Overnight Peer Specialist

About the role

Mental Health Association of Nassau County (MHANC) is a not-for-profit membership organization dedicated to improving mental health in our community through advocacy, education, program development, and the delivery of direct services. The Overnight Peer Specialist utilizes personal experience and respite training to provide peer support and companionship for guests, manifesting a vision of hope, resilience, opportunity, and wellness. Goals include lessening or alleviating emotional distress and crises, reducing use of emergency rooms and hospitals, and increasing personal growth with positive life choices.

Responsibilities

• Provide supportive companionship for guests throughout their visit to the house (interview, intake, arrival, stay, and departure)
• Share personal recovery to encourage hope, wellness, personal growth, and recovery
• Model and support the belief that individuals can and will do better
• Utilize effective engagement skills to connect, use mutually shared insights to encourage problem solving and utilization of tools that will assist in lessening or alleviating current and future crisis
• Provide non-judgmental active listening designed to meet individuals “where they are at”
• Help maintain a clean, safe, and secure environment; some cleaning may be involved
• Provide telephone support to peers in the community through the Consumer Phone Link Program as needed
• Facilitate self-help and support groups
• Keep accurate and timely records
• Work cooperatively with respite team
• Maintain client confidentiality

Requirements

• High School Diploma
• Six months to one year current or recent employment
• Six months to one year part-time or full-time experience in delivery of direct services to mental health consumers/survivors (volunteer or paid), preferred
• Three months first-hand experience in self-help or peer-directed services and/or peer support groups, preferred
• Completion of Wellness Recovery Action Plan (WRAP) training, preferred
• NYCPS-P Certification, preferred
• Valid and “clean” New York State Driver’s License, preferred

Qualifications

• Lived experience and willingness to utilize personal experience to assist others in recovery
• Good oral and written communication skills
• Basic knowledge of community support services, resources, and mental health service delivery system, preferred
• Knowledge of consumer/survivor/ex-patient movement and peer-run or peer-driven services that incorporate recovery-based philosophies
• Ability to relate to both other survivors of mental illness and psychiatric diagnosis and mental health professionals
• Honesty, respect for diversity, high personal standards, professional demeanor, language, and behaviors reflecting such values
• Commitment to the possibility of recovery for all individuals diagnosed with psychiatric illness
• Emotional resilience to cope with strong emotions on an ongoing basis