Peer Specialist-Homeless Services

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

5d•$40,000 - $45,000•Onsite

About The Position

S:US is seeking a Peer Specialist for its adult families’ shelter in Manhattan, located at East 31 Street, New York, NY 10016. The Peer Specialist helps participants and families engage with services, builds meaningful relationships, advocates for participants, and collaborates with them to develop personalized support and wellness tools. The role also contributes to a recovery-oriented, inclusive team culture and maintains communication and required documentation with the team.

Requirements

High school diploma or GED, or two years of experience working in a large residential or institutional setting with a special needs population.
Strong interpersonal and organizational skills.
Patience, creativity, flexibility, compassion, and sensitivity when working with people experiencing mental health or substance abuse issues and criminal court involvement.

Nice To Haves

New York State driver’s license preferred.

Responsibilities

Build connections with participants and families, conduct outreach to promote awareness of S:US services, encourage help-seeking, and bridge communication between team members and participants when appropriate.
Develop authentic relationships with individuals and families through empathy, listening, sharing experiences, and collaboration.
Discuss multiple frameworks for understanding life experiences with participants and team members; use language that supports listening and makes room for personal stories of recovery and resilience.
Advocate with and for program participants in the community and on the team.
Collaborate with participants to clarify personal visions and develop wellness tools; support self-awareness, life skills, and connections to external resources and community.
Promote a positive team culture by advocating for clients, supporting a youth-friendly approach, encouraging recovery-oriented language, and fostering belief in human potential and respect for diversity.
Maintain open and frequent communication with the team, report safety and other concerns, and document participant visits as required; co-create reports with participants when appropriate.