Description Mental Health Association of Nassau County (MHANC) is a not-for-profit membership organization dedicated to improving mental health in our community through advocacy, education, program development, and the delivery of direct services. Our organization is looking for a motivated individual with a calling to help adults with mental illness by becoming a Peer Specialist. Peer Specialist utilizes personal experience and respite training to provide peer support and companionship for guests. The Peer Specialists manifest, in their presence and actions, a vision of hope, resilience, opportunity, and wellness. Goals include lessening/alleviating emotional distress and crises, lessening use of emergency rooms and hospitals, and increasing personal growth with positive life choices. Essential Duties & Responsibilities • Provide supportive companionship for guests throughout their visit to house (interview, intake, arrival, stay and departure). • Share personal recovery to encourage hope, wellness, personal growth and recovery. • Model and support the belief that individuals can and will do better. • Utilize effective engagement skills to connect, use mutually shared insights to encourage problem solving and utilization of tools that will assist in lessening or alleviating current and future crisis. • Non-judgmental active listening designed to meet individual “where they are at”. • Help maintain a clean, safe, and secure environment. Some cleaning may be involved. • Provide telephone support to peers in the community though our Consumer Phone Link Program as needed. • Facilitate self-help, support groups. • Keep accurate and timely records. • Work cooperatively with respite team. • Maintains client confidentiality. Requirements Education & Experience: • Lived, experience and willingness to utilize personal experience to assist others in recovery. • High School Diploma • Six months to one year current or recent employment. • Six months to one year part time or full time experience in delivery of direct services to mental health consumer/survivors (volunteer or paid), preferred. • Three months first hand experience in self-help or peer directed services and/or peer support groups, preferred. • NYCPS-P Certification Preferred Other Qualifications • Good oral and written communication skills. • Completion of Wellness Recovery Action Plan (WRAP) training preferred. • Basic knowledge of community support services/resources/mental health service delivery system, preferred. • Knowledge of consumer/survivor/ex-patient movement and peer run or peer driven services that incorporate recovery based philosophies. • Ability to relate to both other survivors of mental illness and psychiatric diagnosis and mental health professionals. • Honesty, respect for diversity, high personal standards, professional demeanor, language and behaviors reflecting such values. • Commitment to the possibility of recovery for all individuals diagnosed with psychiatric illness. • Emotional resilience to cope with strong emotions on an on-going basis. • Valid and “clean” New York State Driver’s License, preferred.