Peer Specialist, Bronx HOPE

THE ORGANIZATION The Center for Justice Innovation is a community justice organization that centers safety and racial justice.

Since our founding in 1996, the Center has partnered with community members, courts, and the people most impacted to create stronger, healthier, more just communities.

Our decades of experience in courts and communities, coupled with our field-leading research and practitioner expertise, help us drive justice nationwide in innovative, powerful, and durable ways.

For more information on how and where we work, please visit www.innovatingjustice.org. The Center is a 900-employee, $100 million nonprofit that accomplishes its vision through three pillars of work : creating and scaling operating programs to test new ideas and solve problems, performing original research to determine what works (and what doesn’t), and providing expert assistance and policy guidance to justice reformers around the world.

Operating Programs The Center’s operating programs, including the award-winning Red Hook Community Justice Center and Midtown Community Justice Center, test new ideas, solve difficult problems, and attempt to achieve systemic change within the justice system.

Our projects include community-based violence prevention programs, alternatives to incarceration, reentry initiatives, and court-based initiatives that reduce the use of unnecessary incarceration and promote positive individual and family change.

Through this programming, we have produced tangible results like safer streets, reduced incarceration, and improved neighborhood perceptions of justice.

Research The Center's research teams are staffed with social scientists, data analysts, and lawyers who are academically-trained or have lived experience and who conduct research in the U.

S. and globally on diverse criminal-legal system and justice issues. Their work includes evaluating programs and policies;

conducting exploratory, community-based studies; and providing research translation and strategic planning for system actors.

The Center has published studies on topics including court and jail reform, intimate partner violence, restorative justice, gun violence, reentry, sixth amendment rights, and progressive prosecution.

The research teams strive to make their work meaningful and actionable to the communities they work with, policymakers, and practitioners.

Policy & Expert Assistance The Center provides hands-on, planning and implementation assistance to a wide range of jurisdictions in areas of reform such as problem-solving courts (e.

g., community courts, treatment courts, domestic violence courts), tribal justice, reducing incarceration and the use of fines / fees and reducing crime and violence.

Our current expert assistance takes many forms, including help with analyzing data, strategic planning and consultation, policy guidance, and hosting site visits to its operating programs in the New York City area.

Center Support A dedicated support team within the Center ensures the smooth functioning of operations across various domains, including finance, legal, technology, human resources, fundraising, real estate, and communications.

Comprising 15% of the organization's staff, these teams provide essential infrastructure support and innovative solutions aligned with the Center's mission and values.

THE OPPORTUNITY The Center for Justice Innovation if offering a unique opportunity to support two initiatives. Bronx Community Solutions is seeking a Peer Specialist to provide extensive outreach to program participants and treatment providers to help coordinate communication and program completion.

The Peer Specialist will work as a community-based peer outreach coach to inform and connect individuals to Bronx HOPE, provide Narcan training and education, coordinate the treatment referral process, and engage new participants to ensure successful case completion and recovery goals.

Reporting to the Senior Program Manager of Bronx HOPE, the Peer Specialist will participate in a special project with the HOPE team and the NYPD.

They will learn and provide outreach and engagement to community residents, connecting individuals to services and offering support and guidance.

In addition, the Peer Specialist will provide and train on how to use Narcan, support the treatment referral process and observe initial assessment to ensure timely and responsive participant engagement and outcomes.

In collaboration with stakeholders, the Peer Specialist will also be stationed in different court parts to provide intervention services to satisfy their efforts to engage participants to ensure successful case completion.

• Responsibilities include but are not limited to : Dispatch / Community Duties : Collaborate closely with NYPD to respond to precinct-level arrests to meet with potential HOPE participants at Bronx Precincts;
• Engage individuals who are arrested for controlled substance and motivate them to seek treatment, harm reduction, and / or recovery support assistance;
• Coordinate and facilitate individual education that is responsive to the specific interests and needs of the individual, which may include a focus on treatment, harm reduction, and / or relapse prevention;
• Contact and coordinate with case management team to facilitate entry into harm reduction or substance abuse treatment based on the level of care determination;
• Coordinate referrals and follow up with participants as needed; Provide crisis intervention and support to program participants as needed;
• Administer and provide training on use of Narcan; Conduct street outreach in the Bronx and surrounding communities to engage individuals around substance use, harm reduction and the HOPE program’s offerings;
• Facilitate harm reduction and Narcan workshops at Bronx Community Solutions’ office; Accurately and efficiently document client interactions;
• Send electronic assessments and reports to the HOPE team in a timely and accurate fashion; Attend team meetings, supervision, trainings and perform other administrative duties as required;
• and Complete additional relevant tasks, as needed. Court Based Duties Based Duties : Station in the Bronx Community Solutions office or Bronx County Criminal Court to meet with potential participants;
• Engage individuals who are in court after an arrest to offer support and connection to appropriate programming; Provide crisis intervention and support to program participants as needed in collaboration with the case management team, service providers and identified family and / or friends of the participant;
• Provide location support by traveling with participants to appointments and assisting participant with transportation to crisis services;
• Use lived experience and be comfortable serving as a role model of personal recovery to connect with members and support them in their goals;
• Ability to communicate accurately, empathically and under time constraints; Comfort working and collaborating with law enforcement and court staff;
• and Additional tasks as necessary. Qualifications : The ideal candidate will have : A high school diploma and at least 2 years of relevant experience;
• Must have experience with integrated substance abuse assessment and treatment, motivational interviewing techniques, and stage-wise treatment;
• Valid Driver's License required; CRPA (Certified Recovery Peer Advocate) preferred; Experience using Microsoft Office programs, particularly Microsoft Word and Microsoft Outlook (for regular e-mail correspondence);

Knowledge of the principles and practices of harm reduction; and Bilingual (English Spanish) preferred. Position Type : Full-time, flexible hours and rotating weekend schedule.

Bronx HOPE Program operates 24 / 7 shift examples are 8 : 00 am-4 : 00 pm, 4 : 00 pm-12 : 00 am or 12 : 00 am-8 : 00 am.

Position Location : Bronx, NY. Compensation : The compensation range for this position is $52,000 - $57,500 and is commensurate with experience.

The Center for Justice Innovation offers an excellent benefits package including comprehensive healthcare with a national network, free basic dental coverage, vision insurance, short-term and long-term disability, life insurance, and flexible spending accounts including commuter FSA.

We prioritize mental health care for our staff and offer services like Talkspace and Ginger through our healthcare plans.

We offer a 403(b) retirement plan with a two-to-one employer contribution up to 5%. The Center for Justice Innovation is an equal opportunity employer.

We are committed to fostering an inclusive and diverse workplace, and as such, we do not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, gender identity, gender expression, pregnancy, national origin, age, military service eligibility, veteran status, sexual orientation, marital status, disability, or any other category protected by law.

We strongly encourage and welcome applications from women, people of color, members of the lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender communities, as well as individuals with prior contact with the criminal justice system.

Our aim is to create a supportive and respectful environment where every individual, irrespective of their background or identity, feels valued and included.

As of February 10, 2023, New York City Executive Order 25 rescinded the requirement of the COVID-19 vaccination for City workers, new hires, and contracted employees.

Accordingly, the Center does not require all new hires be vaccinated against the COVID-19 virus; however, the Center recommends all staff, interns, and volunteers stay up-to-date on the vaccination.

In compliance with federal law, all persons hired will be required to verify identity and eligibility to work in the United States and to complete an employment eligibility verification document form upon hire.

Kindly refer to the job posting for the relevant contact information. If the contact details are not provided, we kindly ask that you refrain from making inquiries via phone or email, as only shortlisted candidates will be contacted. Powered by JazzHR