Job Title: Peer Specialist

 

Job Summary:

We are looking for a Peer Specialist with lived experience of recovery from mental illness and/or substance abuse to provide direct services to consumers in the community. A Peer specialist will be an intentional peer support advocate. Engaging in pre and post crisis; and transitional support when participants are released from hospitals, jails and prisons. Use a person-centered approach to for self help, mental illness, recovery and histories of criminal justice involvement. Support participants to to live safely in the community and develop wellness plans and supportive healthy community networks.

The Peer Specialist will be assigned to the Young Adult Assertive Community Treatment ACT team to provide mobile community based mental health treatment to promote the recovery and community integration of individuals ages 18 to 25 years old with serious mental illnesses, high rates of co-occurring substance use disorders and histories of criminal legal system involvement. The team provides 80% of its treatment services in community locations. Peer staff use their lived experience of recovery from mental illness and/or substance use to provide direct services to consumers in the community. 

Shift Hours: This position is full-time Monday through Friday 9:00 am to 5:00 pm

Salary: The salary for this role is $25.46 - $22.29 per hour.

Location Address: 424 East 147th St, Bronx, NY 10455. Our office is easily accessible by public transportation.

Workplace Flexibility: This position is Flexible: This position has flexible work flexibility where for which staff have flexibility to complete their work day from home or another suitable space, typically after reporting to the office and/or engaging in field or community-based work.

 

What you will be doing: 

Attend and participate in daily team meetings to discuss clients’ clinical and case management issues and needs;Complete documentations required by the NYS Office of Mental Health (OMH) and NYC Department of Health and Mental Hygiene’s (DOHMH) licensing guidelines, NYS Medicaid billing guidelines as well as per CASES ACT Policy and Procedures;Complete Wellness Recovery Action Plans (WRAP), safety, relapse prevention plans;Identify the treatment services consumers should receive based on stage of change, immediate needs, and psychiatric presentation;Use motivational interviewing, recovery and trauma-informed approaches when delivering peer services to address housing, income support, education and vocational training, social supports, employment, and primary care needs;Work effectively and involve family, significant others, as well as other service providers in the consumer’s treatment with the YA ACT team;Provide individual peer support and wellness counseling, harm reduction counseling based on motivational interviewingAct as advocate and liaison for consumers in income support and access to resources to support service plan goalsProvide 24-hour crisis intervention on-call services on rotating basisProvide culturally competent services in accordance with CASES policies and practice

 

What we are looking for: 

High school diploma;Credentialed Youth Peer Advocate or Certified Peer Specialist, or eligible to obtain certification within 6 months of hire;At least 2 years of work experience providing peer support to individuals with serious mental illness and criminal justice involvement;Lived experience using mental health treatment and/or substance use treatment services;Individuals with previous criminal justice experience are eligible to apply;Proficiency with computer and electronic health records.

Preferred but not required:

Graduate of a recognized peer specialist training program such as the Howie the Harp Peer Advocacy and Training Center Peer Specialist Program;Fluency in Spanish.

Benefits:

CASES cares about employee wellbeing, and we offer a comprehensive benefits package to support you and your family, including:  

Medical Dental Vision Vacation and Paid Time Off – starting at 25 days-off annually 12 Paid Holidays per yearRetirement 403b Competitive matching up to 6%Employee Referral ProgramVisit www.cases.org/careers/ to learn more about benefits offered by the CASES

 

Although we would love to learn about the skills of every candidate, only selected candidates that are selected will receive a response. We encourage you to apply for any position(s) you feel you are qualified for.  

CASES is proud to be an Equal Opportunity Employer. Employment with CASES is based solely on qualifications and competence for a particular position without regard to race, color, ethnic or national origin, age, religion, creed, gender, sexual orientation, disability, or marital, military, or citizenship status. We also actively recruit individuals with prior involvement in the criminal legal system.