Job Location : New York,NY, USA
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 ED LEADS 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: In addition to performing the duties of Assignment Level I at a more difficult and responsible level, performs the following tasks: 1. Acts as preceptor to Peer Counselors in Assignment Level I. 2. Provides education training on patient issues to mental health and other human services providers. 3. Advocates for the needs of people with psychiatric disabilities within the mental health system and within service delivery systems. 4. Participates in utilization review and quality improvement activities. 5. Supports patients during their recovery journey, reassuring them about the recovery process and how acute distress is addressed. 6. Provides orientation and support to patients, collaterals and their identified support system. 7. Helps patients to understand their role in their own recovery process. 8. 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. 9. Assists patients in seeking clarification about the treatment and recovery process. 10. Assists the patient in recovery planning, identifying their own individual warning signs of relapse and identifying and developing individual coping strategies. 11. Engages patients and helps motivate them to enter treatment and engage with care coordination. 12. Provides motivation to address ambivalence about change, using basic motivational interviewing techniques. 13. Engages in harm reduction techniques and conducts overdose prevention trainings with patients and families, by direction of clinical staff, including naloxone distribution. 14. 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. 15. Conducts follow-up with patients post discharge. 16. Conducts outreach and connection to services post discharge, including continuing care services. 17. Assists with patient documentation, tracking and follow up. 18. Works with substance use treatment team to facilitate engagement with clinic services. 19. Collaborates with staff in maintaining appropriate documentation. 20. Participates in supervision, department staff meetings, ongoing peer recovery training, education and performance support. 21. 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. 22. Serves as a recovery ambassador. 23. Other duties as assigned. Minimum Qualifications 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. 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. 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 Assignment Level I above. If you wish to apply for this position, please apply online by clicking the Apply for Job button. NYC Health and Hospitals offers a competitive benefits package that includes: