Peer Specialist

Overview

Position Overview and

Essential Job Functions:

Outreach/Engagement/Bridge Building to facilitate engagement by forging strong connections with participants and families residing in Harlem/Bronx and surrounding communities. Undertaking outreach activities designed to promote community awareness of S:

US services, encouraging help-seeking, and acting as a bridge between treatment team members and participants when they experience ambivalence about substance use treatment (including Medication-Assisted Treatment (MAT) and outpatient Substance Use Disorder (SUD) treatment).

Responsibilities include combating overdose through Naloxone distribution and training to participants and their family members; building authentic relationships with individuals and families; embracing creative narratives to understand and discuss multiple frameworks for understanding life experiences such as substance use and psychosis; advocacy with and for program participants in the larger community and on the team; co-creating wellness tools and helping participants strengthen self-awareness, life skills, and connections to resources outside of the S:

US team; supporting a recovery-oriented team culture and maintaining open communication. A hybrid schedule opportunity is available.

Compensation: USD $45,000.00–USD $50,000.00 per year.

Travel:
Significant travel to engage clients at shelters, in the community and other settings is required (approximately 75%).

• Outreach/Engagement/Bridge Building:
  Facilitate engagement by forging strong connections with participants and families; promote community awareness of S:
  
  US services; encourage help-seeking; serve as a bridge between participants and the treatment team.
• Combating Overdose:
  Be certified to train and distribute Naloxone kits to individuals and their family members.
• Relationship Building:
  Develop authentic, meaningful relationships through empathy, listening, and collaboration.
• Embracing Creative Narratives:
  Understand and discuss multiple frameworks for life experiences such as substance use and psychosis with participants and the S:
  
  US team.
• Advocacy:
  Advocate with and for program participants in the community and on the team.
• Co-Creating Support and Wellness Tools:
  Collaborate to clarify personal visions and develop wellness toolkits; support self-awareness, life skills, and connections to community resources.
• Influencing Team Culture:
  Promote recovery-oriented language and a youth-friendly approach; contribute to a positive team environment and belief in human potential.
• Team Communication:
  Maintain open communication with the team; report safety and other concerns; keep notes on visits as required by the provider; collaborative reporting with program participants when appropriate.

• Certified Recovery Peer Advocate (or Provisional) Certification required.
• Ideally a young adult or someone who relates well to young people; understanding of the local community and available resources.
• Positive progress toward the candidate’s own recovery and the ability to disclose their recovery story where appropriate for empowerment.
• Strong interpersonal communication skills with the ability to empathize with and work effectively with participants of mental health services.
• Two years of active participation in substance use/mental health self-help, peer support, or advocacy programs, or equivalent experience.
• Ability and willingness to disclose recovery story when appropriate; adherence to boundaries when working with clients.
• Excellent judgment and crisis intervention readiness; on-call responsibilities may be required.
• Significant travel (approx. 75%) to engage clients in shelters and community settings.

S:

US is an equal opportunity employer. We encourage applicants from diverse backgrounds and offer comprehensive benefits designed to support wellbeing and development, including health resources, PTO, and professional development opportunities. For more, see the Benefits Page and our core values: respect, integrity, support, maximizing individual potential, and continuous quality improvement.

In addition, S:

US is committed to equal opportunity and providing reasonable accommodation for individuals with disabilities during employment, services, programs, and activities. To request accommodation, contact the Leave Team at My Medical Leave .

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