Youth Peer Advocate

Medix; New York (NY); On-site; USD 25,000 - 28,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

PTO

Health insurance

Dental insurance

Vision insurance

401k

Job summary

Medix Staffing Solutions, Inc. is seeking a Youth Peer Recovery Mentor in Lower Manhattan, NY. This full-time role delivers trauma-informed recovery services to ACS-involved youth and their families, drawing on lived experience to foster motivation and resilience.

Responsibilities span direct care, administrative tasks, and family engagement, with a schedule of 9:00 AM–5:00 PM, Monday–Friday. The organization emphasizes culturally competent, community-based support across Lower Manhattan.

Qualifications

• Experience engaging with youth in recovery or related settings.
• Ability to build rapport with culturally diverse youth and families.
• Familiarity with peer-support models and data entry.

Responsibilities

• Direct Care & Recovery Services: engage youth, set goals, support recovery and harm reduction.
• Escort participants to appointments and community resources as needed.
• Family engagement: involve parents/guardians in recovery planning.
• Administrative Support: document interactions and milestones in program records.
• General Program: provide peer advocacy and support in meetings and trainings.

Skills

Interpersonal skills

Youth engagement

Education

High School Diploma or GED

Tools

MS Office Suite

Job description

Salary: USD18 - USD20 per hour + PTO, Health, Dental, Vision, 401k

Youth Peer Recovery Mentor (YRM)

Location: Lower Manhattan, New York, NY (Lower East Side / East Village)

Position Type: Full-Time (Monday – Friday, 9:00 AM – 5:00 PM)

Department: Youth Recovery & Community Services

About the Organization

We are a mission-driven community organization that brings together and partners with diverse communities across Lower Manhattan. We offer individuals and families high-quality, multi-generational programs and services designed to enhance well-being and socioeconomic opportunities. Built on a 130-year legacy of community service, our network across 15 neighborhood sites offers best-in-class programming focusing on education, health and wellness, arts and culture, and civic engagement. We are a welcoming space where progress is powered one relationship at a time.

Position Overview

The Youth Peer Recovery Mentor (YRM) delivers youth-focused, culturally responsive, and trauma-informed recovery services to youth involved with the Administration for Children's Services (ACS) and their families.

As a Peer Mentor, you will draw upon your own lived experience to build rapport, assess stages of change, explore personal recovery goals, and deliver tailored interventions that foster motivation, resilience, and long-term wellness.

Key Responsibilities

Direct Care & Recovery Services (70%)

Engagement & Orientation: Welcome youth to the program, introduce the service process, and build motivation to access Substance Use Disorder (SUD) treatment and community recovery services.

Goal Setting & Intervention: Assist youth in identifying personal recovery goals and developing achievable strategies; explore stages of change, provide tailored interventions to increase readiness, and overcome barriers to care.

Youth Development & Harm Reduction: Engage participants around harm reduction, relapse prevention, and access to positive youth development opportunities.

Community Navigation & Escort: Escort individuals to agency appointments, peer/self-help support groups, and vital community resources as needed.

Family Engagement: Conduct collaborative sessions with youth and their parents/guardians to identify necessary supports for holistic recovery; connect families to prevention and peer-support services.

Empowerment & Self-Advocacy: Advocate alongside youth to ensure their voices, goals, and needs remain central to all clinical and rehabilitative plans.

Linkage & Referrals: Connect youth and families to specialized educational, vocational, and employment opportunities.

Community Outreach: Participate in outreach efforts to inform the community of available peer and wellness services.

Administrative Support (20%)

Maintain up-to-date program databases and activity logs.

Accurately and promptly document participant interactions and service milestones in accordance with program standards.

General Program Responsibilities (10%)

Provide peer advocacy for ACS- and juvenile justice-involved youth.

Facilitate structured, recovery-focused family meetings.

Foster collaborative relationships with local partner agencies and neighborhood groups.

Participate actively in team meetings, clinical supervision, and professional development trainings.

Qualifications & Requirements

Required:

Education: High School Diploma or GED equivalent.

Certification: Active New York State Certified Recovery Peer Advocate (CRPA) or CRPA-Provisional (CRPA-P).

Lived Experience: Firsthand, personal lived experience navigating social, emotional, behavioral, developmental, medical, and/or substance use challenges, with the ability to leverage that experience meaningfully to mentor and support youth.

Model Familiarity: Familiarity with the HCBS Behavioral Health peer service model.

Cultural Competence: Proven experience working effectively with culturally diverse populations within an addiction, mental health, or community service setting.

Preferred Skills:

Exceptional interpersonal rapport and a natural ability to connect with adolescents and young adults.

Proficiency in Microsoft Office Suite (Word, Excel, Outlook).

Experience entering data into electronic health records (EHR) or client tracking databases.

Schedule: Full-Time, 35–40 hours/week, Monday through Friday, 9:00 AM – 5:00 PM.

Setting: Community center and field-based outreach across Lower Manhattan sites.