Peer Specialist

The Family Center is a not-for-profit organization providing social and legal services to keep families

stronger, longer. The Family Center has been the pioneer in the design and research of care

coordination, supportive counseling, permanency planning and advocacy services that address the

myriad of issues that challenge families headed by families impacted by illness, crisis and loss. Please

visit our website at www.thefamilycenter.org to learn more about our services.

TFC’s Certified Community Behavioral Health Clinic (CCBHC) provides crisis Mental Health

Services, Screening/Assessment/Diagnosis, including risk assessment, Person-Centered Treatment

Planning, Outpatient Mental Health and Substance Abuse Treatment, Primary care

coordination/screening and monitoring of key health indicators and health risk services, Psychiatric

Rehabilitation Services, Case Management, and Social, Peer and Community Recovery Support. The

CCBHC program serves 300 adults and 50 children/youth annually.

The Peer Specialist supports adults, children, adolescents, and young adults with SMI/SED/SUD/COD.

The goal of the Peer Specialist is reducing barriers to treatment, connecting clients to treatment, and

keeping clients engaged in all needed services. S/he reports to the Peer Specialist Supervisor.

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.
  

MINIMUM 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
  

The Family Center is an Equal Opportunity Employer committed to inclusive hiring and strives to

ensure that our staff reflects the diversity of the communities we serve.

Salary Range: $40k - $45k per year

Full-time employees and part-time employees working at least twenty (20) hours per week and

their eligible dependents are presently eligible for healthcare coverage.

The Family Center is an Equal Opportunity Employer. The Family Center is covered under FMLA.