Peer Specialist

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

12d•$19 - $23

About The Position

The Peer Specialist ensures the quality of care for consumers who are living with mental health problems, and provides harm reduction outreach and case management services.

Requirements

Two years of active participation in 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 mental health services is required

Nice To Haves

Peer Certification is preferred.
It is preferable that the individual’s lived experience of mental health challenges includes experience with psychosis during youth
Ideally the Peer Specialist is a young adult or that the candidate relates well to young people
The Peer Specialist should understand 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
Demonstrate good interpersonal communications skills and the ability to empathize with, relate to and effectively work with participants of mental health services

Responsibilities

Helping to facilitate engagement with teams by forging strong connections with participants and families, undertaking outreach activities designed to promote community awareness of S:US services, encouraging help-seeking, and at times serving as a bridge between team members and participants when they experience ambivalence about treatment.
Developing authentic, meaningful relationships with individuals and families through empathy, sharing experiences, listening and collaborating with genuine curiosity and interest.
Understanding, sharing and discussing multiple frameworks for understanding life experiences such as psychosis with participants and the rest of the S:US team. Intentionally using language in the service of listening to understand and making space for complex personal stories of recovery and resilience.
Advocating with and for program participants both in the larger community and on the team.
Collaborating with participants to clarify their personal visions and develop their wellness toolkit. Along with other team members, supporting participants in strengthening their self-awareness, building life skills, and connecting to resources and community outside of the S:US team.
Positively influencing the team culture by advocating for clients, promoting a youth friendly approach and encouraging the use of recovery oriented language. Actively working within the team itself to help build an environment that operates from a belief in the human potential to grow and an understanding of human diversity.
Maintaining open and frequent communication with the team. This includes reporting safety and other concerns to the team. Keeping notes on visits with program participants as required by the provider agency. Co-collaborating on reporting with the program participant is encouraged.
Adhering to on call cell phone system to facilitate crisis intervention, emergencies and other situations that require immediate action.