Job Description
POSITION SUMMARY:
A Youth Peer Advocate (YPA) is a young person between the ages of 18 and 30 who uses their personal experience to support, advise and empower other youth. YPAs serve in a variety of settings and ways to help youth reach their goals. YPAs may provide social and emotional support, training, guidance in navigating youth-serving systems and more. Above all, YPAs are guided by empathy and firsthand experience. At a minimum a youth peer must, have a high school diploma, high school equivalency or a State Education Commencement Credential and possess a credential recognized by the Office of Mental Health, and receive specialized training and supervision.
KEY RESPONSIBILITIES:
- Helps youth with developing the skills needed to independently navigate the various service systems.
- Aids youth with goal setting and building community living skills.
- Provides youth with the skills needed to cope with and manage their psychiatric symptoms, traumatic experiences, issues related to their substance use disorders, and any other life experiences that they may be enduring.
- Provide mutual support, hope, reassurance, and advocacy that includes the sharing of one’s own “personal recovery/resiliency story” as the Youth Peer Advocating (YPA) deems appropriate as beneficial to both the youth and them.
- Serve as an advocate, mentor, and/or facilitator for the resolution of concerns and/or issues.
- Connect youth to community resources and services.
- Ensure that youth understand their treatment plan, as well as help to ensure that plan is person and family driven.
- Assist youth with identifying needs, strengths, challenges, and developing goals and care plans for themselves.
- Facilitate groups and hold individual one-on-one peer support sessions focusing on engagement and supporting participants ability to navigate youth serving systems (schools, foster care, mental health, juvenile justice, etc.), meet their goals and support stronger relationships with caregivers
- Provide groups and workshops on self-care and wellness, resiliency and skill development including stress and anger management and coping strategies.
- Coach and model shared decision-making and skills to support collaboration with caregivers and other supportive individuals (teachers, coaches, relatives, etc.)
- Accompany youth and families to meeting and appointments as needed.
- Connect youth to support systems within their own community.
- Help youth to improve social skills and become more involved in leisure and recreational activities as well as connect them to institutions and cultural activities and organizations.
- Attend regular supervision meetings, staff meetings, trainings and program related meetings as required.
- Perform other duties assigned by supervisor.
Qualifications:
- A high school diploma, high school equivalency preferred or a State Education Commencement Credential.
- Demonstrate ‘lived experience’ with a disability, mental illness, juvenile justice, special education, substance use disorder, and/or foster care to assist in supporting youth in their resiliency/recovery and wellness.
- Ability to work amongst diverse social, cultural, and economic groups.
- Complete Level One (online component) and Level Two (online and in-person) training of the Youth Peer Support Advisory Council recommended, and State approved training for YPA’s followed by a minimum of three consultation calls.
- Excellent written, verbal, and listening skills.
- Proficiency in Microsoft Office and have some knowledge and using Electronic Health Records (EHR).
- Good time management skills.
- Attainment of Certified Peer Leader within 18 months of hire.
- Proven ability to effectively outreach and engage peers.
- Knowledge or community resources and experience navigating serving systems.
Schedule:
Job Type: Part-time
Pay: $18.00 - $22.00 per hour
Schedule:
Ability to commute/relocate:
- Forest Hills, NY 11375: Reliably commute or planning to relocate before starting work (Required)
Application Question(s):
- Do you self-identify as an individual between the ages of 18-30 and can demonstrate ‘lived experience’ with a disability, mental illness, juvenile justice, special education, substance use disorder, and/or foster care to assist in supporting youth in their resiliency/recovery and wellness?
Work Location: In person