Address
Form of workThe Peer Specialist will work as part of the OnTrackNY team with program participants, family and community members, and all other team members. The Peer Specialist serves a unique role on the team, instilling hope in participants and families by drawing on their own lived experience of overcoming challenges with a psychiatric label. Walking alongside participants on their recovery journeys, the Peer Specialist uses a non-clinical approach to support, empower, and advocate for young people as they contend with the difficulties and uncertainties of their emerging experiences.
The Peer Specialist uses their lived experience and unique perspective to contribute to treatment planning for each participant, remaining youth-driven and facilitating the team’s development and maintenance of a culture of respect and shared decision making. The Peer Specialist can provide an essential framework for highlighting the potential that each participant has for living the life they desire for themselves.
In addition to attending team meetings, Peer Specialists work directly with other team members to provide support and assistance to program participants. Under the supervision of the OnTrackNY Team Leader, they provide direct Peer Support services to program participants in any setting that would be helpful – at the OnTrackNY program site, in the community, or in the hospital.
Core Responsibilities
Within the OnTrackNY team, the Peer Specialist’s work is guided by 12 role responsibilities in their interactions with participants, families, community members and their team:
- Connecting with both the community and participants and families about OnTrackNY and offering hope and support around the possibility of recovery
- Forming meaningful partnerships with program participants
- Expanding the understandings of the experience of “First Episode Psychosis”
- Partnering with participants and families to support development and creation of self-care and self-awareness tools
- Working closely with a participant’s family of choice
- Supporting the growth and development of OnTrackNY through creation and support of a feedback loop between participants and the team.
- Connecting participants and their families to needed community-based supports
- Creating spaces and opportunities for participants to learn together and support one another
- Learning about and connecting to community-based supports and resources
- Utilizing lived experience and non-clinical approach to support the understandings of team members
- Working as an essential member of a multi-disciplinary team, documenting their interactions collaboratively and communicating back to the team.
- Continuing to develop and hone skills to support this work
Qualifications
- High School Degree or equivalent
- NYS certification as a Peer Specialist or an ability to obtain certification within one year of hire.
- It is preferable that the individual’s lived experience of mental health challenges include experience with psychosis during their youth.
- If not a young adult, then the Peer Specialist should have an understanding of youth culture and a respect for the self determination of young people.
- The Peer Specialist should be someone who has engaged in the meaning making process for themselves.
- Demonstrated interpersonal communications skills and the ability to empathize with, relate to, and effectively work with participants of 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 about their experiences of mental health services for the purposes of empowerment.
- Must have a valid New York State Driver’s License.
Benefits
Our work environment provides the opportunity to grow and learn in a fast-paced atmosphere. We offer competitive benefits and salary to include a low-cost individual health insurance plan, dollar for dollar retirement match (up to 7%), life insurance, voluntary benefits and generous paid time off.
- Comprehensive Health/Dental/Vision
- Direct Deposit
- Flexible Spending Account (FSA)
- Retirement Plan 403(b)
- Life Insurance
- Voluntary Benefits
- Employee Assistance Program (EAP)
- Generous PTO Plans (Sick, Vacation and Employee Leave)
- Tuition Reimbursement
- Service Awards
- Employee Appreciation Events
- Employee Discounts
- Employee Referral Bonus $1,500!
Upstate Caring Partners is the premier provider of direct-care services and programs in Central New York for individuals of all abilities and their families. If you believe in empowering people, Upstate Caring Partners is an excellent place to start or grow your career. Please visit our careers website to access the full job description located within the job posting. upstatecpjobs.org
To access a copy of the job description Click Here - Ontrack Peer Specialist
