Senior Peer Specialist

Center For Alternative Sentencing & Employment Services • New York, NY

276d • $45,000 - $50,000 • Hybrid

About The Position

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. 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.

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.

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.

Benefits

• Medical
• Dental
• Vision
• Vacation and Paid Time Off - starting at 25 days-off annually, plus an additional summer self-care day
• 12 Paid Holidays per year
• Retirement 403b Competitive matching up to 6%
• Employee Referral Program

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Entry Level
• Industry: Religious, Grantmaking, Civic, Professional, and Similar Organizations
• Education Level: High school or GED