Peer Specialist

Services for the Underserved•Bronx, NY

5d•$45,000 - $45,000

About The Position

The Peer Specialist supports tenant engagement and outreach by promoting awareness of S:US services, encouraging help-seeking, and advocating for participants’ needs and goals. Using lived experience and recovery-oriented approaches, the specialist collaborates with participants to develop wellness tools, strengthen life skills and self-awareness, and connect with community resources. The role also supports an inclusive, recovery-oriented team culture, communicates participant needs and safety concerns to the team, and completes required documentation in accordance with agency standards. The position requires a high school diploma and two years of active participation in mental health self-help activities, peer support or advocacy programs, participant-run organizations, or similar experiences. Candidates should have made positive progress in their own recovery and be willing to share their recovery story when appropriate. Experience with psychosis during youth is preferred. Peer certification and basic computer skills are also preferred.

Requirements

High school diploma.
Two years of active participation in mental health self-help activities, peer support or peer advocacy programs, participant-run organizations, or similar experiences or programs.
Positive and productive progress toward personal recovery.
Good interpersonal communication skills and the ability to empathize with, relate to, and work effectively with participants of mental health services.
Ability and willingness to disclose personal recovery experiences when appropriate for empowerment.
Excellent judgment and ability to maintain appropriate boundaries when working with participants.
Ability to adhere to the on-call cell phone system for crisis intervention, emergencies, and other situations requiring immediate action.
Ability to relate to people of different ages and cultures.
Understanding of the team’s community and awareness of available community resources.

Nice To Haves

Lived experience of mental health challenges that includes experience with psychosis during youth.
Peer certification.
Basic computer skills, including 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 with and for program participants in the community and on the team.
Share and discuss different frameworks for understanding life experiences, such as psychosis, while making space for participants’ stories of recovery and resilience.
Collaborate with participants to clarify personal visions and develop wellness tools.
Support participants in building self-awareness and life skills and connecting with community resources.
Promote a friendly, inclusive team culture and encourage recovery-oriented language and belief in participants’ potential to grow.
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; collaborative reporting with participants is encouraged.
Follow the on-call cell phone system to support crisis intervention, emergencies, and other situations requiring immediate action.
Complete additional assigned duties as directed by program and agency leadership.