Youth Peer Advocate

What You’ll Do 

• Assist program participants in obtaining and maintaining housing by providing frequent coaching and peer-to-peer mentoring. 
• Support program participants in understanding the housing and social service system.
• Accompany program participants on appointment for mental health, health, education, employment and other concrete needs. 
• Assist participants with concerns including housing, health care, social service and educational issues.  
• Help youth to understand and follow their individualized plan.  
• Assist with mediation of conflict between roommates enrolled in the program.
• Advocate for needs and best interest of program participants with case management staff. 
• Act as a source of support for program participants and provide appropriate feedback to promote success. 
• Participate in treatment team meetings, service plan reviews, intake meetings and discharge conferences to represent the needs and best interest of program participants. 
• Document all interactions and meetings in progress notes. 
• Other duties that may be assigned. 

 Your Qualifications 

• Must have lived experience/knowledge of the RHY system (formerly homeless) foster care system and/or social service system in NYC
• Must have experience in youth development
• Ability to communicate well with others and motivate individuals towards personal goals
• Knowledge of computer systems

Please note this job description is not designed to cover or contain a comprehensive listing of activities, duties or responsibilities required of the employee for this job. Duties, responsibilities, and activities may change at any time with or without notice. 

 Supervisory Responsibility 

No 

 Work Environment: 

 Field

 Position Type/Expected Hours of Work:
This is a full-time position. Days and hours of work are Monday through Friday in our Jamaica Office. Work hours options are 9:00 am - 5:00 pm, 9:30 am - 5:30 pm, 10 am - 6 pm. 

 Additional Requirements:  

• Authorized to work in the U.S.
• Ability to work in-person in New York City (NY) for at least 3 days or more per week.
• Ability to travel to other Rising Ground sites (if required)

 Equal Employment Opportunity Statement 

It is the policy of Rising Ground that the Agency complies with equal treatment of all employees and applicants for employment without unlawful discrimination as to an individual’s perceived or actual race, creed, color, national origin, alienate, citizenship status, gender, age, disability, marital status, partnership status, sexual orientation, ethnicity, religion, or  veteran status in all employment decisions, including but not limited to recruitment, hiring, compensation, training and apprenticeship, promotion, upgrading, demotion, downgrading, transfer, layoff and termination and all other terms and conditions of employment.