Peer Specialist

FORTUNE SOCIETY INC • New York, NY

48d • $33 - $33 • Hybrid

About The Position

The Mental Health Peer Specialist is responsible to assist individuals through lived experience in mental health or substance use recovery who provides peer-to-peer support, mentoring, and advocacy. They foster hope, promote self-determination, and help individuals navigate treatment systems to achieve long-term recovery, working alongside clinical staff. The candidate should embody Fortune’s mission and be an effective member of the team in furthering it. The candidate should exhibit compassion and understanding for our participants (wherever they are in their re-entry process) and embrace Fortune’s core cultural value so that none of us should be measured against the worst things we have done. The candidate must identify as being actively in recovery from a mental health condition and intentionally self-disclose one’s mental health recovery journey. They must possess a strong understanding of a wide range of Wellness Recovery resources available through government agencies and nonprofit organizations. This knowledge enables them to effectively support participants during crisis situations, make appropriate referrals, and advocate on their behalf. They must demonstrate active listening skills by using empathy and reflection to effectively engage a diverse client population. They must apply high-quality, evidence-informed engagement strategies to address client needs, while exhibiting strong interpersonal skills and the ability to build meaningful connections.

Requirements

• NYS OMH and/or OASAS Certified Peer Specialist
• At least two years of work experience providing peer support to individuals with serious mental illness and criminal justice involvement
• Graduate of a recognized peer specialist training program, such as the Howie the Harp Peer Advocacy and Training Center Peer Specialist Program
• High School Diploma
• Lived experience using mental health treatment and/or substance use treatment services
• Individuals with previous criminal justice experience are eligible
• Willingness to perform CPR/First Aid/AED/Naloxone
• Proficiency with computers, Word, and Excel

Nice To Haves

• Bilingual in Spanish a plus
• Relevant personal experience is a plus

Responsibilities

• Use motivational interviewing, recovery-oriented, and trauma-informed approaches when delivering peer services.
• Advocate for the rights and needs of individuals, promoting self-determination, informed decision-making, and self-advocacy.
• Help clients navigate the mental health system, connect with community resources, and bridge transitions between inpatient and community settings.
• Conduct a minimum of two home visits per week, and additional visits as needed.
• Teach coping strategies and independent living skills (e.g., social skills, using public transportation).
• Ability to maintain confidential information, as related to position.
• Accompany clients to and from appointments (e.g., medical, social service, housing).
• Participate in case conferences and team meetings, whether in person or virtually.
• Attend and actively participate in all relevant training sessions.
• Show initiative and be responsible for follow through.
• Maintain accurate and timely documentation of client interactions and progress in Fortune’s data platform, Case Worthy, in accordance with OMH regulations.
• Collect urinary specimens (e.g., utilizing multi-drug panel and submission of urine sample sent to Quest Diagnostic) and complete required data reporting.
• Perform other duties as assigned.

Benefits

• Fortune has a dual mission: both advocacy and service.
• The advocacy portion of our mission focuses on building a more just criminal legal system and reducing the barriers to reentry into society.
• The service side of Fortune has evolved to encompass a broad range of programs that started with employment and education and now includes a robust array of services, among them: alternatives to incarceration, supervised release, court advocacy, discharge planning within correctional facilities, licensed substance use and mental health treatment, a housing continuum ranging from emergency and transitional through permanent congregate and scattered site housing, assistance in obtaining benefits, a care management unit, HIV services, a food and nutrition program, and an arts program.
• Each service we provide is informed by the needs of the population we serve.

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Mid Level
• Education Level: High school or GED