Peer Specialist

Mental Health Association of Nassau County (MHANC) is a not-for-profit membership organization dedicated to improving mental health in our community through advocacy, education, program development, and the delivery of direct services. Our organization is looking for a motivated individual with a calling to help adults with mental illness by becoming a Peer Specialist.

Peer Specialist utilizes personal experience and respite training to provide peer support and companionship for guests. The Peer Specialists manifest, in their presence and actions, a vision of hope, resilience, opportunity, and wellness. Goals include lessening/alleviating emotional distress and crises, lessening use of emergency rooms and hospitals, and increasing personal growth with positive life choices.

Essential Duties & Responsibilities

• Provide supportive companionship for guests throughout their visit to house (interview, intake, arrival, stay and departure).
• Share personal recovery to encourage hope, wellness, personal growth and recovery.
• Model and support the belief that individuals can and will do better.
• Utilize effective engagement skills to connect, use mutually shared insights to encourage problem solving and utilization of tools that will assist in lessening or alleviating current and future crisis.
• Non-judgmental active listening designed to meet individual “where they are at”.
• Help maintain a clean, safe, and secure environment. Some cleaning may be involved.
• Provide telephone support to peers in the community though our Consumer Phone Link Program as needed.
• Facilitate self-help, support groups.
• Keep accurate and timely records.
• Work cooperatively with respite team.
• Maintains client confidentiality.

Education & Experience:

• Lived, experience and willingness to utilize personal experience to assist others in recovery.
• High School Diploma
• Six months to one year current or recent employment.
• Six months to one year part time or full time experience in delivery of direct services to mental health consumer/survivors (volunteer or paid), preferred.
• Three months first hand experience in self-help or peer directed services and/or peer support groups, preferred.
• NYCPS-P Certification Preferred

Other Qualifications

• Good oral and written communication skills.
• Completion of Wellness Recovery Action Plan (WRAP) training preferred.
• Basic knowledge of community support services/resources/mental health service delivery system, preferred.
• Knowledge of consumer/survivor/ex-patient movement and peer run or peer driven services that incorporate recovery based philosophies.
• Ability to relate to both other survivors of mental illness and psychiatric diagnosis and mental health professionals.
• Honesty, respect for diversity, high personal standards, professional demeanor, language and behaviors reflecting such values.
• Commitment to the possibility of recovery for all individuals diagnosed with psychiatric illness.
• Emotional resilience to cope with strong emotions on an on-going basis.
• Valid and “clean” New York State Driver’s License, preferred.