Manager of Youth Peer Support

Reports to: Director of Programs and Services

FLSA Status: Full-Time, Exempt

Salary Range: $70K-$80K

Hours: 32 hours per week: 10am-6pm Monday through Thursday, and 10am-2pm on Friday. Evening and weekend hours as needed and/or requested by supervisor.

AGENCY DESCRIPTION:

Guided by lived experience and evidence-based practices, the National Alliance on Mental Illness of New York City (NAMI-NYC) helps families and individuals affected by mental illness build better lives through education, support, and advocacy. We offer evidence-based education classes, 40+ support groups, family mentoring, a multilingual Helpline, and more to family members and individuals completely FREE regardless of income, insurance, or immigration status. We’re also the only non-profit directly supporting family members caring for those with mental illness.

NAMI-NYC also advocates for affordable, culturally responsive mental healthcare, mental health education in schools, and decriminalizing mental illness to break the endless cycle of psychiatric hospitalizations, homelessness, and incarceration.

Check out our website at www.naminyc.org and follow us on social.

POSITION DESCRIPTION:

We are seeking a detailed and results oriented Manager to oversee the implementation of NAMI-NYC's new Youth Peer Support Program. This initiative aims to empower young people by leveraging peer support to promote mental wellness and resilience. The Manager of Youth Peer Support executes and supports the program strategy, manages operations in the department, and collaborates with supervisor and other stakeholders to ensure programming meets the diverse needs of youth in our community, including implementing new services and/or initiatives. We are looking for an experienced peer (an individual living with a mental health challenge) OR a family member of someone living with a mental health challenge who is passionate about and has significant work experience within youth mental health. Someone who can punch above their weight.

You are a strong leader who is proactive, can solve problems as they arise, and tackle requests and needs with a positive, can-do attitude. You embrace a tactical approach to resolving complex problems and are enthusiastic about program implementation and evaluation.

You work intentionally and collaboratively with other departments across NAMI-NYC — for our ultimate shared goal: helping families and youth affected by mental illness build better lives. We are a close-knit team of 30+ staff and the program and services team takes pride in being the heart and soul of the organization. (We also really like taking mental health walks during lunch and singing karaoke at our holiday parties. And we’re NAMI-NYC, so it’s also okay to take your therapy session during the workday. We get it.)

This position offers a unique opportunity to manage a transformative initiative that empowers youth and enhances community mental health support systems. The sky is the limit, and new creative ideas are not only welcomed but expected. We can’t wait to see what our next Manager of Youth Peer Support can do.

RESPONSIBILITIES INCLUDE, BUT NOT LIMITED TO:

Program Implementation, Operations and Development

• Support the implementation and continuous improvement of the peer-led Youth Peer Support Program, ensuring alignment with NAMI-NYC’s vision, mission, and values.
• Oversee the successful implementation of the department’s strategic plan, ensuring alignment with program goals, objectives, and key deliverables outlined.
• Contribute to the development and implementation of new program components (e.g., Youth Advocacy Ambassadors), youth-focused events, training materials, and resources that promote mental health awareness, resilience, and peer support.
• Collaborate with supervisor, mental health professionals, educators, youth, and community stakeholders to ensure programming is culturally responsive and developmentally appropriate.
• Manage the day-to-day operations of the Youth Mental Health Program, including scheduling, volunteer recruitment, logistics, and ensuring smooth delivery of services.
• Recruit, train, and provide regular supervision and coaching to Youth Peer Leader(s), fostering their growth and professional development.
• Develop training materials and resources to equip Youth Peer Leader(s) with core skills including active listening and peer support techniques.
• Create and deliver training and support resources to help Youth Peer Leader(s) and/or volunteers develop core skills such as active listening, peer support techniques, and facilitation.
• Represent the program in external settings, such as school or community presentations, to raise awareness and support program goals.
• Monitor and track program expenses and inform the program budget to ensure proper resource allocation.

Community and Stakeholder Engagement

• Directly support outreach efforts and collaborate with internal departments (e.g., Outreach, Marketing & Communications) to expand awareness of the Youth Peer Support Program and enhance relationships with community partners, schools, mental health providers, and youth-serving organizations.
• Coordinate and lead an advisory group comprised of relevant stakeholders, including youth representatives, mental health professionals, community leaders, and other key partners.
• Organize and facilitate advisory group meetings, ensuring clear communication, logistical coordination, and follow-up.
• Solicit, gather and summarize feedback from advisory group members to inform program improvements and share insights with supervisor and direct report(s) to support ongoing program improvement/development.

Program Evaluation and Quality Improvement

• Support the implementation of program evaluation protocols and metrics developed in collaboration with the NYU McSilver Institute to assess outcomes, satisfaction, and impact.
• Collect, track, and organize programmatic data and participant feedback to support ongoing monitoring of program effectiveness and participant experience.
• Analyze real-time data from post-service questionnaires and share trends, insights, and opportunities for improvement in collaboration with Supervisor.
• Assist in identifying areas for enhancement based on evaluation findings to improve the overall program delivery.

General

• Attend internal and external meetings.
• Monitor program deliverables in the internal database(s) and report programmatic data regularly internally and externally as needed.
• Other duties as assigned.
• Support and participate in other NAMI-NYC events, as requested.

QUALIFICATIONS:

To perform this job successfully, an individual must be able to perform each essential duty satisfactorily. The requirements listed below are representative of the knowledge, skill, and/or ability required. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

• A Bachelor’s degree in a related field required, Master’s degree preferred
• Minimum 3+ years of experience in mental health field, preferably in youth mental health and/or peer support initiatives.
• Experience in program management, volunteer coordination, supervision, and/or training.
• Solid understanding of youth development, mental health challenges, and trauma-informed care principles.
• Strong problem-solving skills and the ability to troubleshoot day-to-day issues effectively.
• Experience supervising staff or volunteers, with the ability to provide guidance, support, and foster a collaborative team environment.
• Demonstrated reliability, adaptability, initiative, and accountability in managing tasks and responsibilities.
• Proficient in the use of personal computers, Zoom, Microsoft applications and electronic record keeping systems.
• Ability to work effectively with diverse populations with a high level of integrity, diplomacy, and initiative.
• Be a proactive team player while requiring minimal supervision.
• Commitment to NAMI-NYC’s mission.
• Strong interpersonal and communication skills; communicates professionally to all levels of management and adapts to changing priorities.
• Ability to work some evenings and weekends, upon request.
• Sense of humor.

Benefits: We believe in taking care of our team. Our benefits reflect our commitment to a healthy, balanced workplace.

• Work Environment: Fully hybrid model with 2-3 days in the office – coffee and snacks provided in-office
• Schedule: 4.5 day work week
• Paid Time Off: 20 days annually, with an increase at the third year of employment
• Sick Time: 6 days annually
• Holidays: 9 holidays in addition to the week off between Christmas Day and New Years Day
• Health Coverage: Medical, dental, and vision coverage
• Retirement: 401(k) with employer matching
• Additional Coverage: Employer-paid life insurance, pre-tax commuter benefits, access to professional development and training opportunities

Physical Demands:

You must occasionally lift and/or move equipment. Evening and weekend work is occasionally required. Reasonable accommodation may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

The above job description is not intended to be an all-inclusive list of duties and standards of the position. Incumbents will follow any other instructions, and perform any other related duties, as assigned by their supervisor.

To Apply:

We can’t wait to hear from you. Send your cover letter and resume to jobs@naminyc.org with Manager of Youth Peer Support in the subject line. Thank you for your time!