Connect Peer

Division: Health and Wellness

Schedule: 20 hours per week

Type: Temporary; Part time

Salary: $30 hourly

Exemption Status:

Organizational Overview
Henry Street Settlement opens doors of opportunity to enrich lives and expand human progress for Lower East Side residents and other New Yorkers through social services arts and health care programs. Building on its 125year legacy of innovation and effective programming Henry Street offers more than 50 programs and is one of New York Citys largest social service agencies.

The Health and Wellness Cluster is a $10M division which provides a wide array of personalized behavioral health services to individuals coping with the challenges brought on by emotional problems and mental illness. A New York State certified Article 31 mental health facility this division delivers outpatient mental health servicesPROS crisis services HIV family mental health services vocational rehabilitation parent education supportive employment case management screenings for entitlement benefits health care navigator program and Senior Services. Services are provided by culturally competent staff who can communicate to our clients who need to communicate in Chinese and Spanish as well as English. These programs are designed to help individuals attain their full potential in an environment that values respect dignity caring and integrity.

Job Summary

You will be working in the exciting new DOHMH program called CONNECT/Clinic withoutWalls which launched in January 2022. This project aims to provide rapid access to services and a more flexible and holistic approach to mental health that is more engaged with the community and the whole person outside the clinic walls and beyond the traditional doctor/therapistpatient interaction. The purpose of CONNECT is to improve the quality of life of the people served as demonstrated by progress towards recovery goals and informed by process metrics related to improved access engagement and retention in clinical and nonclinical services and reduced mental health emergencies inpatient and mobile crisis utilization.

As a Peer in the CONNECT program you will serve multiple roles: You willguide patients with substance abuse problems and/or mental health issues through the recovery process. In this role you may also help patients determine their personal goals recommend community programs and provide advice to family members on how they can best provide support. You also provide support to clients as they perform daily selfcare tasks as well as life management activities. Our ideal applicant has personal experience overcoming and recovering from substance abuse allowing him/her to connect more deeply with people who are still struggling.

We are a community mental health clinic with the mission to be accessible to the Lower East Side community.

Qualifications:

• High School Diploma or GED required
• OMH Certified Peer preferred (provisional certification accepted)
• Personal experience in substance abuse and mental health recovery with sustained abstinence required
• WRAP (Wellness Recovery Action Plan) training preferred
• Prior work experience as a peer is required (internship experience accepted)
• Mindfulness training is a plus
• Bilingual in English and Spanish is a plus
• CPR and First Aid certification preferred
• Basic computer skills required
• Strong communication skills
• Patience empathy and understanding

Responsibilities:

• Work with individuals and groups on their unique and collective recovery journeys
• Work with the CONNECT and clinic staff to add recovery work and techniques to treatment.
• Assist clients in articulating personal goals for recovery using oneonone and group sessions. During these sessions the PA will support clients in identifying and creating goals and developing recovery plans with the skills strengths supports and resources to aid them in achieving those goals.
• Assist clients in working with their case manager or treatment team in determining the steps they need to take to achieve these goals and selfdirected recovery.
• Working with clients will include onsite and offsite interventions.
• Assist clients in setting up and sustaining selfhelp (mutual support) groups as well as means of locating and joining existing groups.
• Independently or with periodic assistance of other treatment team members utilize and teach problem solving techniques with individuals and groups: discussions will be utilized where clients will share common problems in daily living and methods they have employed to manage and cope with problems.
• As one who has availed themselves to recovery/mental health services you will share your own experiences and what skills strengths supports and resources you use.
• Use ongoing individual and group sessions to teach clients how to identify and combat negative selftalk and how to identify and overcome fears by providing a
• forum which allows group members and Peer to share experiences.
• Join Community Liaison on presentations of services in the Lower East Side as

Essential Physical Job Functions:

• Ability to walk on sidewalks up and down stairs and throughout clinic consistently throughout each day

• Ability to carry folders a tablet a notebook and cell phone (up to 20 pounds) for several hours per day