Recovery Specialist

At Episcopal Community Services (ECS), employees work with participants who may be experiencing homelessness, behavioral health conditions, substance use challenges, and other difficult life circumstances. While this work is meaningful and mission-driven, it can at times be stressful, demanding, or unpredictable. Employees are expected to exercise sound judgment, remain aware of their surroundings, follow established safety, communication, and de-escalation procedures, participate in all required trainings, and promptly report incidents, threats, injuries, or unsafe conditions, in accordance with ECS policies and procedures.

This position is a fully onsite, client-facing role that requires in-person interaction and direct service delivery to participants at ECS program locations. Due to the essential nature of the duties and the need for consistent in-person engagement with clients, remote work or work-from-home arrangements are not available for this position.

POSITION SUMMARY: The Recovery Specialist will provide rehabilitative and therapeutic services, with a focus on supporting residents with substance use disorders, as part of a broader wraparound housing support services team. The clients we serve are formerly homeless adults who have experienced substance use, mental health, and physical health challenges as well as other impacts of poverty and homelessness. The Recovery Specialist will provide strengths-based case management and support services including outreach and engagement, for all residents on their assigned caseload.

PRIMARY DUTIES Provide trauma-informed case management, rehabilitative services, recovery support, and counseling to residents through a relational engagement approach that prioritizes trust, empathy, authenticity, and respect. Foster meaningful, strengths-based relationships that empower residents to identify their goals, build resilience, support long-term recovery, and achieve greater independence and housing stability.

Perform intake interviews and assessments for assigned tenants on the day of move-in, including review and documentation of health status, psychosocial history, financial status, substance use history, housing history, and other relevant areas of functioning and support needs

Utilize Motivational Interviewing techniques to explore tenants' substance use/dependency, encourage reduction, provide support to clients moving towards abstinence and/or provide Relapse Prevention services

Act as team lead on substance use disorder issues, providing psychoeducation to tenants and staff regarding substance use, recovery, relapse prevention, overdose prevention, harm reduction strategies, and wellness planning

Develop and facilitate weekly recovery-focused groups and activities centered on topics such as relapse prevention, recovery support, coping skills, wellness education, and peer support through a Harm Reduction lens.

Develop relationships with community agencies providing outpatient, residential, and medication-assisted treatment (MAT) services for substance use disorders, and support tenants in accessing and engaging with these services.

Develop Service plans for tenants residing at the site.

Collaboratively work with tenants to develop individualized recovery goals, while monitoring, documenting, and regularly updating progress toward achieving these goals in accordance with agency standards and timelines.

Outreach and support, as needed, to each resident on assigned caseload at least monthly, as well as in response to indicators the resident may be at risk of harm, need crisis intervention, or jeopardizing their housing (delinquent rent, lease violations, etc.).Assess each resident’s eligibility for benefits and entitlements and assist residents in…