Peer Specialist- Homeless Services

Services for the UnderServed; New York (NY); On-site; USD 45,000 - 50,000; Full time

Job summary

Services for the UnderServed is hiring a Peer Specialist for their men's shelter in Brooklyn. The role involves outreach, relationship-building, and advocacy to support participants on their recovery journeys.

Lived experience with the mental health system is required, and bilingual English/Spanish is a plus. The position emphasizes empathetic engagement, collaboration with the team, and developing wellness tools to enhance resilience and community connections.

Qualifications

• High school diploma or GED required.
• At least 1 year of shelter-related experience, preferably using the recovery model.
• Lived experience with the mental health system and ability to share appropriately.
• Strong critical thinking, problem-solving and de-escalation skills.

Responsibilities

• Outreach/Engagement/Bridge Building to promote engagement with participants and families.
• Develop authentic relationships through empathy and listening.
• Understand and discuss frameworks for recovery and life experiences with participants.
• Advocate with and for program participants within the community and team.
• Co-create wellness tools and support participants in life skills and resources.
• Influence team culture to support recovery-oriented language and client focus.
• Maintain open team communication and document visits and safety notes.

Skills

Critical thinking

De-escalation

Empathy

Bilingual English/Spanish

Education

High school diploma / GED

Peer Certification (preferred)

Job description

Position Overview

S:US is seeking a Peer Specialist for their men's shelter in Brooklyn. This position is located at Ralph Avenue Brooklyn, NY 11233.

Salary

Minimum: USD $45,000.00/Yr.

Maximum: USD $50,252.80/Yr.

Responsibilities

• Outreach/Engagement/Bridge Building: Helping to facilitate engagement with teams by forging strong connections with participants and families, undertaking outreach activities designed to promote community awareness of S:US services, encouraging help-seeking, and at times serving as a bridge between team members and participants when they experience ambivalence about treatment.
• Relationship Building: Developing authentic, meaningful relationships with individuals and families through empathy, sharing experiences, listening and collaborating with genuine curiosity and interest.
• Embracing Creative Narratives: Peer Specialists need to be able to understand, share and discuss multiple frameworks for understanding life experiences such as psychosis with participants and the rest of the S:US team. Peer Specialists intentionally use language in the service of listening to understand and making space for complex personal stories of recovery and resilience.
• Advocacy: Peer Specialists advocate with and for program participants both in the larger community and the on the team.
• Co-Creating Support and Wellness Tools: Collaborate with participants to clarify their personal visions and develop their wellness toolkit. Along with other team members, Peer Specialists support participants in strengthening their self-awareness, building life skills, and connecting to resources and community outside of the S:US team.
• Influencing Team Culture: Whenever possible, positively influencing the team culture by advocating for clients, promoting a youth friendly approach and encouraging the use of recovery-oriented language. S:US Peer Specialists also work actively within the team itself to help build an environment that operates from a belief in the human potential to grow and an understanding of human diversity.
• Team Communication: Peer Specialists maintain open and frequent communication with the team. This includes reporting safety and other concerns to the team. Peer Specialists will also keep notes on visits with program participants as required by the provider agency. In the spirit of peer support, co-collaborating on reporting with the program participant is encouraged.

Qualifications (Required)

• Minimum of high school diploma or equivalent (GED)
• One year work experience in a shelter or related setting, preferably using the recovery model
• Must have lived experience with the mental health system and willingness to share personal experience appropriately and respectfully
• Ability to utilize critical thinking, problem‑solving and de‑escalation skills to assist with creating and maintaining an environment that promotes recovery

Preferred Qualifications & Skills

• Peer Certification preferred
• A respect for, and high level of comfort around people experiencing psychiatric crisis preferred
• Exceptional written and oral communication skills including empathic listening, responding
• Bilingual English/Spanish a plus

Company Overview

Join a team of employees who care about the wellbeing of others. We believe in fostering a culture built on our core values: respect, integrity, support, maximizing individual potential and continuous quality improvement. From health and wellness resources to generous PTO, professional development, and more, explore all that we offer on our Benefits Page and see how S:US invests in you.

We believe in fostering a culture built on our core values: respect, integrity, support, maximizing individual potential and continuous quality improvement.

S:US IS AN EQUAL OPPORTUNITY EMPLOYER

All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, disability, age, sexual orientation, national origin, veteran status, or genetic information and including all other statuses protected by Federal, State and Local laws. S:US is committed to providing access, equal opportunity and reasonable accommodation for individuals with disabilities in employment, its services, programs, and activities, including allowance of the use of services animals. To request reasonable accommodation or if you believe such a request was improperly handled or denied, contact the Leave Team at [e-mail].

ID 2026-19048