Peer Recovery Support Specialist

Position Overview The First Choice Services Peer Recovery Coach provides peer support services to clients with addiction problems. The Peer Recovery Coach functions as a role model and coach to those seeking personal wellness and long-term recovery by adhering to professional ethics, demonstrating competencies, using effective coping skills, serving as an advocate, using best practices and providing information and referral.

Additionally, the First Choice Services Peer Recovery Coach answers various crisis and help lines assisting callers with information and referral for needed resources. The Peer Recovery Coach is responsible for providing excellent customer service to callers by taking the time to understand their unique circumstances and needs, providing options for help, support and treatment.

Peer Recovery Coaches are characterized by their patience, empathy and helpful natures. Peer Recovery Coaches are trained and expected to work within multiple programs, the array of which may change according to agency needs and growth.

Essential Job Functions Promote ongoing recovery from substance use disorders and/or co-occurring disorders using written recovery plans and tracking progress toward goals. Support clients in identifying and creating goals and developing recovery plans with the skills, strengths, supports and resources to aid them in achieving goals.

Act as a guide/coach for peers by helping them identify and utilize strengths, develop resilience and overcome personal and environmental barriers that jeopardize recovery.

Help individuals identify environmental factors, interpersonal factors and/or risk behaviors that are associated with their substance use behaviors in effort to help support their recovery efforts.

Help individuals find resources for harm reduction, detoxification, treatment, family/community/peer support and education, and local or online support groups.

Assist clients in working with their treatment team to support progress toward goals and self-directed recovery.

Utilize and teach problem solving techniques with individuals or groups.

Teach clients how to identify and combat negative self-talk and how to identify and overcome fears by providing a forum which allows group members and the Peer Support Specialist to share their experiences.

Assist clients with information and referral by providing useful contacts, community resources and groups that will be useful. Assist with identification of natural supports.

Appropriately document all client contact, outreach participation, and other approved work activities.

Gather and exchange information based on the caller’s needs and individual circumstances.

Communicate information about various appropriate treatment services and available supports without bias.

Answer incoming calls, texts and chats, and document caller interactions with the electronic database as well as within other systems as needed.

Follow-up with callers to monitor and track success, field concerns and provide further information, referral and support as needed.

Participate in outreach activities as needed.

Adhere to all policies and procedures.

Non-Essential Job Functions Client transportation for various reasons.

Requirements High School Diploma or GED equivalent required.

Lived personal experience with substance use challenges/addiction required.

Ongoing involvement with a personal support and/or recovery system.

Residence in stable, recovery-supportive housing for the last six months.

No legal involvement within the last six months.

No intensive behavioral health treatment (intensive outpatient, crisis stabilization/detoxification, residential treatment and/or psychiatric hospitalization) within the last six months.

Minimum of two most recent years in recovery…