Peer Counselor, Residential Crisis Support (Respite) - Independence House

Lived experience as a consumer of mental health services is required

Position: Peer Counselor, Residential Crisis Support (Respite) - Independence House

Function: Provides supportive counseling, promotes the development of skills for coping with and managing behavioral health symptoms, and assists program guests in developing community living skills. Provides Home and Community Based Services to clients, assisting with training in skills of daily living

Reports to: Program Director, Residential Crisis Support (Respite)

Location: Manhattan (Washington Heights)

Tasks

• Acts as role model provides empathy and support to program participants (“guests”).
• Regularly assesses guests’ functional skills and their ability to care for their health and safety.
• Provides hands-on assistance with planning and preparing nutritious meals, maintaining living space, personal hygiene, and other activities of daily living.
• Monitors guest medication, including adherence and side-effects.
• Trains guests in safety procedures and conducts fire drills and self-preservation tests.
• Provides training in self-advocacy.
• Assists participants with conflict resolution.
• Provides health and wellness coaching, training in developing coping strategies and with symptom management.
• Develops Wellness and Recovery Action Plans (WRAPS) with guests.
• Plans and facilitates group socialization and recreational activities.
• Leads Wellness Self-Management and other peer support groups.
• Provides transportation training and escorts to appointments.
• Alerts Coordinator to incidents, regressions and high-risk behaviors.
• Provides crisis intervention in the event of an emergency.
• Documents services delivered, guest response to service, progress, regressions and incidents in compliance with agency procedures.
• Participates in the development, review and updating of transitional support plans and personal safety plans.
• Oversees maintenance of apartments, inventories furniture, and alerts Coordinator to maintenance problems.
• Delivers Peer Support HCBS with a rehabilitation focus based on an individualized recovery plan

Teaches advocacy, provides outreach and engagement, self-help tools, recovery supports, transitional supports and crisis supports. Teaches skills for budgeting, shopping, meal planning, preparation, self-preservation, travel skills, & monitors living units for safety/cleanliness.

• Staffs Emergency Cell Phone on a rotating basis.
• Attends initial and ongoing training on Intentional Peer Support, Whole Health Action Management and other training as requested by supervisory personnel.
• Performs light cleaning tasks related to room turnover/preparation.
• Duties as assigned by supervisor.

Requirements

Lived experience receiving mental health services and a commitment to assist others in attaining recovery and wellness goals. High School diploma or G.E.D. Good written and verbal communication skills in English. Basic computer and data entry skills.

Must be provisionally certified or credentialed, certified or credentialed as a Family Peer Advocate (FPA), Certified Recovery Peer Advocate (CRPA), Youth Peer Advocate (YPA), and/or Peer Specialists who have completed all required State approved trainings specific to their title (NYS Certified Peer Specialist). Spanish Speaking Preferred.

Peer Counselor, Certified – P/T Hrly Salary: $23.65

Peer Counselor, Non-Certified - PT Hrly Salary: $23.40

Please include a resume, cover letter and contact information for 3 professional references.

ACMH is committed to the mental and physical wellbeing of vulnerable New Yorkers and is a leader in the provision of outreach and engagement, care management, rehabilitation, crisis support, and supportive housing. ACMH is committed to becoming an anti-racist organization and seeks to promote actionable change to create an intentional culture of equity at individual, interpersonal and institutional levels.

For more information, visit our website: acmhnyc.org

ACMH is an equal opportunity employer and does not discriminte in employment decisions based on race, color, creed, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, national origin, age, genetic information, mental or physical disability, marital status, veteran status or citizenship status.