Peer Support Specialist

Peer Support Specialist

Peer Support Specialists are individuals who have lived experience with mental health, substance use, and/or problem gambling challenges, and/or have supported a family member or loved one through such experiences. They also bring familiarity with navigating behavioral health service systems. Peers provide peer support services by phone to individuals who contact the Peer Warmline.

Duties/Responsibilities:

• Provide person-centered, trauma informed care utilizing the peer model of support to callers accessing the warm line.
• Work with a diverse population of callers in a mutually respectful manner, using a strengths-based approach.
• Manage interactions to ensure the appropriate level of support is provided in an efficient manner.
• Adhere to peer policies and procedures for H2H Contact Center.
• Adhere to SAMHSA's Working Definition and Guiding Principles of Recovery in order to protect the integrity of the peer role.
• Accurately and efficiently document client interactions.
• Meet or exceed established key performance indicator goals.
• Utilize phone systems to interact with callers.
• Provide a warm hand off to Counselors for individuals in crisis or in need of behavioral health referrals.
• Other duties as assigned

Required Skills/Abilities:

• Ability to connect with callers in a courteous, empathic, and professional manner.
• Comfortable sharing lived experience and serving as a role model of personal recovery.
• Ability to share personal lived experience as a person in recovery from mental health challenges or substance use or a parent or caretaker of a child with serious emotional or behavioral challenges who has successfully navigated the child serving system.
• Active listening skills to establish working alliance with callers.
• Superior communication skills to convey information clearly, accurately, and completely.
• Ability to maintain professional demeanor when handling difficult contacts.
• Efficiency with balancing pace and flow of conversation and call time.
• Strong work ethic, particularly in team setting
• Hold the belief and be able to convey that recovery is possible by providing the essential and motivating message of a better future—that people can and do overcome the internal and external challenges, barriers, and obstacles that confront them.
• Must be able to attend a 3-week training program without interruptions.

Required Qualifications:

• Must be certified or eligible for certification as a Peer Support Specialist, Family Advocate, Certified Addiction Recovery Coach, or Certified Recovery Peer Advocate through NYS Office of Mental Health (OMH) and/or NYS Office of Alcohol & Substance Abuse (OASAS). If not certified, demonstrated progress toward Peer Support Certification must be completed within 12 months of hire.
• Bachelor's degree or equivalent experience working in healthcare contact center and or mental health capacity preferred.
• Supportive counseling and/or mental health information and referral services experience a plus.
• Applicants should be comfortable working independently and as part of a team in a collegial group environment.
• Fluent in English, both verbal and written.

Physical Requirements:

• Must be able to remain in a stationary position for at least 50% of the time.
• Will frequently communicate over video calls with internal and external stakeholders as well as team members.
• Will constantly operate a computer and other office productivity machinery, such as a calculator, copy machine, and computer printer.