Peer Advocate

Job Description

Housing Works requires employees working in our Health Services division to be fully vaccinated against COVID-19, unless approved for a legal accommodation. If you need an accommodation for any reason, including related to this job requirement, please contact Human Resources.

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Housing Works was founded in 1990; With a long-term commitment to AIDS advocacy. Housing Works established New York State’s first harm reduction-based, OASAS-licensed outpatient drug treatment program. Other services include Health Home care management, behavioral health, and syringe exchange programs. A pioneer in the social entrepreneurship movement, Housing Works operates 10 high-end thrift shops in Manhattan and Brooklyn and a much-loved Bookstore Cafe in Soho. For more information, visit www.housingworks.org
Housing Works fights for funding and legislation to ensure that all people living with HIV/AIDS have access to quality housing, healthcare, HIV prevention, and treatment, among other lifesaving services.

Benefits:
We have three comprehensive healthcare plans to choose from based on your priorities and budget. Housing Works covers most of the plan; you pay a portion, based on your salary. Staff begins accruing PTO immediately for a total of up to 30 days earned in the first year. We offer employees an educational benefit. This money is available for tuition loan reimbursement, tuition costs, and text books.
Housing Works provides equal employment opportunities (EEO) to all employees and applicants for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, disability or genetics. In addition to federal law requirements. Housing Works complies with applicable state and local laws governing nondiscrimination in employment in every location in which the company has facilities. Housing Works also does not request prior salary information during the hiring process. This policy applies to all terms and conditions of employment, including recruiting, hiring, placement, promotion, termination, layoff, recall, transfer, leaves of absence, compensation and training.

Compensation : $18/hr- $20hr commensurate with experience

Overview: Using a one to one, person-centered counseling model, the Community Oriented Recovery & Empowerment (CORE) program seeks to improve the functioning of individuals living with mental illness, histories of chemical and alcohol dependence, or physical disabilities, helping them achieve personal goals in the areas of recovery, employment or independent functioning. Under the supervision of the Program Director, the Peer Specialist who carries a caseload of clients will function as a role model to peers; exhibiting competency in personal recovery and use of coping skills; serve as an advocate, providing information and peer support for clients. The Peer Specialist will perform a wide range of tasks to assist peers in regaining independence within the community and mastery over their own recovery process. Recovery resources such as booklets, tapes, pamphlets and other written materials will be utilized by the Peer Specialist in the provision of services.

Peer Support is provided individually. It includes the following components:

1. Person-Centered Recovery Planning, Documentation, and Collaboration: A person-centered planning process is used to support the individual’s recovery goal.

• Engaging the individual in shared decision making around service and recovery planning.
• Reviewing progress toward goals and objectives; updating the ISP as goals are met or other changes are needed.
• Communicating with other providers such as prescribers, treatments providers, case managers, or employment specialists, to ensure integrated, collaborative care.

2. Advocacy Support: This component assists in building self-advocacy skills and raising awareness of existing social support and services.

• Building the individual’s skills and self-efficacy related to Shared Decision Making
• Developing of mental health care directive and psychiatric advance directives (PADs)
• Working alongside the individual as they seek and obtain benefits and entitlements, food, shelter, and permanent housing,
• Raising the awareness of existing services and community resources, pathways to recovery and helping an individual to remove barriers that exist for access to them,
• Connecting individuals to “warmlines” and peer-run groups in the community (in-person or online)
• Advocating on behalf of the individual and supporting their self-advocacy during appointments.

3. Activation and Engagement in Recovery: This component focuses on engagement in the recovery process, increasing their sense of hope and purpose, and empowering the individual to achieve their goals to make positive changes.

• Validating the individual’s experiences and feelings and conveying hope to the individual about their own recovery
• Relating their own recovery stories and sharing and describing personal recovery practices, and helping the individual to discover recovery practices that will work for them,
• modeling of recovery lifestyle, including participation in recovery activities that might be beyond the scope of treatment providers,
• Assisting the individual with identifying activities in selecting and utilizing the things that promote a sense of passion, purpose and meaning into their life and coaching the individual as they identify barriers to engaging in these activities,
• Wellness coaching with a focus on whole health, which may include discussing and sharing ongoing personal efforts to enhance health, wellness, and recovery,
• Assisting the individual to select and use self-directed recovery tools such as Wellness Recovery Action Planning (WRAP) and recovery plans,

4. Community Participation: This component uses peer support and skill building to support full community engagement and participation.

• Utilizing shared personal experience to support skill development that guides the individual towards a more independent life in the community (e.g. personal banking, accessing public transportation, finding and attending community events, and membership in community organizations),
• Exploring community spaces that promote integration, inclusion, and participation (bridging from the individual’s home to the community)
• Supporting the individual in attending community activities and appointments when requested
• Assisting the individual to help connect to long-term natural supports that enhance the quality and overall security of life.

Essential Job Functions:

• Hold Case conferences as needed.
• Perform other duties as assigned by supervisor and as stated in the NYS CORE operations Manual

Job Requirements

• NYCPS, NYCPS-P, CRPA, CRPA-P, by the New York Peer Specialist Certification Board/OMH/OASAS.
• Excellent intrapersonal skills