Since 1875, South Brooklyn Health has established its reputation for clinical excellence and culturally competent care. It has designations as a Certified Percutaneous Coronary Intervention (PCI) Center, an Advanced Primary Stroke Center, an accredited Baby-Friendly Hospital, a U.S. News & World Report high performing hospital. The hospital's staff is as diverse as the patients they serve. Interpreter services can be provided at any time of the day or night in over 130 languages.

At NYC Health + Hospitals, our mission is to deliver high quality care health services, without exception. Every employee takes a person-centered approach that exemplifies the ICARE values (Integrity, Compassion, Accountability, Respect, and Excellence) through empathic communication and partnerships between all persons.

Work Shifts

8:00 A.M - 4:00 P.M

Job Description

Purpose:

Under the supervision of the Mental Health Supervisor of the CATCH program, provides supportive and outreach services to adolescent, adult & geriatric consumers of inpatient and outpatient mental health services. Peer Counselors are integrated into treatment teams in order to enhance patients' safety, promote recovery and provide continuity of care. The Peer Counselor, utilizing a recovery orientation, will work in close collaboration with staff of all disciplines, consumers, significant others and outside agencies to provide respectful, patient-centered treatment and discharge planning.

Specific Duties and Responsibilities:

The Peer Counselor Level II is charged with and responsible for:

Acts as preceptor to Peer Counselors in Assignment.
1. Provides education on substance abuse issues to consumers.
2. Advocates for the needs of people with substance use disorders within the behavioral health system and within service delivery systems.
3. Participates in utilization review and quality improvement activities.
4. Comforts patients, reassuring them about recovery and explaining the process of how acute distress is addressed.
5. Provides orientation and support to patients and collaterals.
6. Helps patients to understand their role in their own recovery process.
7. Uses personal experience as a recipient of behavioral health services (including co-occurring/substance use background) in role-modeling recovery and providing hope for other recipients.
8. Assists patients in seeking clarification about the treatment and recovery process.
9. Engages patients and helps motivate them to enter treatment and engage with care coordination.
10. Provides motivation to address ambivalence about change using basic motivational interviewing techniques.
11. Conducts overdose prevention trainings with patients and their families, including naloxone distribution.
12. Provides linkage to continuing care and community resources.
13. Conducts follow-up with patients after discharge.
14. Assists with patient documentation, tracking, and follow-up.
15. Works with CATCH/SUD treatment team to facilitate engagement with clinic services.
16. Collaborates with staff in maintaining appropriate documentation.
17. Participates in supervision, department staff meetings, and other program review meetings.
18. Receives supervision and support from substance use disorder treatment program and administrative leadership. In addition, receives task supervision from team leads with whom they work on other services.
19. Other duties as assigned.

Minimum Qualifications

For Assignments in Mental Health:
1. Satisfactory and documented completion of a formalized Peer Counselor/Specialist Training Program; and
2. Certification as a Peer Specialist (NYCPS) issued by the Peer Specialist Certification Board.

For Assignments in Substance Use:
1. Certification as a Recovery Peer Advocate (CRPA) issued by the New York Certification Board.

For all other Assignments:
1. A High school diploma or its educational equivalent; and
2. Satisfactory and documented completion of a formalized Peer Counselor/Specialist Training Program; or
3. One (1) year of full-time satisfactory experience working with consumers of mental health services as a peer
counselor/specialist, peer advocate or in related human services.

Assignment Level II
In addition to meeting the qualification requirements of Peer Counselor Level I, assignment to Level II requires:
1. One (1) additional year of experience, as described in three (3) above.

Additional Qualifications

Knowledge, Skills and Abilities Required:
1. Demonstrate commitment to continued professional development.
2. Effective communication skills, oral and written.
3. Ability to establish successful interpersonal relationship with patients and coworkers.

NYC Health and Hospitals offers a competitive benefits package that includes:

• Comprehensive Health Benefits for employees hired to work 20+ hrs. per week
• Retirement Savings and Pension Plans
• Loan Forgiveness Programs for eligible employees
• Paid Holidays and Vacation in accordance with employees' Collectively bargained contracts
• College tuition discounts and professional development opportunities
• Multiple employee discounts programs

Vacancy Control Board Number

VCB #: CON-12112023-0331