Peer Recovery Specialist

Job Title: Support Services Provider for Adults with Substance Abuse Disorders

Under limited supervision, this position provides support services to adults with substance abuse disorders. Reports to the Program Administrator. Essential job functions include performing screenings, conducting recovery oriented service planning, and individual goal implementation to include training/coaching in daily living skills, facilitating social/recreational activities, recovery education, and fostering client advocacy and responsibility. Assists clients in developing a Recovery Plan by identifying client goals, strengths, and steps toward recovery, to include needed support services. Assists clients with general problem solving and development of skills in obtaining services and support through coaching toward an increased sense of responsibility. Assists clients with developing skills and strategies to prevent relapse of substance addiction and possible mental health symptoms, reconnecting them with their recovery goals. Works closely with local hospital emergency room, Emergency Service program, Recovery Houses and Crisis Stabilization staff to provide client perspective on a comprehensive assessment to determine individualized treatment preferences. Assists staff in the development and facilitation of recovery-oriented groups, using educational tools and utilizing personal experiences with substance use disorders and mental illness. Educates clients about available community resources and advocates for services on behalf of clients as needed. Acts as a liaison between clients and other service providers (Emergency Service workers, case managers, counselors, etc.) to ensure that client preferences expressed in Recovery Plans are included in Individual Service Plans. Collaborates with multiple programs as part of a treatment team, community service providers, and others. Utilizes SAMHSA's Crisis Prevention Action Plan and other recovery-oriented peer support programs. Maintains accurate and timely documentation consistent with agency guidelines, grant requirements, and licensure standards. Performs other duties as assigned. Individual assignments will be determined by supervisor based on current workload and department needs.

Knowledge, Skills & Abilities

Performance indicators include general knowledge of the principles, practices, and techniques of recovery intervention, case management, crisis prevention, and substance abuse issues. Skills include promoting the integration of services for clients among a variety of service agencies, assisting, coordinating, and supervising the activities of substance abuse consumers, using standard office equipment, compiling information from a variety of sources and preparing clear and concise reports, responding quickly and effectively in a variety of emergency and non-emergency situations, effectively expressing ideas orally and in writing, exercising considerable discretion in handling confidential files and cases, establishing and maintaining effective working relationships as necessitated by work assignments, maintaining high standards of accuracy in exercising duties and responsibilities, exercising immediate remedial action to correct any quality deficiencies that occur in areas of responsibility, maintaining high quality communication and interacting with co-workers, consumers and the general public, maintaining effective and efficient output of all duties and responsibilities, assuming responsibility for doing assigned work and for meeting deadlines, completing assigned work on or before deadlines in accordance with directives, policy, standards and prescribed procedures, accepting accountability for meeting assigned responsibilities in the technical, human and conceptual areas, attending work regularly and adhering to policies and procedures regarding absences and tardiness, providing adequate notice to higher management with respect to vacation time and time-off requests, maintaining an enthusiastic, self-reliant and self-starting approach to meet job responsibilities and accountabilities, exercising analytical judgment in areas of responsibility, identifying problems or situations as they occur and specifying decision objectives, identifying or assisting in identifying alternative solutions to problems or situations, implementing decisions in accordance with prescribed and effective policies and procedures and with a minimum of errors, seeking expert or experienced advice and researching problems, situations and alternatives before exercising judgment, accepting supervisory instruction and direction and striving to meet the goals and objectives of same, questioning such instruction and direction when clarification of results or consequences are justified, sharing knowledge with supervisor for mutual benefit, contributing to maintaining high morale among all consumers and employees, developing and maintaining cooperative and courteous relationships with department employees, staffers and managers in other departments, tactfully and effectively handling requests, suggestions and complaints from other departments and persons in order to maintain good will, emphasizing the importance of maintaining a positive image within the department and surrounding regions, interacting effectively with fellow employees, program consumers, supervisors, professionals and the general public, planning and organizing daily work routine, establishing priorities for the completion of work in accordance with sound time-management methodology, avoiding duplication of effort, estimating expected time of completion of elements of work and establishing a personal schedule accordingly, attending meetings, planning sessions and discussions on time, implementing work activity in accordance with priorities and estimated schedules, maintaining a calendar for meetings and deadlines, adhering to all safety and housekeeping standards established by the department and various regulatory agencies, seeing that the standards are not violated, maintaining a clean and orderly workplace.

Education, Experience & Special Requirements

Requires a high school diploma or GED with 1 to 2 years of related experience and experience with a substance abuse/mental health service system. A Bachelor's degree in a human service or related field is preferred. Special requirements include a comprehensive background investigation to include a local, state and federal criminal history check; and a sex offender registry check. A valid driver's license with an acceptable driving record. Must have lived experience. Individuals in this position cannot be listed as having a founded child abuse or neglect complaint. In the event of a declared emergency in the city of Portsmouth, individuals in this position are required to work shelter duty and may be called on to perform duties as required to provide for the safety and care of the citizens of the community.

Physical Demands

Minimum qualifications or standards required to perform essential job functions include the ability to operate a variety of automated office equipment which includes telephones, calculators, copiers, computer terminals, facsimile, etc. Must be able to exert up to 20 pounds force occasionally and up to 50 pounds to lift, carry, push, pull or otherwise move objects or resisting individuals. Requires the ability to compare and/or judge the readily observable, functional, structural, or compositional characteristics (whether similar to or divergent from obvious standards) of data, people or things. Requires the ability of speaking and/or signaling people to convey or exchange information. Includes giving assignments and/or directions to unit members, volunteers or assistants. Includes receiving instructions from immediate supervisor. Requires the ability to read and write a variety of correspondence, reports, documents, evaluations, assessments, summaries, forms, charts, etc. Requires the ability to prepare consumer records, reports, charts, and reviews, treatment plans, using prescribed formats and conforming to all rules of punctuation, grammar, diction, and style. Requires the ability to interact with individuals and groups of people with poise, voice control and confidence. Requires the ability to apply principles of logical thinking to define problems and emergencies, collect data, establish facts, and draw valid conclusions; to interpret a variety of technical or medical instructions in verbal or written form. Requires the ability to record and deliver information, to explain procedures, to follow oral and written instructions. Must be able to communicate effectively and efficiently in a variety of medical or professional languages, including counseling terminology. Requires the ability to add and subtract, multiply and divide. Requires the ability to inspect items for proper length, width and shape. Requires the ability to coordinate hands and eyes rapidly and accurately in using automated office equipment. Requires the ability to handle a variety of items, office equipment, control knobs, switches, etc. Must have minimal levels of eye/hand/foot coordination. Does not require the ability to differentiate between colors and shades of color. Requires the ability to deal with people beyond giving and receiving instructions. Must be adaptable to performing under stress when confronted with persons acting under stress. Requires the ability to talk and/or hear: (talking - expressing or exchanging ideas by means of spoken words; hearing - perceiving nature of sounds by ear). Must be able to communicate via telephone.