Part-Time Peer Specialist

Compensation: $18/hr Benefits: We have three comprehensive healthcare plans to choose from based on your priorities and budget. Housing Works covers most of the plan; you pay a portion, based on your salary. Staff begins accruing PTO immediately for a total of up to 30 days earned in the first year. We offer employees an educational benefit. This money is available for tuition loan reimbursement, tuition costs, and text books. Overview:Housing Works is seeking a Peer Specialist to support the Hepatitis C (Hep C) Care and Treatment Program, funded by the AIDS Institute. The Peer Specialist will use their own lived experience with Hep C, substance use, homelessness, and/or the healthcare system to engage, support, and motivate clients through Hep C testing, treatment initiation, adherence, and cure (SVR). This role is central to closing gaps in engagement and retention, particularly for clients who are unhoused, use drugs, or are otherwise disconnected from consistent care, and works closely with the Hep C care team, harm reduction staff, and outreach workers to bring services directly to clients where they are. Responsibilities:Client Engagement & SupportProvide peer-based outreach, engagement, and support to clients who are Hep C positive or at risk, including those identified through internal primary care testing and community-based outreachBuild trusting relationships with clients using shared lived experience to reduce stigma and increase comfort engaging with the Hep C programAccompany and support clients through the treatment continuum: testing, linkage to care, treatment initiation, adherence, and SVR (cure) testingProvide motivational support to clients who are lost to follow-up or hesitant to engage, using harm reduction and client-centered approachesSupport clients in navigating social determinants of health barriers to treatmentProgram & Site SupportWork acrossHousing Works' clinic sites to support Hep C program enrollment and retention goalsSupport integration of Hep C services within harm reduction and syringe exchange program settings, including telehealth-based treatment delivery for clients receiving services in those settingsParticipate in community-based outreach efforts alongside the dedicated outreach worker to identify and engage Hep C positive individuals outside the existing Housing Works client networkSupport annual Hep C Awarenes programming, including client presentations, interview-style storytelling from clients who completed treatment, and the annual celebrations for clients in and completed treatmentDocumentation & Team CollaborationMaintain accurate, timely documentation of client contacts, engagement activities, and progress in accordance with program and funder requirementsParticipate in team meetings and case conferencing with the Hep C care team, medical providers, and navigatorsCollaborate with internal programs (harm reduction, adult day health care, youth prevention services) and external community-based organization partners to support client identification and program visibilityProvide feedback to program leadership on engagement barriers and emerging client needs to inform program improvement Requirements:Preferred prior experience as a peer worker, peer navigator, or in a similar peer support roleFamiliarity with Hep C treatment Experience working within syringe exchange, harm reduction, or HIV/HCV prevention programsBilingual (English/Spanish) a plusCore CompetenciesEmpathy and relationship-building grounded in lived experienceNon-judgmental, client-centered approachReliability and follow-through with a high-need, sometimes hard-to-reach client populationComfort working as part of an interdisciplinary care teamFlexibility and resilience in outreach and community-based work Job candidates should be aware that scammers may pose as employers and create fake job postings in order to extract personal information from individuals for financial gain. Housing Works will never ask job candidates for personal information, such as social security numbers or bank account details, over the phone. If you suspect that a job posting may be fake or wish to confirm that a job posting from Housing Works is genuine, please contact us at recruitment@housingworks.orgHousing Works was founded in 1990; With a long-term commitment to AIDS advocacy. Housing Works established New York State’s first harm reduction-based, OASAS-licensed outpatient drug treatment program. Other services include Health Home care management, behavioral health, and syringe exchange programs. A pioneer in the social entrepreneurship movement, Housing Works operates 10 high-end thrift shops in Manhattan and Brooklyn and a much-loved Bookstore Cafe in Soho. For more information, visit www.housingworks.org Housing Works fights for funding and legislation to ensure that all people living with HIV/AIDS have access to quality housing, healthcare, HIV prevention, and treatment, among other lifesaving services.Housing Works provides equal employment opportunities (EEO) to all employees and applicants for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, disability or genetics. In addition to federal law requirements. Housing Works complies with applicable state and local laws governing nondiscrimination in employment in every location in which the company has facilities. Housing Works also does not request prior salary information during the hiring process. This policy applies to all terms and conditions of employment, including recruiting, hiring, placement, promotion, termination, layoff, recall, transfer, leaves of absence, compensation and training. This position is included in a bargaining unit of Housing Works’ New York City employees represented by a labor union known as the Retail Wholesale and Department Store Union (“RWDSU”). Accordingly, the RWDSU has the exclusive right to bargain over the terms and conditions of employment related to this position and this position may become covered by the terms of a collective bargaining agreement (a “CBA”) between Housing Works and the RWDSU Equal Opportunity Employer This employer is required to notify all applicants of their rights pursuant to federal employment laws. For further information, please review the Know Your Rights notice from the Department of Labor.