Peer Counselor - Lvl I (Grant Funded - LEADS)

Woodhull Medical and Mental Health Center is attuned to the healthcare issues that matter to the people of North Brooklyn. Woodhull focuses on preventing disease and promoting healthy lifestyles by reaching out to the community at various locations.

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

8:00AM - 4:00PM

Job Description

PURPOSE OF POSITION
To be a LEADS team member providing a Multi-pronged approach integrated into the Emergency Services improving patients' linkages patients with substance abuse disorder to residential or outpatient substance use treatment. Providing direct peer recovery services to behavioral health consumers in inpatient, services. Working in close collaboration with staff, consumers and other caregivers in planning and implementing recovery plans. Empowers peers to advocate for themselves, resolve issues or problems and plan for their futures by serving as a role model.

AREAS OF RESPONSIBILITIES
Peer counseling with inpatients patients suffering from substance use disorder.

SUMMARY OF DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES
1. Comforts patients, reassuring them about recovery and explaining the process of how acute distress is addressed.
2. Provides orientation and support to patients and collaterals.
3. Helps patients to understand their role in their own recovery process.
4. 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.
5. Assists patients in seeking clarification about the treatment and recovery process.
6. Assists the patient in recovery planning, identifying their own individual warning signs of relapse and identifying and developing individual coping strategies.
7. Engages patients and helps motivate them to enter treatment and engage with care coordination.
8. Provides motivation to address ambivalence about change using basic motivational interviewing techniques.
9. Conducts overdose prevention trainings with patients and their families, including naloxone, Fentanyl and Xylazine strip education and distribution.
10. Clarifies issues for the patient and assists with the process of referral for treatment,
rehabilitation, housing and supportive services. Follows-up to determine whether services were provided and used.
11. Conducts follow-up with patients after discharge.
12. Conducts outreach and connection to services for a period after discharge.
13. Assists with patient documentation, tracking, and follow up.
14. Works with substance use treatment team to facilitate engagement with clinic services.
15. Collaborates with staff in maintaining appropriate documentation.
16. Participates in supervision, department staff meetings, ongoing peer recovery training, education, and performance support.
17. Receives supervision and support from substance use treatment program and administrative leadership. In addition, receives task supervision from team leads with whom they work on other services.

Minimum Qualifications

Assignment Level I
For Assignments in Comprehensive Emergency Psychiatric Programs (CPEPs):
1. Certification, which must be maintained for the assignment's duration, as a
a. Peer Specialist (NYCPS) or Peer Specialist-Provisional (NYCPS-P) issued by the New York Peer Specialist Certification Board (NYPSCB); or
b. Recovery Peer Advocate (CRPA) or Recovery Peer Advocate-Provisional (CRPA-P) issued by the New York Certification Board (ASAP-NYCB); or
c. Credentialed Family Peer Advocate (FPA-C), Credentialed Family Peer Advocate Provisional (FPA-P), Credentialed Youth Peer Advocate (YPA-C), or Credentialed Youth Peer Advocate Provisional (YPA-P) issued by Families Together in New York State; and
2. Satisfactory and documented completion of a formalized Peer Advocate/Counselor/Specialist Training Program or one (1) year of full-time satisfactory experience working with consumers of CPEP services as a peer counselor/specialist, peer advocate or in related human services.
For Substance Use Assignments:
1. Certification, which must be maintained for the assignment's duration, as a Recovery Peer Advocate (CRPA) or Recovery Peer Advocate-Provisional (CRPA-P) issued by the New York Certification Board (ASAP-NYCB); and
2. Satisfactory and documented completion of a formalized Peer Advocate/Counselor/Specialist Training Program or one (1) year of full-time satisfactory experience working with consumers of substance use disorder services as a peer counselor/specialist, peer advocate or in related human services.
For All Other Mental Health Assignments:
3. Certification, which must be maintained for the assignment's duration, as a Peer Specialist (NYCPS) or Peer Specialist-Provisional (NYCPS-P) issued by the New York Peer Specialist Certification Board (NYPSCB); and
4. Satisfactory and documented completion of a formalized Peer Advocate/Counselor/Specialist Training Program or 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.
Qualification Requirements (Continued):
For All Other Assignments (Including Breastfeeding Education Assignments):
1. Satisfactory and documented completion of a formalized Peer Advocate/Counselor/Specialist Training Program or one (1) year of full-time satisfactory experience working with consumers of peer services as a peer counselor/specialist, peer advocate or in related human services; and
2. A High school diploma or its educational equivalent.

Department Preferences

Bilingual Spanish Preferred

If you wish to apply for this position, please apply online by clicking the "Apply Now".

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