Senior Peer Specialist

Senior Peer Specialist

CASES is seeking a compassionate and experienced Senior Peer Specialist to join our Rapid Response team in providing community-based services to individuals living with Serious Emotional Disturbance (SED), Serious Mental Illness (SMI), and Co-Occurring Disorders (CODs). As a Senior Peer Specialist, you will play a critical role in promoting recovery, linkage to care, and crisis intervention for our clients.

The Rapid Response Team (RRT) is a specialized team that provides immediate support and intervention to individuals with urgent behavioral health needs who are participating in the Mobile Services Response Program (MSRP). Our team's primary goal is to rapidly engage individuals in treatment and connect them with community-based stabilization and support services, ensuring a seamless transition to ongoing care.

Shift Hours: This position is full-time Monday - Friday from 10:00 AM - 6:00 PM

Salary: The salary for the Senior Peer Specialist role is $54,636.00

Location Address: 100 Centre Street, New York, N.Y. Our office is easily accessible by public transportation.

Workplace Flexibility: Onsite - (for roles that are 100% in-office/in-person).

What You Will Be Doing:

• Primarily serve a focus population of CLS-involved individuals living with SED, SMI, and CODs, with an emphasis on residents of Central, East, and West Harlem; the South Bronx; and Washington Heights/Inwood.
• Work as part of multidisciplinary team providing primarily in-person services to individuals, families, and groups in their community settings to 1) promote linkage to and engagement/re-engagement in ongoing outpatient mental health treatment and integrated rehabilitative services and 2) crisis counseling and intervention for clients experiencing acute crisis.
• Partner with Psychiatric Nurse Practitioner in providing crisis stabilization/de-escalation/containment in a team approach, including to reduce client distress and promote relief from and resolution of acute crisis.
• Leverage lived experience and Peer Specialist training and experience to build relationships with clients and their networks of support and support the person's recovery, including through follow-up engagement both in-person and via telehealth.
• Provide linkage coordination services (maintaining case records) and follow up with appropriate referrals, with the support of designated program clinicians.
• Assist clients with navigating public and nonprofit service systems, including behavioral and medical health, criminal justice, shelter, entitlements, transportation, and housing.
• Complete assessments to support client in development of crisis relapse prevention plans.
• Complete progress notes in the electronic health record for all services provided.
• Work with external stakeholders to achieve positive client outcomes.
• Provide services in a strength-based, recovery-oriented, trauma-informed, and culturally sensitive manner.

What We Are Looking For:

• Standard NYS certification as a Peer Specialist in good standing.
• Preferably, a local community member, and if not, someone aware of and understands the area's culture.
• The Peer Specialist should be someone who has engaged in the meaning-making process for themselves.
• Demonstrated interpersonal communication skills and the ability to empathize with, relate to, and effectively work with participants in mental health services.
• Active participation in mental health self-help activities, peer support, peer advocacy programs, participant-run organizations, or similar experiences.
• Ability/willingness to disclose their experiences of mental health services for empowerment.
• Willingness to work outside of the office setting, in the community, and in the homes of participants.
• Excellent judgment and ability to understand boundaries when working with participants of mental health services.

Preferred Skills:

• Previous use of an electronic health record, Carelogic preferred
• Experience in a multidisciplinary setting and field-based clinical work preferred
• Fluency in Spanish a plus

Employee Benefits:

• Medical
• Dental
• Vision
• Vacation and Paid Time Off – starting at 25 days-off annually
• 12 Paid Holidays per year
• Retirement 403b Competitive matching up to 6%
• Employee Referral Program
• Visit to learn more about benefits offered by CASES

Although we would love to learn about the skills of every candidate, only selected candidates that are selected will receive a response. We encourage you to apply for any position(s) you feel you are qualified for.

CASES is proud to be an Equal Opportunity Employer. Employment with CASES is based solely on qualifications and competence for a particular position without regard to race, color, ethnic or national origin, age, religion, creed, gender, sexual orientation, disability, or marital, military, or citizenship status. We also actively recruit individuals with prior involvement in the criminal legal system.

Monday - Friday, 10:00am - 6:00pm 35 hours per week excluding breaks