Senior Peer Specialist

Center for Alternative•New York, NY

8d•$0 - $53,045•Hybrid

About The Position

newSTART is seeking a Senior Peer Specialist who is responsible for providing individual and group rehabilitation support to participants using brief interventions targeting mental health, substance use, education, employment, and vocational needs. The Sr. Peer Specialist provides services within the framework of the core principles of recovery and self-determination. The Sr. Peer Specialist will work at various sites to connect with participants, including the Manhattan courthouse, CASES’ Harlem office, and will visit participants in the community. CASES Short-term Alternatives and Referrals to Treatment (newSTART) program is a short-term alternative-to-incarceration (ATI) program that provides rapid screening, identification of need, and brief interventions (individual and group) for individuals with extensive low-level involvement in the criminal legal system. The program serves individuals with a range of needs, including severe substance use disorders, serious mental illness, education/employment needs, homelessness, tenuous engagement in treatment/social services, and repeated misdemeanor arrests primarily for theft and drug possession.

Requirements

High school degree with related work experience
Participant or graduate of a recognized peer specialist training program; such as the Howie the Harp Peer Advocacy and Training Center Forensic Peer Specialist Program or the Recovery Coach Academy
Must have full classification as a New York Certified Peer Specialist, or provisional classification / full classification as a Certified Recovery Peer Advocate, or provisional classification / full classification as a Recovery Coach Professional
Must be a mental health treatment consumer or substance use treatment consumer with a history of involvement in the criminal legal system
Strong knowledge of wellness, recovery, and self-help
Effective communication and written skills
Proficiency with computers and databases

Nice To Haves

Fluency in Spanish a plus

Responsibilities

Utilize Motivational Interviewing techniques to engage participants and support them in successfully completing their mandates
Conduct group rehabilitation sessions
Conduct physical outreach to connect participants to newSTART and other community-based providers
Plan and deliver peer support services, including using self-disclosure as an intentional strategy, and advocacy that address risk factors for criminal recidivism (e.g., navigating housing system, income support, medical/mental health care)
Complete timely and accurate documentation following newSTART and CASES policies and guidelines
Provide culturally sensitive services and participate in CASES’ antiracism efforts
Any other duties as required by newSTART or CASES leadership