Peer Specialist

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

68d•$45,000 - $50,000•Onsite

About The Position

The Peer Specialist plays a key role in engaging individuals and families, supporting recovery, and connecting participants to services through outreach, advocacy, and lived experience. This role requires a Certified Recovery Peer Advocate (CRPA) or CRPA-P. The Peer Specialist will facilitate engagement by forging strong connections with participants and families, promote community awareness of S:US services, and serve as a bridge between treatment team members and participants. A key responsibility includes combating overdose by training and distributing Naloxone kits. The role involves developing authentic relationships through empathy and sharing experiences, understanding and discussing various life experiences, and advocating for program participants. The Peer Specialist will collaborate with participants to develop wellness toolkits, strengthen self-awareness, build life skills, and connect to community resources. Additionally, they will 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 keeping notes on participant visits are also essential functions. Co-collaboration with program participants on reporting is encouraged.

Requirements

Certified Recovery Peer Advocate (or Provisional) Certification required (CRPA)
Understanding of the community in which the team is based with an awareness of available community resources
Demonstrate good interpersonal communications skills
Ability to empathize with, relate to and effectively work with participants of mental health services
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
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

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.
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.
Use language intentionally to listen, understand, and make 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 that operates from a belief in the human potential to grow 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 by the provider agency.
Co-collaborate on reporting with the program participant.