Peer Recovery Support Specialist

JOB SUMMARY:

This individual uses their lived experience with substance use to help others navigate recovery. They provide mentorship, emotional support, and practical guidance to empower clients, reduce relapse risks, and connect them to essential community resources. They offer peer support to pregnant, postpartum, and parenting individuals identified as being at risk for substance misuse. This role will prioritize connecting families with essential community resources, including mental health and substance abuse treatment, as well as prenatal and postnatal care.

Significant travel is required. This team member will be in the field up to 50% of the time, working with community-based agencies. Work is performed in the office area and remotely in other locations to provide flexibility for meeting with clients, community partners, vendors, etc., within Cotton, Jefferson, and Stephens’s counties in Southwest Oklahoma.

*** This position is grant-funded and contingent upon continued grant funding. ***

RESPONSIBILITIES (ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS):

• Conduct community outreach and education by distributing materials and educating the public on issues related to women with substance use disorders (SUD) through community events, presentations, etc.
• Provide individual outreach and engagement to individuals at risk for substance misuse and to women with SUD who may be pregnant, postpartum, or parenting young children.
• Connect families to community resources, such as food pantries, clothing, household items, rental assistance, financial assistance for household utilities, other emergency supports, and assistance.
• Attend meetings, court sessions, or other necessary meetings or appointments with women and families needing support.
• Facilitate a warm handoff to treatment services that best fit the families' needs (connecting them to those services, not just providing a written or verbal referral).
• Maintain connection and follow up with pregnant individuals with SUD, offering continual support in their pathway to recovery.
• Assist with the completion of a Family Care Plan (FCP) with the individual being supported. Answer any questions about the FCP, encourage completion, and update as needed, demonstrating its value to the family.
• Ensure all facilitated interactions with individuals being supported are free from discrimination based on race, color, age, sexual orientation, gender, religion, diagnosis, behavioral health condition, or national origin.
• Treat all individuals with respect and dignity.
• Allow women and/or families to operate with self-determination, helping them consider the consequences of their decisions.
• Participate in staff trainings and professional development as assigned.
• Advocate on behalf of individuals with behavioral health problems to protect their rights and assist in reducing associated stigma.
• Work within the counties assigned and perform other duties as assigned.
• Attendance at monthly Network Meeting and Technical Assistance meeting with Georgia Health Policy and HRSA.
• Demonstrates knowledge and support of DRH Health's mission, vision, value statements, standards, policies and procedures, operating instructions, confidentiality standards, and the code of ethical behavior.
• Actively participate in required training and professional development activities.
• Maintains professional and technical knowledge through continuing education opportunities, including internal and external educational offerings.
• Regular attendance and punctuality for scheduled shifts.
• Utilization of assistive devices for lifting is mandatory.
• Must adhere to safety protocols at all times.
• Per DRH policy, all required conditions of employment must be met and maintained, including required vaccinations.
• Implement DRH Standards of Behavior and exhibit behaviors consistent with DRH core values.
• Performs other related duties as assigned.