OORP Peer Recovery Specialist

Job Description

Job Description

Job Summary

Under the supervision of the Senior Director of Integrated Services and/or the Clinical Administrator, the Peer Recovery Specialist for the Opioid Overdose Recovery Program (OORP) serves as a vital member of the integrated services team. This role involves providing support, encouragement, and wellness-focused services to individuals from diverse communities who are experiencing mental health challenges and/or substance use disorders, with the goal of helping them achieve and maintain long-term recovery.

As part of the Passaic County OORP, the Peer Recovery Specialist uses their lived experience to offer emotional support, share knowledge, and provide practical assistance. The specialist helps individuals connect with essential resources, recovery opportunities, and community support. The OORP operates a minimum of 84 hours per week from Thursday through Monday, and provides non-clinical services including peer support, advocacy, and referrals to substance use treatment providers. These services are offered to individuals who have been revived from an opioid overdose and subsequently treated in hospital Emergency Departments (EDs).

Job Duties

1. Embodies Eva’s Village’s core values, voice, and tone to provide an exceptional and effective experience for our clients, funders, employees, and volunteers.
2. Maintains effective intra-office and inter-office communication within departments.
3. Shall be responsible for providing on-call coverage at county-based Emergency Departments and engaging in and providing non-clinical assistance and recovery support for individuals revived from an opioid overdose.
4. Shall attend all mandatory training(s) made available through the Department of Mental Health and Addiction Services (DMHAS).
5. Maintain client information and ensure up-to-date documentation in the OORP Teams Channel. Providing an evidence-based comprehensive case management assessment that includes life domains such as housing, finances, transportation, legal services, vocational, employment, health care, and family strengths/needs.
6. Provide education to individuals reversed from opioid overdose on how to appropriately navigate treatment, social service, and recovery support systems through Evidence-Based Practices (EBPs).
7. Serve as a positive role model to survivors and their families by sharing experiential knowledge, hope, and skills.
8. Maintaining relationships with survivors and their families through documentation via in-person meetings or phone calls for a minimum of eight (8) weeks to assist individuals in the treatment, engagement, and retention process.
9. Reinforcing, guiding, and ensuring survivors and their families that recovery is possible, and is built on multiple strengths, coping abilities, and resources of each individual.
10. Advocate on behalf of the client.
11. Assist participants in connecting with community resources, including but not limited to self-help groups, vocational training, educational opportunities, and social support systems that align with their interests, and maintaining recovery.
12. Assist participants in establishing and sustaining a social and physical environment supportive of recovery.
13. Empower participants to advocate for their needs, ensuring their voices are heard and their goals drive the direction of their recovery services.
14. Providing a warm hand-off to appropriate treatment and recovery services, to include referrals to DHS licensed programs that offer Medication Assisted Treatment (MAT). Developing an integrated Recovery Management Plan (RPM) that is consumer-centered and includes strategies for recovery. The plan shall identify priorities, desired outcomes, and the strategies and resources to be used in obtaining outcomes based on the case management assessment
15. Developing linkages and linking individuals to resources that address specialized needs, such as services related to HIV/AIDS, mental health disorders, chronic and acute health problems, pregnant and parenting women, veterans, and problems stemming from involvement with the criminal justice system.
16. Providing a warm hand-off to appropriate treatment and recovery services, to include referrals to DHS licensed programs that offer Medication Assisted Treatment (MAT).
17. Development of an integrated case plan that is consumer-centered and includes strategies for recovery (i.e., identify priorities, desired outcomes, strategies, and resources to be used in obtaining outcomes based on the case management assessment).
18. Performs other relevant duties as assigned by the Director of Integrated Services and/or Clinical Administrator.

Qualifications

1. Must possess a minimum of a high school diploma and/or associate’s degree.
2. Must have a Certified Peer Recovery Specialist (CPRS) certification.
3. Ability to speak, read, and write English.
4. Must be able to work independently and complete assignments with minimal supervision.
5. Good interpersonal skills are required.
6. Must maintain a professional demeanor and perform duties effectively in stressful/emergency.

EXPERIENCE:

1. Must have at least two (2) years of demonstrated experience in the guiding principles of recovery that assist individuals in how to improve their health, wellness, engagement in healthy practices, and sustained recovery.
2. Must have demonstrated experience in working with high-need individuals with substance use and mental health disorders.
3. Must possess the knowledge, skills, and experience necessary to competently perform peer recovery services and case management activities.
4. Knowledge of all aspects of addiction treatment, access to services, and community supports.
5. Knowledge of case management activities and applications particular to recovery management.
6. Knowledge of confidentiality rules and regulations related to substance use and mental health disorders, prevention, treatment, and recovery supports.
7. Must be nonjudgmental of adults who have a substance use or mental health disorder.
8. Must have the ability to establish empathy with the individual.
9. Must have the ability to work with diverse populations and cultural backgrounds.
10. Must be comfortable in working independently in community settings.
11. Must have willingness and open-mindedness to follow established procedures.
12. Must have acceptance of extremely flexible working hours.

PHYSICAL REQUIREMENTS: Intermittent sitting and standing throughout shift.

Open Shifts:
Part-Time: Saturday, Sunday, Holidays (7am-3pm)
Full-Time: Monday-Friday (11pm-7am)
Full-Time: Monday-Friday (3pm-11pm)