IMT Peer Specialist Intern

Founded in 1974, Community Access continues to uphold and operate as a pioneer of supportive housing and social services in NYC for people with mental health concerns. We proudly lead advocacy efforts that rally our community to promote human rights, social justice, and economic opportunities for all. We are built upon the simple truth that people are experts in their own lives. Our programs are spread across 25 locations and include over 1200 units of supportive housing in three boroughs, the Howie the Harp Advocacy Center, Peer-driven Crisis Respite Center, Assertive Community Treatment (ACT) and the Intensive Mobile Team (IMT).  

Department Overview

Intensive Mobile Treatment (IMT) is an innovative, creative, trauma-informed mobile practice model designed to provide treatment, rehabilitation and support services to individuals whose needs have not been met by traditional services. IMT participants interact with homeless services, criminal justice, and behavioral health service systems.

IMT teams are hired, trained and funded to maximize flexibility and continuity of care for persons who historically have been poorly served. Community Access’ IMT Teams serve individuals who are street homeless or living between institutional settings and housing. Team members work collaboratively with settings in which the participant is living and use assertive engagement strategies to proactively engage individuals in services. IMT team members share responsibility for the people they serve, helping individuals attain housing and other personal and safety goals that may be of a health, social, work or education nature.

IMT teams are multi-disciplinary and include psychiatry, nursing, social work, peer specialists and other staff members offering rehabilitation, treatment and recovery support services. The team provides expertise in the areas of housing, substance use and harm reduction, criminal justice, peer support and behavioral health recovery. Based on their area of expertise, team members collaborate to deliver comprehensive, integrated and flexible services that are responsive to a participant’s choices, needs and goals. With a small staff to participant ratio, services are brought to the participant and offered in natural settings, 24 hours a day and seven days a week.

Overview

The IMT Peer Specialist Intern is an integral part of a multi-disciplinary team of mental health professionals. The Peer Specialist Intern is a resource to participants and other team members in issues related to integrating wellness goals. The Peer Specialist Intern is a person with the lived experience of a mental health condition who has a willingness to share personal and practical experience, knowledge, and first-hand insight to benefit IMT program participants. The Peer Specialist Intern engages and builds trusting relationships with program participants and their networks to support the person’s recovery. The IMT Peer Specialist Internship will provide you with the opportunity to develop the skills required to obtain a permanent position as a Peer Specialist within the workforce.

Core Principles

The job responsibilities of all staff extend to understanding and incorporating certain principles into their work and into their relationships with program participants. These principles are:

• Program participants’ right to self-determination;
• Respectful communication;
• Services that support recovery and healing consistent with and nurturing each participant’s cultural background, experience, identity, and values.
• Clear professional boundaries to support the limits and possibilities of services.

Internship Learning Opportunities and Areas of Instruction:

Through the course of your internship, you will have practice and learned the following skills:

• Understand and implement person-centered treatment planning interventions
• Identify participant treatment and support service needs and associated service plan objectives based on participant goals.
• Utilize strategies for collaborating with collateral contacts including shelters, hospitals, outpatient services and criminal justice systems.
• Provide or connect participants with employment counseling, vocational rehabilitation, completion of housing applications and placement, and provision of life skills training.
• Assist participants with navigating service systems, including behavioral and medical health, criminal justice, shelter system, entitlements and transportation.
• Educate participants about self-help techniques, processes and community options, including education regarding coping strategies via WRAP plans or other supports.
• Provide harm reduction services, integrated substance use treatment and relapse prevention.
• Completion of documentation that meets medical-necessity standards.

Comprehensive IMT service activities:

• Assess and provide services to participants to address health and wellness, housing, income support, education, vocational training, employment and social supports.
• Complete assessments and evaluations as required based on a rotating schedule
• Provide IMT treatment services including: service planning and coordination; problem solving; support with obtaining housing; developing social connections; strengthening family and other relationships; developing independent living skills and obtaining necessary resources; accessing and accessing education and training; employment supports (job search, placement and support); entitlement and financial management; empowerment and self-help; wellness self-management with a focus on the development of coping skills; support with medications; and weekly groups.
• Use motivational interviewing, recovery and trauma-informed approaches when delivering services.
• Complete crisis intervention and relapse prevention plans.
• Collaboration with participants, families and natural supports, shelter, jail and community partners to promote attainment of treatment and recovery goals.
• Coordinate discharge in collaboration with inpatient and ER staff when participants have involvement.
• Complete thorough, timely and accurate documentation of all contacts.
• Utilize public transportation for travel throughout boroughs.

This job description reflects management’s assignment of essential functions; it does not prescribe or restrict the tasks that may be assigned.

Internship Qualifications

• Have an understanding, appreciation, and commitment to the philosophy and mission of Community Access. 
• Commitment to person-centered treatment strategies, upholding participants’ rights, and self-determination in service provision. 
• New York Certified Peer Specialist (NYCPS), or Provisional Certification in progress.
•  Lived experience of a mental health condition required, and a history of homelessness, involvement with the criminal justice system, and/or experience with substance use services, preferred.
• Available to work a flexible schedule, mornings, evenings and weekends in response to participant needs.
• Must be able to work in the community, including use of public transportation
• Computer proficiency in Windows operating systems and programs, such as MS Word, Excel, PowerPoint, as well as comfort with learning new electronic systems.
• Bilingual Spanish-speaking, preferred
• Must be fingerprinted and cleared by the New York State Justice Center.

Community Access is dedicated to hiring a workforce that is representative of the populations we serve. BIPOC individuals and persons who identify as having lived experience are strongly encouraged to apply.