%.

Nice To Haves

Ideally the Peer Specialist is a young adult or that the candidate relates well to young people.
The Peer Specialist should have an understanding of the community in which the team is based with an awareness of available community resources.
The Peer Specialist should also be someone who has made positive and productive progress toward his or her own recovery.

Responsibilities

Facilitate engagement by forging strong connections with participants and families in Harlem/Bronx and surrounding communities.
Undertake outreach activities to promote community awareness of S:US services and encourage help-seeking.
Serve as a bridge between treatment team members and participants experiencing ambivalence about substance use treatment.
Train and distribute Naloxone kits to individuals and their family members to combat overdose.
Develop authentic, meaningful relationships with individuals and families through empathy, sharing experiences, listening, and collaborating.
Understand, share, and discuss multiple frameworks for understanding life experiences such as substance use and psychosis with participants and the S:US team.
Intentionally use language in the service of listening to understand and making space for complex personal stories of recovery and resilience.
Advocate with and for program participants both in the larger community and on the team.
Collaborate with participants to clarify their personal visions and develop their wellness toolkit.
Support participants in strengthening their self-awareness, building life skills, and connecting to resources and community outside of the S:US team.
Positively influence the team culture by advocating for clients, promoting a youth-friendly approach, and encouraging the use of recovery-oriented language.
Help build an environment within the team that operates from a belief in human potential and an understanding of human diversity.
Maintain open and frequent communication with the team.
Report safety and other concerns to the team.
Keep notes on visits with program participants as required.
Co-collaborate on reporting with the program participant.