Peer Specialist

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

15d•$17 - $19•Onsite

About The Position

The Peer Specialist helps engage tenants and conduct outreach to promote awareness of S:US services, encourage help-seeking, and advocate for the population served. The role uses peer perspectives and recovery-oriented language to listen to participants’ stories, support their resilience, and discuss different ways of understanding life experiences, including psychosis. Peer Specialists advocate with and for participants, collaborate with them to clarify personal goals and develop wellness tools, and help strengthen self-awareness, life skills, and connections to community resources. They also contribute to a welcoming, recovery-oriented team culture grounded in human potential and respect for diversity. The position requires frequent communication with the team, reporting safety and other concerns, and maintaining notes on participant visits as required by the provider agency. Co-collaborating with participants on reporting is encouraged. The Peer Specialist must follow the on-call cell phone system for crises, emergencies, and other situations requiring immediate action, and complete additional duties as assigned by program leadership.

Requirements

High school diploma.
One to two years of active participation in mental health self-help activities, peer support or advocacy programs, participant-run organizations, or similar experiences or programs.
Demonstrated interpersonal communication skills and ability to empathize with, relate to, and work effectively with mental health service participants.
Ability and willingness to disclose one’s recovery story, where appropriate, to empower participants.
Excellent judgment and ability to maintain appropriate boundaries when working with participants.
Ability to adhere to the on-call cell phone system for crises, emergencies, and other situations requiring immediate action.

Nice To Haves

Peer Certification is preferred; Certified Recovery Peer Advocate certification may be required by the funder.
Lived experience of mental health challenges, preferably including experience with psychosis and psychosis during youth.
Ability to relate well to people of all ages, cultures, and backgrounds.
Understanding of the community where the team is based and awareness of available community resources.
Positive and productive progress toward one’s own recovery.
Basic computer skills, including MS Office and Windows.

Responsibilities

Facilitate engagement with tenants and conduct outreach to promote awareness of S:US services and encourage help-seeking.
Advocate for the population served to help them maximize their potential.
Use listening and recovery-oriented language to make space for participants’ personal stories and discuss different frameworks for understanding life experiences.
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 participants in building self-awareness and life skills and connecting with resources and the community outside the S:US team.
Promote a friendly, recovery-oriented team culture that advocates for clients and recognizes human potential and diversity.
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; co-collaborate on reporting with participants where appropriate.
Adhere to the on-call cell phone system for crises, emergencies, and other situations requiring immediate action.
Complete additional assigned duties from program leadership.