Youth Peer Advocate; Service Provider- Cftss

Position: YOUTH PEER ADVOCATE (SERVICE PROVIDER)- CFTSS

YOUTH PEER ADVOCATE (SERVICE PROVIDER) - CFTSS

Job Category:
Direct Service Worker

Requisition Number: YOUTH
004164

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• Posted:
  August 6, 2025
• Part-Time
• Rate: $22 USD per hour

Locations

Madonna Heights Campus
151 Burrs Ln
Dix Hills, NY 11746, USA

Note:

Youth Peer Advocates are individuals between 18-30 years of age who self-identify as a person with first‑hand experience with a social, emotional, medical, developmental, substance use, and/or behavioral challenges as a young person or have received services in any one of the child‑serving systems (juvenile justice, foster care, special education, or addiction recovery). YPAs use their lived experience to promote resiliency, recovery, wellness, and self‑efficacy in young people and promote the practice of youth‑guided and family‑driven approaches.

Specific

Responsibilities Skill Building

• Developing skills for coping with and managing psychiatric symptoms, trauma, and substance use disorders
• Developing skills for wellness, resiliency, and recovery support
• Developing skills to independently navigate the service system
• Building community living skills

Coaching

• Enhancing resiliency/recovery oriented attitudes, i.e., hope, confidence, and self‑efficacy
• Promoting wellness through modeling
• Providing mutual support, hope, reassurance, and advocacy that include sharing one's own "personal recovery/resiliency story" as the Youth Peer Advocating (YPA) deems appropriate as beneficial to both the youth and themselves
• YPAs may also share their recovery with parents to engage parents and help them "see" youth possibilities for future in a new light

Engagement, Bridging, and Transition Support

• Acting as a peer partner in transitioning to different levels of care and into adulthood; helping youth understand what to expect and how and why they should be active in developing their plan of care and natural supports

Self‑Advocacy, Self‑Efficacy, and Empowerment

• Developing, linking, and facilitating the use of formal and informal services, including connection to peer support groups in the community
• Serving as an advocate, mentor, or facilitator for resolution of issues
• Assisting in navigating the service system including assisting with engagement and bridging during transitions in care
• Helping youth develop self‑advocacy skills (e.g., may attend a Committee on Preschool or Special Education meeting with the youth and parent, coaching the youth to articulate his educational goals)
• Assisting youth with gaining and regaining the ability to make independent choices and assist youth in playing a proactive role in their own treatment (assisting/mentoring them in discussing questions or concerns about medications, diagnoses or treatment approaches with their treating clinician)
• Guiding the youth to effectively communicate their individual perspective to providers and families
• Assisting youth in developing skills to advocate for needed services and benefits and seeking to effectively resolve unmet needs
• Assisting youth in understanding their plan of care and help to ensure the plan is person/family centered

Community Connections and Natural Supports

• Connecting youth to community resources and services; the YPA may accompany youth to appointments and meetings for mentoring and support but not for the sole purpose of providing transportation for the youth
• Helping youth develop a network for information and support from others who have been through similar experiences, including locating similar interest programs, peer‑run programs, and support groups
• Facilitating or arranging youth peer resiliency/recovery support groups; development and updating of service plans, including obtaining medical consenter signatures
• Obtaining consents and enrollment documents for newly enrolled children/youth

Administrative Duties

• Attend monthly waiver service provider meetings to stay current on practices and protocols
• Submit progress notes, service plans, expense logs, and service provider logs within set forth-required time frames; progress notes are due within 3 days of service provision so that approval from supervisor is completed by the 5th business day following service provision
• Report incident(s) to supervisor upon…