Peer Specialist

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

5d•$17 - $21•Onsite

About The Position

The Peer Specialist helps facilitate tenant engagement and conducts outreach to promote awareness of S:US services, encourage help-seeking, and advocate for the people served. The role uses listening, recovery-oriented language, and an understanding of different ways of interpreting life experiences, including psychosis, to make space for participants’ personal stories of recovery and resilience. Peer Specialists advocate with and for participants in the community and on the team. They collaborate with participants and other team members to clarify personal visions, develop wellness tools, strengthen self-awareness and life skills, and connect participants with community resources. They also contribute to a team culture grounded in respect for human potential and diversity, and promote a friendly, recovery-oriented approach. The position requires frequent communication with the team, including reporting safety concerns and maintaining notes on participant visits as required by the provider agency. Co-collaborating with participants on reporting is encouraged. The Peer Specialist must also follow the on-call cell phone system for crisis intervention, emergencies, and other situations requiring immediate action, and may be assigned additional duties by program and regional leadership.

Requirements

High school diploma.
One to two years of active participation in mental health self-help activities, peer support or advocacy programs, participant-run organizations, or similar experiences or programs.
Demonstrated interpersonal communication skills and the ability to empathize with, relate to, and effectively work with participants receiving mental health services.
Ability and willingness to disclose one’s recovery story, where appropriate, for empowerment purposes.
Excellent judgment and ability to understand boundaries when working with participants receiving mental health services.
Willingness and ability to adhere to the on-call cell phone system.

Nice To Haves

Lived experience of mental health challenges, preferably including experience with psychosis.
Lived experience of mental health challenges that preferably includes psychosis during youth.
Peer Certification; Certified Recovery Peer Advocate if required by the funder.
Ability to relate well to people of all ages, cultures, and backgrounds.
Understanding of the community where the team is based and awareness of available community resources.
Positive and productive progress toward one’s own recovery.
Basic computer skills, such as using the MS Office suite and Windows.

Responsibilities

Facilitate engagement with tenants and conduct outreach to promote awareness of S:US services and encourage help-seeking.
Advocate for participants and help them maximize their potential.
Use listening and recovery-oriented language to make space for participants’ personal stories of recovery and resilience.
Advocate with and for program participants in the community and on the team.
Collaborate with participants to clarify their personal visions and develop wellness tools.
Support participants in strengthening self-awareness, building life skills, and connecting with community resources.
Promote a friendly, recovery-oriented team culture that recognizes human potential and diversity.
Maintain open and frequent communication with the team, including reporting safety and other concerns.
Keep notes on participant visits as required by the provider agency; co-collaborate on reporting with participants when appropriate.
Adhere to the on-call cell phone system for crisis intervention, emergencies, and other situations requiring immediate action.
Complete additional duties assigned by the Program Director, Assistant Program Director, Regional Director, or Vice Presidents.