Peer Specialist

Research Foundation for Mental Hygiene, Inc.•New York, NY

9d•$52,079 - $62,323•Onsite

About The Position

The Research Foundation for Mental Hygiene is seeking a qualified candidate to fill a full-time Peer Specialist position for the OnTrackNY program. The OnTrackNY Program is an innovative treatment program at the South Beach Psychiatric Center Coney Island/Sheepshead Bay clinic. The program serves adolescents and young adults who are within two years of experiencing the onset of non-affective psychosis. The Peer Specialist will work as part of the OnTrackNY team with program participants, family and community members, and all other team members. The Peer Specialist serves a unique role on the team, instilling hope in participants and families by drawing on their own lived experience of overcoming challenges with a psychiatric label. Walking alongside participants on their recovery journeys, the Peer Specialist uses a non-clinical approach to support, empower, and advocate for young people as they contend with the difficulties and uncertainties of early psychosis. The Peer Specialist uses their lived experience and unique perspective to contribute to treatment planning for each participant, remaining youth-driven and facilitating the team's development and maintenance of a culture of respect and shared decision making. The Peer Specialist can provide an essential framework for highlighting the potential that each participant has for achieving a successful recovery trajectory. In addition to attending team meetings, Peer Specialists work directly with other team members to provide support and assistance to program participants. Under the supervision of the OnTrackNY Team Leader, they provide direct peer support services to program participants in any setting that would be helpful - at the OnTrackNY program site, in the community, or in the hospital. The Peer Specialist must demonstrate strong interpersonal communications skills and the ability to empathize with, relate to, and effectively work with participants of mental health services. Additionally, the Peer Specialist must display excellent judgment and the ability to understand boundaries when working with participants of mental health services.

Requirements

State certification or Provisional Certification as a Peer Specialist with the understanding that the person will work to become certified within 1 year of employment preferred.

Nice To Haves

Demonstrated lived experience with mental health recovery and the ability to use that experience appropriately to support others in their recovery.
Basic proficiency in Microsoft Word, Excel, and Outlook.
Excellent written, verbal, and interpersonal communication skills.
Ability to work collaboratively as a member of a multidisciplinary treatment team.
Ability to travel independently throughout the community using public transportation or personal vehicle, as required.

Responsibilities

Connecting with both the community and participants and families about OnTrackNY and offering hope and support around the possibility of recovery
Forming meaningful partnerships with program participants
Expanding the understandings of the experience of "First Episode Psychosis"
Partnering with participants and families to support development and creation of self-care and self-awareness tools
Working closely with a participant's family of choice
Supporting the growth and development of OnTrackNY through creation and support of a feedback loop between participants and the team.
Connecting participants and their families to needed community-based supports
Creating spaces and opportunities for participants to learn together and support one another
Learning about and connecting to community-based supports and resources
Utilizing lived experience and non-clinical approach to support the understanding of team members
Working as an essential member of a multi-disciplinary team, documenting their interactions collaboratively and communicating back to the team.
Continuing to develop and hone skills to support this work