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About the Role

The Peer Generalist will support the Peer Navigation program by providing services to individuals experiencing acute distress, frequent hospitalizations, and challenges with traditional care programs. This role utilizes a peer-led, person-first, trauma-informed approach to address immediate needs, build trust, and foster long-term recovery through relationship-centered, participant-driven services. The Peer Generalist will act as a resource and advocate, coordinate services, maintain compliance, and support a collaborative team environment.

Responsibilities

• Accompanied participants to hearings, social services appointments, and housing reviews to defend their rights.
• Teaches participants about available government assistance, tenant rights, and mental health self-determination.
• De-escalates acute situations using trauma-informed care and peer-support frameworks.
• Identifies non-traditional community resources when mainstream systems reject the participant.
• Builds self-advocacy skills so participants can eventually navigate systems independently.
• Facilitates group and participant programming focused on participant-led engagement.
• Ensures the approach remains Values driven, peer-led, person-first, trauma informed, and relationship-centered.
• Ensures completion of accurate, timely documentation, including progress notes, reports, and program data.
• Maintains compliance with agency policies and state/regulatory standards.
• Represents the agency and program at internal meetings, community events, and collaborative workgroups.
• Assists with the oversight, expansion, and continuous improvement of program operations.
• Performs additional duties as assigned.

Requirements

• High School Diploma or equivalent + 3 years of experience providing direct support to individuals with disabilities or psychiatric diagnoses or case management work.
• Must obtain New York State Peer Specialist Certification within 6 months of hire through People-USA system.
• Demonstrated knowledge of trauma-informed care, harm reduction, and strengths-based approaches.
• Strong understanding of recovery principles, peer support models, and employment services.
• Lived experience with mental health and/or substance use recovery is strongly encouraged.
• Exceptional communication and boundary management.
• Familiarity with ADA, mental health systems, Social Security benefits, and community services.
• Must have a clean and valid driver's license and have your own transportation.

Skills

• Self-directed to complete tasks
• Decision-making
• Crisis de-escalation
• Relationship-centered services
• Participant-driven services
• Resource and advocate for participants
• Coordination of integration of services
• Compliance with program requirements
• Support a healthy, collaborative team environment
• Uses personal lived experience to foster self-advocacy and systemic navigation
• Committed to peer values
• Flexible care coordination
• Trauma-informed care
• Harm reduction
• Strengths-based approaches
• Recovery principles
• Peer support models
• Employment services
• Communication
• Boundary management
• Familiarity with ADA
• Familiarity with mental health systems
• Familiarity with Social Security benefits
• Familiarity with community services
• Bilingual (English/Spanish)
• Advocacy experience
• Comfort in appropriate self-disclosure
• Experience working within non-traditional service models
• Experience with individuals who have frequent crisis-service utilization
• Experience facilitating support groups
• Experience facilitating networking groups
• Experience facilitating family-engagement meetings
• Familiarity with local behavioral health resources
• Familiarity with local social services
• Familiarity with local community supports

Location

• Poughkeepsie, NY

Work Type

• Full-time

Experience Level

• 3 years of experience providing direct support to individuals with disabilities or psychiatric diagnoses or case management work
• At least 2 years of advocacy experience

Education Level

• High School Diploma or equivalent

Salary/Compensations

• $24.75 per hour

About the Company

• PEOPLE- USA will provide Dutchess/Ulster County with a Peer Generalist, who will support the functions of the Peer Navigation program in providing services to those in need.