Embedded Peer Specialist

Duties And Responsibilities

• Provide support for participants to divert hospitalization after discharge.
• Share personal experience and encourage mental health wellness and recovery.
• Aid in connecting participants to mental health services, community resources, entitlements, and other services as needed.
• Model and utilize Trauma-Informed techniques and tools as outlined in the following training: Intentional Peer Support (IPS), Wellness Recovery Action Plan (WRAP), Mental Health First Aid, Emotional CPR (eCPR), Motivational Interviewing, Safe TALK, Applied Suicide Intervention Skills Training (ASIST), People, Inc. In-House Peer Advocacy Training, and Crisis Diversion / Respite House Training.
• Complete all necessary Academy of Peer Services (APS) online learning and complete NY State Peer Specialist Certification Application.
• Provide telephone support to peers.
• Maintain a clean, safe, and secure trauma-informed environment.
• Educate clients on useful health & wellness topics, including but not limited to peer/self-help resources.
• Help clients identify and address barriers to their recovery journeys or personal wellness, including issues related to access, quality of care, peoples rights, lack of basic needs, and stigma & discrimination.
• Advocate for clients side-by-side to overcome identified barriers, ensuring their voices are heard and their decisions are understood and respected.
• Build peer-to-peer connections/relationships based on mutuality (shared lived experiences), empathy, and hope for recovery/wellness (peers-as-proof).
• Coach clients to identify & accomplish whole health goals related to the Eight Dimensions of Wellness (emotional, social, physical, environmental, financial, intellectual, occupational, spiritual).
• Directly connect people to the services and supports they need through direct bridging/linking (as opposed to referrals only).
• Develop and maintain positive working relationships with other provider agencies, and local housing providers (landlords) within the county and its surrounding environs.
• Document all meaningful interactions in electronic records software and maintain hard copies in clients files.
• Consistently support People USAs mission to instill a sense of hope, empowerment, and self-determination in people living with mental illness that fosters recovery and a transition to wellness.
• Support staff in advocating for individuals on the inpatient unit, and assist those in the community once discharged.
• Log time appropriately within working hours in the payroll system.

Job Requirements & Qualifications

• High School degree or equivalency.
• Personal lived experience/s with mental illness or substance abuse preferred.
• Bilingual English/Spanish Preferred.
• Significant demonstrable experience in health & human services.
• Must have a clean and valid driver's license.