Lantern Community Services Inc·New York
Provide person-centered harm reduction and substance use services to individuals experiencing homelessness and chronic health conditions. Develop and facilitate educational workshops while collaborating with an interdisciplinary team to ensure housing stability and wellness.
Lantern Community Services helps New Yorkers impacted by homelessness move from surviving to thriving by pairing safe, supportive housing with wraparound services that build lasting stability and independence. If you believe a steady home can be the start of everything else, you'll fit right in with our mission-first team. Lantern was also recognized as a Top 2025 Workplace by City & State New York — a great place to do meaningful work with people who care!
The Harm Reduction Specialist is a critical team member within Lantern's Integrated Services Programming, providing person-centered support to individuals experiencing homelessness, mental illness, substance use challenges, and chronic medical conditions, including HIV/AIDS, within a supportive housing environment. This role focuses on promoting health, stability, and recovery through harm reduction strategies, substance use education, and linkage to services. The ideal candidate is compassionate, knowledgeable in harm reduction practices, able to support individuals in making informed decisions to improve their overall well-being, and invested in working collaboratively as part of an interdisciplinary service team.
Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.
At each assigned site, work individually with a small, targeted caseload of tenants who have Harm Reduction goals related to acute substance use and health needs, supporting risk reduction, relapse prevention, coping skills, and treatment decision-making.
Provide person-centered harm reduction and substance use services that engage residents and promote health, wellness, and housing stability.
Conduct risk assessments related to substance use and provide appropriate referrals.
Identify short- and long-term service needs and support residents in achieving their goals.
Utilize harm reduction approaches to address mental health and substance use challenges.
In collaboration with Harm Reduction Leadership, develop workshop curricula and group sessions on a variety of topics including recovery education, healthcare self-advocacy, coping skills, and social support based on tenant needs and interests.
Utilize evidence-informed interventions such as Seeking Safety, Illness Management and Recovery, Wellness Recovery Action Planning, and others for group engagement.
Facilitate group counseling sessions and educational and skill-oriented workshops.
Document all services, interventions, and assessments in accordance with program requirements, including OOPP and harm reduction supply tracking.
Maintain accurate and confidential resident records in compliance with funder and organizational standards.
Participate in staff meetings, clinical meetings, and supervision to ensure best practices.
Collaborate with interdisciplinary team members to coordinate care and support educational initiatives related to substance use and other risk behaviors.
Participate in training and pilot programs related to evidence-based practices and innovative adaptations to enhance service delivery.
Perform other duties as assigned.
This position operates in a supportive housing setting in New York City and works with individuals who may experience mental illness, substance use, disability, HIV/AIDS, and other chronic health conditions.
While performing the duties of this job, the employee is regularly required to stand, walk, sit, stoop, climb stairs, and/or kneel. They must also use their hands to type, handle, or feel. The employee is frequently required to talk or hear and must occasionally lift and/or move up to 10 pounds. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions of this role.
Duties, responsibilities, and activities may change at any time with or without notice.
Lantern Community Services provides equal employment opportunities to all employees and applicants. Lantern values the diversity of our clients, staff, Board of Directors, and partners. By bringing diverse individuals and viewpoints together, we create more vibrant, healthy, and just communities.
Requires a high school diploma and a CASAC-T certification (or willingness to obtain one), along with at least two years of experience in harm reduction services. Candidates must have experience working with populations impacted by homelessness, mental illness, and HIV/AIDS.
Market context
Behavioral health roles in New York are often in steady demand, especially for clinicians who can support diverse age groups and handle assessments or admissions. These positions can be competitive because employers commonly look for independent licensure, while also considering associate-level candidates with clear growth toward full licensure. Review the AI-summarized requirements and benefits here to save time, then confirm your licensure status and assessment experience before applying.
Social Worker - Hudson Bay
Case Manager - Huntersmoon Hall
Case Manager