Peer Specialist
Company : Services For The Underserved
Location : New York, NY, 10016
Job Type : Full Time
Date Posted : 2 January 2026
Min
USD $40,000.00/Yr.Max
USD $45,000.00/Yr.Position Overview
S:US is seeking a Peer Specialist for our adult families' shelter in Brooklyn.
This position is located at 12 East 31 Street New York, NY 10016
The Peer Specialist will:
- Outreach/Engagement/Bridge Building: Helping to facilitate engagement with teams by forging strong connections with participants and families, undertaking outreach activities designed to promote community awareness of S:US services, encouraging help-seeking, and at times serving as a bridge between team members and participants when they experience ambivalence about treatment.
- Relationship Building: Developing authentic, meaningful relationships with individuals and families through empathy, sharing experiences, listening and collaborating with genuine curiosity and interest.
- Embracing Creative Narratives: Peer Specialists need to be able to understand, share and discuss multiple frameworks for understanding life experiences such as psychosis with participants and the rest of the S:US team. Peer Specialists intentionally use language in the service of listening to understand and making space for complex personal stories of recovery and resilience.
- Advocacy: Peer Specialists advocate with and for program participants both in the larger community and on the team.
- Co-Creating Support and Wellness Tools: Collaborate with participants to clarify their personal visions and develop their wellness toolkit. Along with other team members, Peer Specialists support participants in strengthening their self-awareness, building life skills, and connecting to resources and community outside of the S:US team.
- Influencing Team Culture: Whenever possible, positively influencing the team culture by advocating for clients, promoting a youth friendly approach and encouraging the use of recovery-oriented language. S:US Peer Specialists also work actively within the team itself to help build an environment that operates from a belief in the human potential to grow and an understanding of human diversity.
- Team Communication: Peer Specialists maintain open and frequent communication with the team. This includes reporting safety and other concerns to the team. Peer Specialists will also keep notes on visits with program participants as required by the provider agency. In the spirit of peer support, co-collaborating on reporting with the program participant is encouraged.
Qualifications
- High School Diploma or GED or 2 years of experience working in a large residential/institutional setting with a special needs population is required.
- Strong interpersonal and organizational skills required.
- Must have patience, creativity, flexibility, compassion, and sensitivity to persons with mental health and substance abuse issues and criminal court involvement.
- NYS Driver’s License preferred.
Benefits Overview: We offer attractive compensation with comprehensive benefits including: Medical/Dental/Prescription/Vision/Life Insurance; 403(b); Credit Union; FSAs; Short-and-Long-Term Disability; Transportation Plan; Generous Paid Vacations and Holidays’
S:US IS AN EQUAL OPPORTUNITY EMPLOYER
Company Overview
S:US IS AN EQUAL OPPORTUNITY EMPLOYER
Join a team of employees who cares about the wellbeing of others. We’re proud to offer a comprehensive benefits package designed to support your wellbeing and development. From health and wellness resources to generous PTO, professional development, and more, explore all that we offer on our Benefits Page and see how S:US invests in you.
We believe in fostering a culture built on our core values: respect, integrity, support, maximizing individual potential and continuous quality improvement.
S:US is an affirmative action and equal opportunity employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, disability, age, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, veteran status, or genetic information. S:US is committed to providing access, equal opportunity and reasonable accommodation for individuals with disabilities in employment, its services, programs, and activities, including allowance of the use of services animals. To request reasonable accommodation or if you believe such a request was improperly handled or denied, contact the Leave Team at MyMedicalLeave@sus.org.
ID
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Frequently asked questions
New York City has a growing demand for peer specialists, especially in community-focused organizations. However, competition remains moderate due to the city's large pool of qualified candidates. Highlighting experience with mental health and substance abuse support can improve your chances in this dynamic local market.
While a formal certification isn’t always mandatory in New York, having a NYS driver’s license and credentials related to peer support or mental health advocacy can give applicants a competitive edge, especially for roles involving outreach and community engagement within urban settings.
Empathy, patience, and the ability to build authentic connections through active listening are key. Peer specialists who creatively embrace diverse recovery narratives and demonstrate flexibility in handling ambivalence foster trust and promote participant wellness more effectively.
Peer specialists can progress toward supervisory roles, program coordination, or advocacy leadership within mental health services. Enhancing organizational skills and gaining experience in team communication often open pathways to positions that influence program culture and policy.
Daily responsibilities include outreach activities to engage participants, co-creating wellness plans, advocating for clients in community settings, and maintaining clear communication with multidisciplinary teams to ensure safety and support continuity.
S:US emphasizes recovery-oriented language and a youth-friendly approach, encouraging peer specialists to actively shape team dynamics by advocating for participants and fostering an environment grounded in respect, integrity, and continuous quality improvement.
S:US offers a salary between $40,000 and $45,000 annually for peer specialists in New York, reflecting the competitive compensation in the mental health support sector while pairing it with comprehensive benefits to promote employee wellbeing.
Applicants typically need a high school diploma or GED plus two years of experience working with special needs populations in residential or institutional environments, ensuring readiness to address complex mental health and substance abuse challenges.
Strong organizational abilities are crucial as peer specialists must track participant progress, communicate safety concerns promptly, and collaborate on detailed visit notes, supporting both client care and team coordination effectively.
Urban shelters present diverse client needs, requiring peer specialists to navigate complex social dynamics and resource limitations. Flexibility and cultural sensitivity are vital to successfully support recovery and build trust within this setting.