Overnight Peer Respite Worker, ICR

Community Access; New York (NY); On-site; USD 42,000 - 62,000; Full time

Job summary

Community Access in New York, NY seeks a Peer Respite Worker to provide mentoring and supportive peer services to ICR guests in a home-like setting. The role focuses on deescalation, recovery-oriented practices, and building self-advocacy while collaborating with the ICR team.

Responsibilities include delivering individual and group-based peer support, maintaining daily progress notes, and participating in discharge planning with community resources.

Qualifications

• Understanding and commitment to the mission of Community Access.
• Lived experience with the mental health system and ability to share experiences appropriately.
• Ability to de-escalate crisis with empathy and respect.
• Exceptional written and verbal communication skills.
• Commitment to recovery-oriented practice and critical thinking.
• Resourceful knowledge of community resources.
• Core peer specialist training completed; NYS certification within 90 days preferred.
• Bilingual Spanish-speaking preferred; other languages a plus.
• Willingness to work evenings, weekends, and holidays.

Responsibilities

• Provide 1:1 and group-based peer support to ICR guests.
• Deescalate crises and promote recovery-oriented practices.
• Collaborate with the ICR team to create a welcoming, home-like atmosphere.
• Document progress notes in AWARDS within 48 hours of meetings.
• Assist with discharge planning and post-discharge health resource navigation.

Skills

Empathic listening

Crisis de-escalation

Team collaboration

Time management

Education

High school diploma or GED

NYS Peer Certification (provisional within 90 days)

Tools

MS Word

MS Excel

PowerPoint

Job description

Community Engagement Services Full Time DirectServiceStaff New, NY, US

8 days ago Requisition ID: 1574

Community Access was founded in 1974 to provide housing and support for people being discharged from psychiatric institutions. Today, we are one of the leading providers of supportive and affordable housing in New York City, and the originators of an integrated housing model which has become a best practice nationally: affordable housing where families live alongside people living with mental health concerns. Our staff work daily to support thousands of New Yorkers through supportive and affordable housing, peer-driven residential crisis support programs, training, advocacy, supported education, mobile treatment and other healing-focused services.

Program Description

Community Access’s OMH licensed Intensive Crisis Residence (ICR) is inspired by the Soteria model and is designed as an alternative to psychiatric hospitalization for people going through an acute psychiatric crisis and who would benefit from a respite period in a stabilizing, home-like environment with 24-hour peer support and treatment services. The Soteria ICR will work with guests for up to 28 days to help them develop awareness and skills that will allow them to return to the community with an increased ability to manage their mental health concerns. The ICR will follow a Soteria model which emphasizes shared running of a home-like environment, positive expectations of recovery, validation of subjective experiences, the concept of "being with" a person, providing 1:1 support, 24 hours a day, and self-determination. Services are completely voluntary, and guests are encouraged to maintain their daily responsibilities and activities in the community during their stay including work, school, family care, recreation, and wellness appointments. The program works with guests throughout their stay on discharge planning focused on safety and wellness, and provides post-discharge follow up health resource navigation support.

Position Overview

The Peer Respite Worker develops mentoring and supportive relationships with ICR guests, promoting connection and hope, and utilizing the stabilizing routines of the home-like environment to deescalate crisis and promote recovery-oriented practices. The Peer Respite Worker engages guests in individual and group-based peer support services to identify and develop crisis-management skills, addressing questions and fears, while building self-advocacy and systems-navigation skills. The Peer Respite Workers collaborate with the full ICR team to promote a welcoming, home-like atmosphere, and conduct group activities that foster connection, mutual understanding, and wellness.

Key Performance Indicators

• Assigned guests will have at least one progress note per day demonstrating appropriate, service goal-driven peer support.
• All progress notes are written and entered into AWARDS within 48 hours of the meeting.
• Service Plans for assigned guests completed within 24 hours of admission.

Job Qualifications

• Have an understanding, appreciation, and commitment to the philosophy and mission of Community Access
• Have lived experience with the mental health system and willingness to share personal experience appropriately and respectfully.
• Ability to be mindfully present and have a respect for, and a high level of comfort around people experiencing psychiatric crisis.
• Exceptional written and verbal communication skills, including empathic listening, responding.
• Commitment to recovery orientated practice and the ability to utilize critical thinking, problem-solving and de-escalation skills to assist with creating and maintaining an environment that promotes recovery.
• Resourceful and knowledgeable of community resource and services.
• Graduate of core peer specialist training program and willingness to participate in/successful completion of all required training, with ability to integrate skills, knowledge and approach into work with guest
• Acquisition of NYS Peer Certification, at least at Provisional level within 90days of hire (preferably attained) with a commitment to achieve permanent certification within one year of hire.
• Desirable to have work experience in a behavioral health or related setting, preferably using the recovery model.
• Minimum of high school diploma or equivalent (GED).
• Bilingual Spanish-speaking, preferred. Ability to speak other relevant languages is a strong asset.
• Must be fingerprinted and cleared by the Office of Mental Health (OMH).
• Ability to work independently and as part of a team.
• Ability to set priorities and manage multiple and competing tasks.
• Be creative and flexible, show initiative, and be responsible for follow through
• Ability to maintain confidential information, as related to position.
• Ability to walk up several flights of stairs.
• Ability to work in the field (using public transportation).
• Computer proficiency in Windows operating systems and programs, such as MS Word, Excel, PowerPoint, as well as comfort with learning new electronic systems.
• Available to work evening, nights, weekends and cover holidays as assigned

Community Access is an Equal Opportunity Employer. M/F/D/V.

We are dedicated to a workforce where at least 51% of our employees identify as