Certified Recovery Peer Advocate

Outreach is seeking an experienced and extremely motivated Full Time Certified Recovery Peer Advocate to work in our Outpatient Bellport Program located in Bellport, Long island. In this position, you will p articipate as a member of the treatment team to provide face-to-face peer services to people with substance use disorder and other behavioral health challenges and linking them to needed community resources. Using their personal lived experience this role promotes clients’ recovery, offers support, advocacy, and skill development opportunities. This is a Full time -35 hrs. a week position (flexible); Monday-Friday with a possible Saturday, 3 evenings/2 day shifts

Provide peer recovery support to clients by sharing life experiences, assisting clients to develop a recovery plan, linking clients with community based programs supportive of recovery. Peer services may be provided onsite or in the community.

 Assist clients in developing a Recovery Plan

 Maintain communication with the treatment team on behalf of clients

 Document delivered peer services in the Electronic Health Records (EHR), AVATAR

 Attend supervision/staff meetings as appropriate

 Accompany clients to appointments, as needed

 Support program participants in pre-crisis or crisis situations

 Teach participants recovery skills, based on shared life experiences

 Help participants transition from different levels of care, as needed

 Share information with participants about benefits, entitlements, and other supports

 Interact with staff, clients, students and visitors in a courteous, professional and respectful manner manner that is consistent with the agency’s mission and values.

 Produce accurate, neat and thorough work.

 Prioritize and plan work time efficiently; effectively manage competing demands and deal with changes, delays and unexpected events.

 Maintain a good understanding and consistently comply with agency policy and procedures (including time and attendance, dress code, etc…).

 Support a positive work atmosphere by behaving and communicating in a manner that allows the employee to get along with clients, students, coworkers and supervisors.

 Communicate (in writing as well as orally) clearly and concisely

 Illustrate flexibility and adaptability in role and function when circumstances warrant; (demonstrates openness to assist in needed responsibilities in evolving situations).

 Maintain appropriate boundaries, ethics and professionalism; comply with agency, OASAS and other professional code(s) of ethics; seek supervision when challenges arise.

Qualifications

 Lived experience in mental health, substance use, and criminal justice

 Willingness to disclose lived experiences

 Certification as a Recovery Peer Advocate (substance use) or Peer Specialist (mental health)

 Familiarity with community based resources and programs related to substance use recovery, housing transportation, child care, food and other supports.

 Clean driver’s license

 High School Diploma/GED and 2 years work or volunteer experience in a recovery-oriented setting

 NYS Certified Recovery Peer Advocate (CRPA)

 At least 1-year volunteer or paid experience working as a Recovery Coach or Provisional CRPA

 Knowledge of substance use disorder recovery process

 Computer competent

 Culturally competent

The Following Are Considered a Plus

 Prior experience working as a CARC, CARC-P, CRPA-P, or CRPA

 Experience working with persons with co-occurring mental health issues

 Experience in documenting Wellness/Recovery Plans

At Outreach, we enjoy a strong work-life balance, excellent benefits, and ongoing professional training. Our enthusiastic employees love what they do and the positive impact they make every day.

Our employees are the reason Outreach ranks among the most respected health and human services providers in New York City and Long Island. In fact, we have been named one of the “Best Companies to Work for in New York” a total of nine times since 2010.

Communities throughout Queens, Brooklyn and Long Island turn to Outreach for a vast array of treatment and training needs. We customize our services to increase our access to a wide range of individuals and groups including Families, Justice System, Aspiring Professionals, EAPs/MAPs and Community Members. Outreach’s treatment services are licensed by the New York State Office of Alcoholism and Substance Abuse Services ( OASAS ) and employ best practices in line with the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services’ (SAMHSA) indicators of quality treatment .

An EEO employer, we enjoy exceptional workforce retention – many of our employees have been with Outreach for 10 years or more, some starting as part-timers and now working in full-time senior management.

Adding to our outstanding benefits, some members of Outreach’s clinical and professional staff may be eligible for student loan forgiveness and repayment plans for persons working in public service, education, and health care, including the federal Public Service Loan Forgiveness (PSLF) Program, Income-Driven Repayment (IDR) Plan, or the New York State Licensed Social Worker Loan Forgiveness (LSWLF) Program. Outreach’s NYC outpatient programs are also approved for the National Health Service Corps (NHSC) Substance Use Disorder Loan Repayment program, for eligible clinicians.