Peer Specialist

Essen Health Care is the largest privately held, multispecialty medical group in New York, providing high-quality, compassionate care to some of the state’s most vulnerable and underserved residents.

Founded in 1999, we’ve grown from a single primary care office into a network of 50+ locations offering urgent care, primary care and specialty services, from women’s health to endocrinology and psychiatry. We also provide nursing home support, care management, and in-home care through our Essen House Calls program. Guided by a Population Health model, our team of 500+ providers deliver care in-person, at home, or via telehealth, ensuring patients get the support they need when and where they need it.

We’re looking for talented, motivated individuals to join our growing team. Whether you’re a medical provider, administrator, or operations professional, there’s a career here for you. Join us in making a real difference in the health of our community.

Reports to:  Care Coordinator Supervisor for HH+ AOT

Position Description

The role of a certified specialist/peer educator provides the members with support from those who have lived experience with SMI and or Substance use, who can give an insider perspective and other resources to support members' individualized recovery process. These individuals work to educate our AOT members about their diagnosis(es) by providing materials to promote health literacy and sharing their own experiences of recovery. Peer Support Specialists assess and provide services to members to address housing, income support, education and vocational training, social support, employment, and primary care needs. Peer support services decrease isolation, reduce stigma about mental health and substance use disorders, and help to problem-solve other barriers often experienced by those in need of ongoing mental health treatment. Peer support specialists also facilitate 12-step-based peer support meetings and lead skill-building groups related to emotional regulation and positive interaction with one's social environment.

• Uses lived experience to connect with AOT members, support them in their goals, and serve as a role model of personal progress and/or recovery.
• Provide health education on effective coping and life skills, stress reduction and problem-solving skills.
• Engage client in shared decision making around service and recovery planning.
• Assists assigned members with their person-centered service plan; engages with the family and significant others in the service plan.
• Documents all progress with the members using DAP note model.
• Performs face to face encounters at the members’ residence or at a convenient location and accompanies members to medical and psychiatric appointments to increase treatment adherence.
• Collaborates with the care team and the member to identify and connect member to community and outpatient services based on the stages of change, immediate needs, and recommended treatment objectives
• Provide linkages and referrals to external social and support services, advocating and liaising with members’ providers and family to increase access to community and health resources.   
• Uses harm reduction techniques such as motivational interviewing, recovery, and trauma-informed care when delivering peer services.
• Provides individual peer support, wellness counseling, harm reduction counseling based on motivational interviewing to assigned members.
• Participates in Crisis Intervention and Crisis Support Services.
• Conducts outreach and in-reach activity for all disengaged members enrolled in care management services.

• High school diploma is required and is currently certified as peer specialist.
• A minimum of 2 years of work experience providing peer support to individuals with serious mental illness and criminal justice involvement
• Lived experience using mental health and/or substance use treatment services
• Graduate of a recognized peer specialist training program such as the Howie the Harp Peer Advocacy and Training Center Peer Specialist Program

• Proficiency in Spanish language preferred.
• Literacy skill in computer, Microsoft and electronic health records.

Essen Health care is proud to be an equal opportunity employer, and we seek candidates who desire to work in and serve an ethnically diverse population.