Peer Bridger/Mentor-(HRA) La Central

Comunilife Inc. is looking for Peer /Bridge Mentors for its Bronx location. Assisting to promote recovery, re-housing, and coping skills among program participants by providing emotional support, companionship, and the benefit of their own experience with substance abuse, mental illness and/or homelessness, after undergoing peer mentor training.  The Peer Mentors assist program participants manage recovery issues by promoting mental and physical health, sobriety or harm reduction, self-care, medication compliance,  and in general, a better quality of life and independence. This position is part time up to 20 hours a week.

Essential Functions:

• Assist with the outreach, engagement, and acculturation  of program participants struggling with issues of mental illness, homelessness, and substance abuse

• Provide crisis intervention services and supportive counseling within capability and training to assist participants to reduce/eliminate self-destructive behaviors;

• Assist in building up the esteem and self confidence of participants, by engaging them in activities of mutual interest, accompanying participants to view apartments, or to appointments to aide in obtaining entitlements

• Encourage participants to learn about and access specialized and natural community support

• Using Peer Mentor Training and other skills to assist participants to appreciate and attain better mental and physical health, sobriety or harm reduction, services to help them manage mental illness issues and strive to attain and maintain independent living.

• Assist clients in teaching/learning activities of daily living skills. 

• Peer Mentors will collaborate with case management staff on the needs of the client.

• Conduct groups to promote socialization skills and promote recovery.

• Documentation of interaction.

Education and Experience Requirement(s)

High School Diploma/GED; bilingual (Spanish and English) is preferred.  Personal experience in managing homelessness, substance abuse and/or mental illness.   Ability to form interpersonal relationships with others and to be able to influence and persuade others in positive activities.

Comunilife is an EEO employer and provides equal employment opportunities to all employees and applicants for employment and prohibits discrimination and harassment of any type without regard to race, color, religion, age, sex, national origin, disability status, genetics, protected veteran status, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, or any other characteristic protected by federal, state or local laws.