Adult Peer Specialist/Supportive Partner for Recovery (Bi-Lingual)

POSITION: Supportive Partner for Recovery/Peer Specialist

This person will serve as a peer mentor to adults 21 and over with mental health and/or substance use disorders.  The Supportive Partner/Peer Specialist will work with referred individuals on life skills, socialization, and other areas as needed to assist in mental health and substance use recovery.  Evenings and weekends may be required.   

Pay Rate: $16 per hour – $18 per hour 

Key Responsibilities:  

• Model and educate on self-advocacy and systems navigation  
• Assist clients in developing goals related to mental and overall wellness (service planning) 

• Engage each client in thoughtful weekly community-based activities to promote healthy lifestyles and progress towards established goals that are meaningful to clients. 
• Collaborate with other agencies and services as needed to meet the needs of the clients  
• Document visits in detailed progress notes using Electronic Health Record (EHR) 
• Represent client voice in staff and team meetings 
• Gather clients in small groups periodically to promote positive socialization  

Demonstrate ability to work as a team member and perform independently:  

• Demonstrate ability to manage daily tasks with little or no prompting from Supervisor 
• Communicate in a respectful, open, and honest manner with team members and across programs. 
• Utilize supervision and apply new knowledge 

• Demonstrate flexibility and creativity when faced with challenges; Be good stewards of Compeer’s resources. 
• Demonstrate ability to meet individual productivity goals and participate in team goals 
• Accept constructive criticism appropriately and accept responsibility for errors while taking corrective action 
• Demonstrate sound judgment in decision-making and prioritization 
• Demonstrate reliability through attendance and punctuality 

• Demonstrate sensitivity to and respect for the diverse cultural backgrounds of volunteers, clients and staff; fulfill diversity training requirement of ten hours per year 

Pursue professional growth: 

• Attend internal and community trainings as assigned  
• Demonstrate willingness to gain additional knowledge in field in order to learn and grow 

• Assume additional responsibilities with the agency and in the community as needed 
• Demonstrate professional identity through reliable behavior in the workplace 

Requirements/Considerations: 

NYS Peer Specialist Provisional or Permanent Credential required (free training accessible online via Academy of Peer Services http://www.academyofpeerservices.org ).  Applicants with OASAS Peer Advocate Certification will also be considered.  Applicants must have personal life experience utilizing services in mental health system, the ability to appropriately disclose such experience, at least two years of recovery practices, and one year of community re-integration, if applicable.  Peer Specialist must have ongoing stability to provide support to others. 

High School Diploma or equivalent required; some college or post-secondary vocational training or work experience preferred.  Must have reliable transportation; NYS Driver’s License with no more than three moving violations in three-year period preferred.  Strong written and verbal communication skills required; ideal candidate will have working knowledge of Microsoft Office products.  Bi-lingual Spanish encouraged to apply.   

Compeer is an Equal Opportunity Employer.