Part-time Peer Specialist

The Family Center (TFC) envisions a future where all New Yorkers thrive in secure healthy communities. Our mission is to provide holistic care and support to individuals and families

affected by life-altering events to create a path to healing, stability and a fulfilling future. Please visit our website at www.thefamilycenter.org for more information.

The Family Center Certified Community Behavioral Health Clinic (TFC-CCBHC) provides mental health services, screening/assessment/diagnosis, person-centered treatment, planning, outpatient mental health and substance abuse treatment, primary care coordination/screening, psychiatric rehabilitation services, case management, and social, peer and community recovery support. The TFC-CCBHC program serves approximately 300 adults and 50 children/youth annually.

The Family Center is looking for a Part-time Peer Specialist, who will support adults, children, adolescents, and young adults with co-occurring disorders. The goal of the Peer Specialist is reducing barriers to treatment, connecting clients to treatment, and keeping clients engaged in all needed services. The Peer Specialist will report to the Healthy Branches Program Coordinator.

Primary Responsibilities

• Engage and motivate CCBHC clients across different addiction and mental health treatment modalities (outpatient, inpatient, residential, detoxification, methadone maintenance) who may be at-risk for dropping out of services
• Serve as client’s personal guide and mentor by removing barriers and obstacles to recovery
• Member of 24-hour Crisis team assisting with crisis intervention, crisis stabilization and mobile emergency response on rotating schedule.
• Ensure all care meets all Trauma Informed Best Practice criteria
• Participate in reflective supervision of all cases, demonstrating progressive ability to critically assess own work and actively engage with supervisor to address areas in need of improvement
• Provide peer coaching to assist individuals transition from professionally-assisted recovery initiation to personally-directed, community-supported recovery maintenance
• Utilize Motivational Interviewing (MI) techniques to help clients develop a person-centered Wellness Recovery Action Plan describing specific goals and objectives for sustaining recovery​
• Facilitate psycho-educational and support groups
• Escort clients to appointments and peer support groups and provide encouragement for opportunities in community-based activities that support recovery
• Maintain contact by phone and/or e-mail with recovering person after they leave treatment to ensure their ongoing success, provide re-engagement support, and collect follow-up data
• Conduct HIV and Hepatitis C Rapid Testing, following agency protocol
• Participate in treatment and recovery team meetings to address needs of high-risk clients.
• Any other special projects as requested.

Qualifications

• High school diploma or equivalent, along with two years of peer advocate experience working with mental health disorders involving children, adolescents, and young adults.
• You must be certified by NYS Peer Specialist Certification Board (NYPSCB).
• Spanish bilingual preferred
• Flexibility to travel to multiple treatment settings across different levels of care
• Microsoft Office skills

Location: Our office is located at 493 Nostrand Avenue, Brooklyn, NY, which is conveniently located steps away from several public transportation options.

Starting Pay Range: $21- $24 per hour

Schedule: 21 hours per week

Employee Benefits: The Family Center offers a highly competitive benefits package. For part-time employees regularly working 21 or more hours per week, this includes paid vacation time, paid safe and sick time, paid holidays(prorated based on FTE) and 403(b)-retirement plan.

The Family Center is a registered 501(c)(3) nonprofit, and is an eligible employer for the Public Service Loan Forgiveness Program.

How to Apply

Please email your resume and cover letter to jobs@thefamilycenter.org and put “Part-time Peer Specialist” in the subject line. In your cover letter, please list your salary requirements.

Applications will be accepted on a rolling basis.

The Family Center appreciates the time that candidates put into their applications, and carefully reviews each one. Due to a high volume of applicants, however, the Family Center is only able to contact those candidates that are selected for further consideration.

Equal Opportunity

The Family Center is an equal opportunity employer, and all qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, age, sex, national origin, disability status, genetics, protected veteran status, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, or any other characteristic protected by federal, state or local laws.