Peer Specialist - RUMC

Job Description

Job Description

Mission Statement:

Baltic Street Wellness Solutions is committed to providing peer recovery, person-centered, trauma-informed, and compassionate services to those with mental health lived experiences.

Vision:

Our vision is to drive a cultural transformation within the mental health community by advocating for the underserved, educating for change, and inspiring wellness. We approach our role with cultural humility and mindfulness of oppressive systems.

Our Core Values:

• We value a mentoring philosophy delivered by staff with peer-lived experiences.
• We value the recovery journey of every individual with a mental health diagnosis.
• We value the personal and professional experiences of our staff and board members.
• We value community action to change societal views to break the stigma of mental health through advocacy within all systems.
• We value everyone's desire to have opportunities to obtain their visions of wellness.
• We value education and training to enhance an individual's opportunities for growth in one's journey to self-discovery.

Position Summary

Baltic Street Wellness Solutions, in collaboration with Richmond University Medical Center (RUMC), is seeking Peer Specialists to provide recovery-focused support in emergency and community settings to individuals in acute behavioral crisis.

Working within RUMC’s Comprehensive Psychiatric Emergency Program (CPEP) and Mobile Crisis Program, Peer Specialists use their lived experience with mental health recovery to engage individuals in crisis, foster hope, and connect them to community resources.

This role requires strong communication skills, flexibility, and the ability to build trust in high-intensity environments. Peer Specialists will collaborate with clinical teams, support self-advocacy, and uphold the highest standards of confidentiality and person-centered care.

Key Responsibilities

• Engage with individuals primarily in community settings (Mobile Crisis Program) and the CPEP with compassionate peer support, based on lived experience with mental health recovery.
• Participate in initial assessments and engage with patients and families to build trust and foster recovery-oriented relationships.
• Identify and facilitate access to resources including entitlements, housing, benefits, and Baltic Street programs.
• Provide individual peer support using a trauma-informed, person-first approach.
• Facilitate peer-led support groups, wellness activities, and psychoeducational workshops that promote recovery and self-advocacy.
• Collaborate with participants to develop personalized recovery plans, including Advance Directives and Wellness Recovery Action Plans (WRAP).
• Act as a liaison between participants and their treatment teams, ensuring care is coordinated, non-coercive, and culturally responsive.
• Develop community asset-based mapping to help participants identify and utilize local supports.
• Support participants with community integration and transitions from respite centers, emergency rooms, hospitals.
• Use harm-reduction strategies and crisis de-escalation techniques to support participants experiencing distress.

Documentation and Team Support Requirements

• Maintain accurate and timely documentation of all participant interactions, recovery plans, and referrals.
• Conduct chart reviews and maintain participant records in compliance with program standards.
• Participate in staff meetings, case conferences, supervision sessions, ongoing peer support training to uphold professional standards and administrative meetings to share insights and improve care approaches.
• Obtain participant consent in accordance with existing consent policy at RUMC before initiating services, in accordance with privacy laws and internal policies.
• Coordinate with clinical teams and support integrated care planning.

Compliance and Reporting

• Submit engagement reports to Senior Peer Specialist including metrics on new and ongoing participant contacts.
• Maintain strict adherence to HIPAA and all applicable privacy/confidentiality policies.
• Safeguard participant records and comply strictly with non-disclosure responsibility regarding participant’s personal health information without proper consent.
• Participate in RUMC-led crisis intervention and other training programs as required.
• Follow all RUMC policies and standards for professional conduct.

Qualifications & Requirements

• Must be a current New York State Certified Peer Specialist.
• Two years of related work experience, preferably in mobile engagement and crisis response.
• Lived experience with mental health recovery and a demonstrated ability to use this experience to support others.
• Strong verbal and written communication skills.
• Demonstrable familiarity with the use of Microsoft Office
• Ability to commute independently in keeping with the requirements of the mobile crisis program
• Familiarity with entitlement systems (SNAP, SSI/SSDI, Medicaid, Medicare, HRA).
• Experience with electronic health records is preferred.
• Knowledge of SAMHSA’s Eight Dimensions of Wellness and Wellness Recovery Action Plans (WRAP).
• COVID-19 vaccination required or documentation of medical/religious exemption.
• Approved background check required prior to employment.

Schedule: Full-time flexible schedule 7am – 3pm and 3pm – 11pm

Baltic Street Wellness Solutions will require selected candidates to submit proof of complete vaccination against COVID-19 and having received a booster shot prior. If a candidate has a qualifying medical condition or religious exemption that contraindicates a COVID-19 vaccination, an exemption form should be requested from Human Resources.

PHYSICAL DEMANDS AND WORK ENVIRONMENT

The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this position. Reasonable accommodation may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the functions. While performing the duties of this position, the employee is regularly required to talk or hear. The employee frequently is required to use hands or finger, handle, or feel objects, tools, or controls. The employee is occasionally required to stand, walk, sit; reach with hands and arms. The employee must occasionally lift and/or move up to 15 pounds. Specific vision abilities required by this position include close vision, distance vision, peripheral vision, and the ability to adjust focus. The noise level in the work environment