Friends & Family Support Group Peer Facilitator at Association For Mental Health And Wellness – Riverhead, New York

Mission Statement: “To empower and inspire people of all communities to identify, pursue and sustain healthy, meaningful lives”.

MHAW strives to develop an authentic, diverse workforce that embraces, creates, respects and demonstrates diversity, equity, and inclusiveness in the work environment, towards one another and those we serve. We recognize that our agency is strongest when we all embrace the full spectrum of diversity and experience. We actively seek to employ a diverse workforce representative of the communities we serve.

Position: Friends & Family Support Group Peer Facilitator

Compensation: $50.00 per group service completed; non-exempt position

Location: Ronkonkoma and/or Riverhead, NY

Hours: 1-2 evenings per week; group is 1.5 hours

Start Date: Immediately

The Friends & Family Support Group Facilitator is an individual with lived experience supporting a loved one with a mental health diagnosis. The facilitator creates a safe and structured environment that is centered in confidential and empathic interaction between members. The leader will guide members toward understanding diagnosis, coping skills, ways to care for themselves, while supporting loved ones with mental health conditions.

Responsibilities

Key responsibilities may include, but are not limited to:

• Keep attendance records and submit them to supervisor weekly
• Act in a manner that exemplifies professional leadership with positive morale, role modeling, and judgment in the promotion of an empowering, person-centered program culture.
• Practice Development:
  • To continually seek to enhance one's skills, proficiency, philosophy, and practical understanding in all areas pertinent to peer support services.
  • To compile and share relevant resources with support group attendees and program staff.
• Creating and maintaining the safest and most comfortable environment offering the opportunity for attendees to share, listen, and communicate openly.
• Encouraging support group attendees to provide mutual support to each other based on key principles of respect, shared responsibility, and mutual agreement of what is helpful.
• Provide peer support through connection and based on the key principles of respect, shared responsibility, and mutual agreement of what is helpful.
• To provide information and referrals if requested or refer attendees to call the Association for Mental Health and Wellness' Helpline.
• Participation in actively maintaining the Association for Mental Health and Wellness' established system for tracking support group attendees.
• Attend monthly supervision meetings and/or additional staff meetings as requested.
• Attend relevant training courses, webinars, and conferences.
• Maintain all records and documentation in accordance with the Association of Mental Health and Wellness' standards and funding sources requirements.
• Maintains confidentiality of all attendees and clearly expresses to new attendees, circumstances that may cause Support Group facilitators to breach confidentiality.
• Supervisory Responsibilities: opening and closing of building

Qualifications

• Experience facilitating support or other types of psycho-education groups.
• Experience and knowledge of the New York State and/or Suffolk County public mental health system.
• Experience supporting a loved one with a mental health diagnosis.
• Experience and knowledge of recovery and wellness, self-help and empowerment programs.
• The ability to convey a message of hope, healing, and/or recovery for people, diagnosed with psychiatric labels and/or who are trauma survivors.
• Ability to be calm, patient, empathetic, supportive, have excellent listening skills and relate positively and enthusiastically to a diverse group of people.
• Exhibit sound, interpersonal & communication skills and ability to work as part of a team.
• Sound reading, writing, and computer skills.

All MHAW Employees are eligible for:

• Sick Pay
• 403b Retirement Plan