Peer Bridger - Full Time

Overview
The Adult Home Initiative is designed to assist Adult Home Residents to successfully transition into Supported Housing. The initiative will utilize a range of individualized and group-based peer-informed strategies to promote housing transitions, striving to empower class members through exposure to possibilities, development of self-advocacy skills, promoting informed choice, and enhancing community engagement.

Peer Bridger works to develop mentoring and supportive relationships with NYC Adult Home Residents, promoting connection and hope in an independent future in Supported Housing. 

The Peer Bridger engages residents in peer-based services to identify and overcome barriers to housing transition, addressing questions and fears, while building self-advocacy and systems-navigation skills. 

Core Principles

The job responsibilities of all staff extend to understanding and incorporating certain principles into their work and into their relationships with program participants.  These principles are:

• Program participants’ right to self-determination
• Respectful communication
• Services that support recovery and healing consistent with and nurturing each participant’s cultural background, experience, identity, and values
• Clear professional boundaries to support the limits and possibilities of services

Essential Job Functions:

• Utilize a peer relationship to foster connection, trust, understanding and validation with adult home residents.
• Explore and address resident needs related to life goals, sense of purpose, physical wellness, spirituality, education, employment, socialization, and community involvement, fostering connections as needed.
• Engage residents to identify and understand barriers to housing transition.
• Utilize strength-based, motivational engagement with residents who have not been successfully engagedin transition services
• Identify and link with appropriate services for support in securing basic documents and entitlements. Help residents become familiar with and understand the range of support services available. Accompany residents on tours of available housing options and other community resources.
• Support residents during and after the move to community housing.

This job description reflects management’s assignment of essential functions; it does not prescribe or restrict the tasks that may be assigned.

Job Qualification

• Have a minimum of a high school, equivalency diploma
• New York State Peer Certification, required, (or application for certification submitted within the first year of employment if the applicant does not have certification). 
• Minimum of two (2) years of experience, required
• Recipient/survivor of mental health services, required.
• Experience working in behavioral health setting: peer service delivery, community development,rehabilitation or recovery-oriented services, preferred.
• Personal or professional experience with New York City mental health supported housing, preferred.
• Must be fingerprinted and cleared by the New York State Justice Center.
• Resourceful and able to organize, multitask, and prioritize work.
• Possess strong understanding and practice of recovery, wellness, and related services.
• Analytical and innovative problem-solving abilities.
• Attentive to details in documentation and data collection, reporting and analysis.
• Ability to work as part of a team.
• Strong oral and written communication skills.
• Ability to utilize various computer programs, specifically Microsoft Word and Excel.
• Be creative and flexible.
• Ability to travel and work afternoons, evenings, weekends, and holidays.
• Show initiative and be responsible for follow through.

Position Location: Far Rockaway

Position Status: Full Time

Salary: $22.70/Hourly

Benefits

• Time Off Benefits: 3 weeks of vacation, 5 personal days, 12 sick days, 11 paid holidays, Work Anniversary Day 
• Summer Flex Hours
• Comprehensive medical, vision, and dental plans 
• Employee Assistance Program (EAP)  
• 403(b) Retirement Plan, with Employer Match after 1 year of service 
• $500 Annual Employee Wellness Fund for eligible employees 
• Pre-tax savings plan (including Flexible Spending Accounts and TransitChek) 
• College savings plan 
• Paid Family Leave, Short-Term Disability insurance