Engage individuals disconnected from services in community settings to provide support and hope based on lived experience. Facilitate linkage to behavioral health services, housing, and community-based supports to guide individuals toward recovery.
Requirements summary
Requires a valid New York State Peer Certification (Provisional or Full) and lived experience with mental health or substance use recovery. Must be comfortable working independently in diverse field environments and navigating behavioral health systems.
Be part of a team that values connection, accountability, and real impact.
Why Access?
Because how we work matters just as much as what we do.
At Access, our Culture Playbook isn’t a poster on the wall – it’s how we show up for each other and for the people we support.
You’ll be part of a team that is: Clear about expectations Supportive and accountable Focused on outcomes that matter to people.
And committed to helping people live the healthiest and fullest lives possible – while making sure out staff can do the same.
Location
Orange,
Ulster and
Dutchess
County
Hours:
Per
Diem (current need on
Saturdays)
Rate of
Pay: $25 Provisional Peer Certification and $28 (Full
Certification)
Overview
OF
PRIMARY
RESPONSIBILITES: As an Outreach Certified Peer within a CCBHC (Certified Community Behavioral Health Clinic) model, you will play a critical role in engaging individuals who are disconnected from services or at risk of falling through the cracks. Drawing from your lived experience, you will meet people where they are — physically, emotionally, and spiritually — to offer support, connection, and the belief that recovery is possible. Your efforts will help bring individuals into care and guide them along their recovery journey through trust, compassion, and empowerment.
PRIMARY
Functions:
Key
Responsibilities:
As an
Outreach
Certified
Peer, you will:
Engage and
Inspire
Hope: Proactively connect with individuals in community settings (e.g., streets, shelters, homes, hospitals) with empathy and belief in their potential for recovery.
Foster
Empowerment and
Trust: Encourage individuals to define their goals, identify strengths, and take steps toward self-determined wellness.
Model
Recovery: Use your own recovery story to show that healing and progress are achievable.
Initiate and
Sustain
Connection: Build trust through consistency, nonjudgmental support, and authentic presence in the field.
Reduce
Barriers to
Care: Help individuals navigate systems and overcome obstacles that prevent access to behavioral health and social services.
Facilitate
Linkage to
Services: Guide individuals toward clinical care, housing, benefits, and community-based supports.
Support
Community
Integration: Encourage participation in meaningful activities, social networks, and recovery-oriented resources.
Additional
Functional /
Organizational
SUPPORT:
Field-Based
Resource
Navigator: Deliver information and connect individuals to services during outreach encounters.
Trusted
Guide &
Supportive
Listener: Offer emotional support grounded in empathy and shared experience.
Recovery
Ally: Serve as a mentor and motivator, walking alongside individuals through initial and ongoing stages of recovery.
Flexible
Problem
Solver: Identify and troubleshoot challenges that interfere with engagement or stability.
Cultural
Broker: Bridge gaps in understanding between individuals and systems using language and lived perspective.
Qualifications
AND
ATTRIBUTES: Lived experience with mental health and/or substance use recovery, and willingness to share your journey to inspire others.
Experience navigating behavioral health systems or overcoming life challenges related to mental health or addiction.
Valid New York State Peer Certification (Provisional or Full) such as CP, YPA, FPA, CRPA or other.
Strong interpersonal, active listening, and communication skills.
Comfort working independently in field-based or community environments.
Flexibility to work non-traditional hours (evenings, weekends, or early mornings as needed).
Collaborative mindset and ability to work within multidisciplinary teams.
Education
AND
Experience:
Experience providing peer support in outreach, street-based, or community settings strongly preferred.
Knowledge of harm reduction, trauma-informed care, and recovery-oriented practices.
Understanding of local systems (e.g., shelters, clinics, hospitals, crisis services).
Basic proficiency in documentation and mobile communication tools.
Physical
CHARACTERISTICS: These physical demands reflect what is necessary to perform the role effectively. Reasonable accommodations may be made to support individuals with disabilities:
Able to navigate various outdoor and indoor environments (streets, homes, multi-level buildings).
Comfort with prolonged periods of walking or standing in the field.
Ability to work in diverse and unpredictable community settings.
Occasional lifting or transporting of supplies (25+ lbs). #certifiedpeer #hudsonvalleypeers An Equal Opportunity Employer, including disability and Veterans
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