Respite Worker

Community Access was founded in 1974 to provide housing and support for people being discharged from psychiatric institutions. Today, we are one of the leading providers of supportive and affordable housing in New York City, and the originators of an integrated housing model which has become a best practice nationally: affordable housing where families live alongside people living with mental health concerns.

Our staff work daily to support thousands of New Yorkers through supportive and affordable housing, peer-driven residential crisis support programs, training, advocacy, supported education, mobile treatment and other healing-focused services.

The Residential Crisis Support Program Respite Center (CRC) is a Community Access Health Division program. The CRC is an alternative to hospitalization program offering short-term respite care in a friendly and supportive home-like environment. Guests are provided with the opportunity to learn and use recovery and relapse prevention skills to ameliorate their current psychiatric crisis and to provide more effective tools to cope with future crises and avoid hospital-based care.

Recovery-oriented services are provided 24-hour and day and include peer support, self-advocacy education and self-help training. The Residential Crisis Support Program offers people experiencing a mental health or emotional crisis an up to 28 days residential alternative while supporting individuals in continuing their established daily activities such as visiting with friends, attending a doctor’s appointment or going to work.

The Respite Worker is responsible for all tasks related to the program’s daily operation including providing individual and group-based supports to the guests, meal planning and preparation, and processing and preparing for referrals, intakes, and discharges.

• Assigned guests will have at least one progress note per day demonstrating appropriate, service goal-driven peer support.
• All progress notes are written within 48 hours of the meeting.
• Service Plans for assigned guests completed within 24 hours of admission.

• Have an understanding, appreciation, and commitment to the philosophy and mission of Community Access.
• Have lived experience with the mental health system and willingness to share personal experience appropriately and respectfully - required.
• Previous professional experience in the behavioral health field - preferred.
• A respect for and high level of comfort around people experiencing psychiatric crisis - required.
• Commitment to recovery orientated practice and the ability to utilize critical thinking, problem-solving and de-escalation skills to assist with creating and maintaining an environment that promotes recovery.
• NYS Peer Certification, or provisional level within 90 days of hire and full certification within one year of hire - required.
• Minimum of high school diploma or equivalent (GED) - required.
• Ability to prioritize and meet deadlines.
• Strong analytical ability.
• Excellent oral and written communication skills.
• Be creative and flexible.
• Ability to utilize various computer programs, specifically Microsoft Word and Excel.
• Show initiative and be responsible for follow through.
• Ability to maintain confidential information, as related to position.
• Ability to work independently and as part of a team.
• Available to work days, evenings, overnights, weekends and cover holidays

Community Access is an Equal Opportunity Employer. M/F/D/V.

Women, People of Color and Members of the LGBT community are strongly encouraged to apply.

We are dedicated to a workforce where at least 51% of our employees identify as having a personal experience using mental health services.(Use the "Apply for this Job" box below)..org