Peer Recovery Specialist – Medication Mobile Unit

University of Colorado; Aurora; On-site; CAD 60,000 - 71,000; Full time

Job summary

A healthcare institution in Aurora is seeking a full-time Peer Recovery Specialist within their Adult Outpatient Program. This role involves supporting adults with substance use disorders (SUD) by providing peer support and connecting them to treatment resources. The Peer Recovery Specialist will conduct outreach activities and engage with community partner organizations. The position requires working onsite in the Denver Metro area with a focus on recovery services, engaging patients, and maintaining necessary documentation.

Benefits

Medical and dental benefits

Retirement plan with employer contribution

Generous vacation and sick leave

Qualifications

• High school diploma or GED required.
• At least one year of experience working with patients.
• Certification as a Peer Specialist preferred.

Responsibilities

• Provide peer support and recovery services to adults with SUD.
• Conduct outreach activities and connect patients to resources.
• Maintain accurate records and ensure timely documentation.

Skills

Excellent interpersonal skills

Excellent communication skills

Knowledge of community resources

Ability to manage difficult behaviors

Education

High school diploma or GED

Associate's degree or higher in related field

Job description

University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus

School of Medicine | Department of Psychiatry | Addiction Research & Treatment Services (ARTS) | Adult Outpatient Program (AOP)

Job Title: Peer Recovery Specialist – Medication Mobile Unit

Position: #00689809 – Requisition: #37224

Job Summary

The ARTS Adult Outpatient Program (AOP) within Addiction Research and Treatments Services (ARTS) at the University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus is seeking a full‑time University Staff (non‑classified) Peer Recovery Specialist. The position operates within the Addiction Research and Treatment Services (ARTS) Adult Outpatient Program (AOP), with clinic locations in Denver, Aurora, and Arvada, as well as a Mobile Medication Unit (MMU). ARTS Adult Outpatient clinics provide drug and alcohol assessment, psychosocial and pharmacological treatment for adults. Programs in various clinic locations include traditional outpatient, intensive outpatient and may contain specialty services for clients referred by the criminal justice system, county departments of human services, and services for pregnant women, individuals who are HIV‑positive and gender‑responsive services.

The Peer Recovery Specialist utilizes lived experience with SUD and recovery with existing sobriety supports to provide peer support and recovery services to those who enter into Substance Use Disorder (SUD) treatment with ARTS Adult Outpatient Program. This position provides activities to engage, educate, and offer support to adults with SUD, their family members, and caregivers as well as connect patients to prevention, diagnosis, treatment, and follow‑up sessions. The Peer Recovery Specialist is also responsible for conducting outreach activities with organizations, patients, staff, community partners, subcontracted agencies, and/or other entities as appropriate. This position will also travel to various sites, and perform other duties as assigned or required.

This position is assigned to the ARTS Mobile Medication Unit (MMU), which will operate and provide SUD services across the greater Metro Denver area and may also work from time to time at the ARTS Clinics in Denver, Arvada, or Aurora or at other ARTS locations.

This position is fully on‑site working 40 hours per week, typically Monday through Friday, 6:00 am to 2:30 pm. This position may be required to work some weeknights, Saturdays, and/or Sundays depending on the needs of the clinic. Working hours and locations are subject to change according to the needs of the project and/or the agencies concerned.

This full‑time position is supported by grant funds, whose funding will be reviewed on a periodic basis. This position is contingent on grant funding and is time‑limited. The position’s status and viability may be affected over time by any applicable variations in the grant and/or funding amounts.

Key Responsibilities

• Serve as a Peer Specialist and educator to implement interventions to improve outcomes for patients who enter care via the ARTS Medication Mobile Unit and/or ARTS Clinics.
• Identify any problems, challenges, or obstacles in coordination of services for patients, and in a timely and effective manner, as well as ensuring all duties and responsibilities are performed for effective and appropriate benefit of patients to whom care and/or services are being provided.
• Conduct structured, Peer‑led individual and group interventions that focus on health education, care coordination, identifying and reducing barriers to care for patients, and conduct outreach activities in the community in order to engage pregnant and postpartum patients in SUD treatment.
• Conduct case management for patients, provide referrals of necessary, appropriate resources to patients as needed, implement standardized intervention, track patients for engagement, and connect patients to prenatal treatment and care.
• Actively collaborate with supervisor and staff, and coordinate efforts to ensure successful delivery of services, attend and participate in trainings, team/staff meetings, and other events as needed, be willing to drive to meetings and CU Emergency Department for care coordination, ensure confidentiality of patient health information and/or health records, attend and actively participate in all project advisory committee meetings, etc.
• Continuously maintain accurate and up‑to‑date records and/or notes as required by agency policy, use electronic health record systems to ensure timely documentation, recording and tracking of communications, interventions, patient data, schedule and maintain multiple, internal, and external appointments, and gather, analyze, and report patient statistical data.
• Work comfortably among patients with or without substance abuse disorder, who are referred from city and county parole/probation departments, department of social services, and other relevant agencies, and perform other duties as assigned by supervisor and/or other AOP Management Team.

Work Location

Onsite – this role is expected to work onsite and is located in the Denver Metro, Colorado.

Why Join Us

This position at the University of Colorado/ Addiction Research and Treatment Services (ARTS) provides a unique opportunity for individuals with lived experience and recovery from SUDs to use, in turn, their specialized knowledge and experience to provide care, assistance and support of individuals currently living with SUD. The individual in this position, through their words and actions, will have a direct influence on helping others with SUD to set themselves on a path to recovery and make health lifestyle choices. In addition, by joining ARTS, employees will be actively engaged in a supportive, professional, and nurturing environment where individuals with various backgrounds and experiences converge and collaborate to provide an evidence‑based, multi‑faceted approach to provide the best treatment and care to every patient who comes into care at ARTS clinics.

Benefits

We have AMAZING benefits and offer exceptional amounts of holiday, vacation, and sick leave! The University of Colorado offers an excellent benefits package including:

• Medical: Multiple plan options
• Dental: Multiple plan options
• Additional Insurance: Disability, Life, Vision
• Retirement 401(a) Plan: Employer contributes 10% of your gross pay
• Paid Time Off: Accruals over the year
• Vacation Days: 22/year (maximum accrual 352 hours)
• Sick Days: 15/year (unlimited maximum accrual)
• Holiday Days: 10/year
• Tuition Benefit: Employees have access to this benefit on all CU campuses
• ECO Pass: Reduced rate RTD Bus and light rail service

There are many additional perks & programs with CU Advantage.

Qualifications

Minimum Qualifications

• High school diploma or General Education Diploma (GED).
• One (1) year of experience in working closely with patients and connecting them to resources.
  • Additional appropriate education will substitute for the required experience on a year‑for‑year basis.

Applicants must meet minimum qualifications at the time of hire.

Preferred Qualifications

• Associate’s degree or higher in psychology, social work, counseling, human services, or another related field from an accredited institution.
• Certification as a Peer Specialist (for example, Colorado Peer and Family Specialist/CPFS).
• Current, valid registration with the Colorado Department of Regulatory Agencies (DORA) as Certified Addiction Technician (CAT) license or higher.
• Experience with motivation interviewing techniques.
• Prior experience in Patient Navigation and connecting patients to required services or resources.
• Experience working with electronic health records.
• Experience working with clients who are involved with the criminal justice system, probation/parole, human services, and/or other similar referral sources.
• Experience providing administrative support to clients, families, staff, and other stakeholders in a substance abuse treatment setting.
• Experience managing financial paperwork including creating invoices, tracking expenditures, and gathering statistical data.
• Prior experience in sexual health education and/or with people living with HIV.
• Bilingual in English/Spanish.

Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities

• Excellent interpersonal skills with the ability to establish and maintain rapport and positive relationships.
• Excellent written and oral communication skills.
• Proficiency utilizing Microsoft Excel to create, revise, update and maintain spreadsheets and macro‑enabled reports.
• Proficiency utilizing Microsoft Outlook to create, send and receive e‑mail communication.
• Proficiency utilizing Microsoft Word to create documents, tables, mail merge, reports, etc.
• Ability to effectively and accurately check for typographical, grammatical and/or spelling errors in documents.
• Ability to accurately and timely perform data entry.
• Ability to successfully multi‑task in a high‑pressure environment.
• Demonstrated critical thinking skills.
• Ability to manage difficult behaviors.
• Ability to be open‑minded and nonjudgmental.
• Knowledge of basic care coordination, medical/hospital, and/or community resources.
• Knowledge of basic therapeutic confrontation and structures.
• Ability to engage successfully with substance dependent clients in treatment.
• Ability to comply with established rules, policies and procedures, and established deadlines.
• Ability to develop healthy relationships and boundaries with clients.
• Ability to exercise discretion and maintain patient confidentiality.

Conditions of Employment

• Successful completion of the CCAR Recovery Coach Academy training within thirty (30) days of hire date.
• Must obtain Colorado Peer and Family Specialist (CPFS) certification within four (4) months of hire date.
• Must possess a valid driver’s license, and automobile insurance per State of Colorado requirements, or obtain within 30 days from date of hire. Must be willing and able to drive as part of daily responsibilities.
• Must agree to fingerprinting and criminal background check prior to being hired. Required background checks include a review with the Colorado Bureau of Investigation (CBI) and the Central Registry of Child Protection (Trails).
• Subject to pre‑employment, post‑accident, incident, and/or reasonable suspicion drug and alcohol testing per University/Addiction Research and Treatment Services Department Policies.
• This position may be required to work periodically on some weeknights and/or Saturdays and Sundays (for example, to represent the University/ARTS at events, stakeholder meetings, etc.).
• This position may be required to occasionally be on‑call for emergency purposes.
• Must possess personal, lived experience with SUD or addictions, and maintain continuous recovery with existing sobriety supports.
• Must be able to work comfortably amongst patients with substance abuse disorders, who may be referred from city and county parole/probation departments, department of social services, and other relevant agencies.

How to Apply

For full consideration, please submit the following document(s):

1. A letter of interest describing relevant job experiences as they relate to listed job qualifications and interest in the position. This letter must adequately describe how the applicants work/life experiences satisfy the SUD, addictions, recovery, and continuous sobriety with supports Condition of Employment above. If candidates do not satisfy this requirement and/or fail to attach a cover letter to their application, then their application will be removed from consideration.

2. Curriculum vitae / Resume

3. Three to five professional references, including name, address, phone number (mobile number if appropriate), and email address.

Questions should be directed to: Heidi McKinnon - [e-mail]

Screening of Applications Begins

Applications will be accepted until finalists are identified, but preference will be given to complete applications received by January 31st, 2026. Those who do not apply by this date may or may not be considered.

Anticipated Pay Range

The starting salary range (or hiring range) for this position has been established as $43,812 – $50,830.

The above salary range (or hiring range) represents the University’s good faith and reasonable estimate of the range of possible compensation at the time of posting. This position may be eligible for overtime compensation, depending on the level.

Your total compensation goes beyond the number on your paycheck. The University of Colorado provides generous leave, health plans and retirement contributions that add to your bottom line.

Total Compensation Calculator

Equal Employment Opportunity Statement

The University of Colorado (CU) is an Equal Opportunity Employer and complies with all applicable federal, state, and local laws governing non‑discrimination in employment. We are committed to creating a workplace where all individuals are treated with respect and dignity, and we encourage individuals from all backgrounds to apply, including protected veterans and individuals with disabilities.

ADA Statement

The University will provide reasonable accommodations to applicants with disabilities throughout the employment application process. To request an accommodation pursuant to the Americans with Disabilities Act, please contact the Human Resources ADA Coordinator at [e-mail].

Background Check Statement

The University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus is dedicated to ensuring a safe and secure environment for our faculty, staff, students, and visitors. To assist in achieving that goal, we conduct background investigations for all prospective employees.

Vaccination Statement

CU Anschutz strongly encourages vaccination against the COVID‑19 virus and other vaccine‑preventable diseases. If you work, visit, or volunteer in healthcare facilities or clinics operated by our affiliated hospital or clinical partners or by CU Anschutz, you will be required to comply with the vaccination and medical surveillance policies of the facilities or clinics where you work, visit, or volunteer, respectively. In addition, if you work in certain research areas or perform certain safety‑sensitive job duties, you must enroll in the occupational health medical surveillance program.