Peer Specialist

Colonial Group; City of Auburn (NY); On-site; USD 28,000 - 33,000; Part time

Benefits offered by this job

Home like setting

Relaxed atmosphere

Variety of work hours

Mentorship/Entry level experience with

growth in the agency

Offers Peer Certification hours

Job summary

Liberty Resources is seeking Part Time Peer Specialists for the Cayuga Crisis Residence Program. The role focuses on providing recovery-oriented peer support, health coaching, and safety planning to guests in crisis, with duties spanning advocacy, linkage services, and collaboration with health providers.

The position offers a home-like setting, a relaxed atmosphere, flexible hours including weekends and overnights, and pathways to peer certification hours, reflecting our commitment to growth

Qualifications

• High school diploma or equivalent required.
• OMH certification as NY CPS, FPA, CRPA, or completion of state-approved training preferred or willing to certify within six months.

Responsibilities

• Provide services to guests enrolled in the Supportive Crisis Residence as outlined in 14 NYCRR XIII Part 589, including personal care, peer support, engagement, safety planning, care integration, case management, medication management and monitoring.
• Provide peer support in fidelity with Peer and Recovery-Oriented models of support.
• Conduct crisis interventions and teach coping strategies to reduce crises and severity.
• Collaborate with Health Homes, hospitals and treatment providers to create an integrated care plan for mental and physical health, substance use services, and community supports.
• Provide advocacy, peer support, referral and linkage services as needed.
• Provide program coverage including overnights as required.
• Complete documentation such as ISPs, Social Determinants of Health Assessments, Strengths and Needs Assessments, Safety Planning, Daily Progress Notes, and Discharge Summaries in a timely manner.

Skills

Peer Support

Crisis Intervention

De-escalation

Health Coaching

Recovery Oriented

Education

High School Diploma or GED

Job description

We are searching for passionate and motivated Part Time Peer Specialists to work in our Cayuga Crisis Residence Program.

Liberty Resources has 4 Crisis Residence locations with 3-8 beds in Syracuse, Oneida, Oswego, and Auburn. The respite homes are community based residential programs that provide a therapeutic environment for adults experiencing a mental health crisis. The program provides Peer Support Services utilizing individuals with a history of lived experience with mental health challenges and a willingness to share their story as well as Crisis Support Staff who have extensive experience in the field.The staff provides services including but not limited to health and wellness coaching, reoccurrence prevention planning, wellness activities, family support, conflict resolution, and referrals and linkage services. The goal is to stabilize crisis to support a guest’s safe return to their community and to provide preventive measures for reducing un-necessary emergency department visits and hospitalizations.

Our employees have passion around the services they provide and our corporate values of excellence and staff support. We pride ourselves on high quality, integrated, community-based services that meet the evolving needs of our communities. We’re committed to building a diverse workforce that values contributions of all team members and work to recognize cultural beliefs, values, traditions, language preferences, and health practices of the communities that we serve and how they apply to provision of positive health outcomes.

What We Offer:

• Home like setting
• Relaxed atmosphere
• Variety of work hours
• Mentorship/Entry level experience with ability for growth in the agency
• Offers Peer Certification hours

Peer Specialist Position Summary:

The Peer Specialist provides support to individuals enrolled in Supportive Crisis Residence who are experiencing challenges in daily life that create risk for an escalation of symptoms that cannot be managed in the individual’s home and community environment. Through the use of Recovery Oriented Services, Harm Reduction, Trauma-Informed Care, Motivational Interviewing and Intentional Peer Support, the Peer Support Specialist will provide guests recovery support, health and wellness coaching, reoccurrence prevention planning, wellness activities, family support, conflict resolution, and any other responsibilities related to the operations of a Supportive Crisis Residence.

Peer Specialist Job Responsibilities:

• Provide required services to guests enrolled in the Supportive Crisis Residence as outlined in 14 NYCRR XIII Part 589, including: assistance in personal care and activities of daily living, peer support, engagement, safety planning, integration of direct care and support services, case management, medication management, and medication monitoring.
• Provide peer support in fidelity with the Peer and Recovery-Oriented models of support.
• Provide any needed crisis intervention, teach individuals to look at crisis differently and utilize wellness tools to prevent future crises or to decrease the intensity of personal crisis.
• Work closely with Health Homes, hospitals and treatment providers through a person centered/self-directed approach to develop an integrated plan of care including mental health, physical health, substance use services, and community supports necessary for individuals to succeed in the community.
• Provide advocacy, peer support, referral and linkage services for program guests as needed.
• Provide coverage for the program as reflected in staffing plan, including overnights as required.
• Completes all required documentation, such as Individual Service Plan, Social Determinants of Health Assessment, Strengths and Needs Assessment, Safety Planning, Daily Progress Notes, and Discharge Summary in timelines in accordance with program standards.

Peer Specialist Qualifications:

• Minimum of high school diploma or equivalent (GED) required.
• Certified or provisionally certified by the Office of Mental Health (OMH) as a Certified Peer Specialist (NYCPS), Family Peer Advocate (FPA), Certified Recovery Peer Advocate (CRPA), and/or Peer Specialists who have completed all required State approved training specific to their title is preferred or willing to complete the certification process within six months of employment required.
• Have personal experience with emotional, behavioral, addiction, or co-occurring disorders or as a parent/primary caregiver of a child with emotional, behavioral, addiction, or co-occurring disorders.
• Work experience in a behavioral health or related setting, preferably using the recovery model with one to two years of personal recovery experience is preferred.
• A respect for, compassion and high level of comfort around people experiencing psychiatric crisis.
• Ability to utilize critical thinking, problem-solving and de-escalation skills to assist with creating and maintaining an environment that promotes recovery.

Hours:

Weekends, and Overnights

Starting Rate:

$20-$24/hour per hour depending on certification status
Liberty Resources is committed to creating a diverse inclusive environment and is proud to be an equal opportunity employer. Liberty Resources offers equal employment opportunities to all persons without regard to race, color, ethnicity, religion, sex, sexual orientation, national origin, age, marital status, physical or mental disability, parental status, housing status, source of income or military status, in accordance with applicable federal, state and local EEO laws.

Welcome to Wholehearted Health!

Liberty Resources is an Equal Opportunity Employer.