Collegiate Recovery & Prevention Education Specialist

UMass Amherst; Amherst (MA); On-site; USD 65,000 - 90,000; Full time

Job summary

UMass Amherst is seeking a Collegiate Recovery & Prevention Education Specialist to advance alcohol and other drug prevention, early intervention, harm reduction, and recovery support on campus.

The role leads UMass Recovery, collaborates with faculty and community partners, and delivers evidence-based education to students, staff, and residents, promoting wellbeing and academic success across the campus community.

Qualifications

• Master's degree in a relevant field and experience in recovery, health promotion, or collegiate settings.
• Knowledge of evidence-based AOD prevention strategies, harm reduction, and recovery support.
• Excellent written and oral communication with diverse stakeholders.

Responsibilities

• Leads UMass Recovery operations, peer support, events, and student leadership development.
• Provides consultation, brief intervention, referral, and care coordination for students.
• Develops and evaluates prevention, education, and recovery initiatives.
• Coordinates campuswide overdose prevention education and Narcan distribution.
• Delivers trainings on prevention strategies to staff and faculty.
• Collaborates with campus partners to ensure integrated care and referrals.

Skills

Public health

Substance use prevention

Counseling skills

Collaboration

Community engagement

Education

Master's degree

Tools

Google Suite

Microsoft Office (Teams)

Canvas

Zoom

Job description

Title: Collegiate Recovery & Prevention Education Specialist

Executive Area: Student Affairs & Campus Life

College/School/MBU: Campus Life & Wellbeing

Department: Wellness Administration

Work Location: Amherst

Schedule: Full Time

Work Arrangement: Onsite

Job Summary

Under the general direction of the Director of Substance Misuse Prevention Strategy, the Collegiate Recovery & Prevention Education Specialist advances the university's comprehensive public-health approach to alcohol and other drug (AOD) prevention, early intervention, harm reduction, and recovery support.
The Specialist develops and delivers evidence-based prevention, education, and recovery support initiatives, providing direct student support while fostering a recovery-inclusive campus culture that promotes student wellbeing and academic success.
This position provides leadership for UMass Recovery and oversees the Harm Reduction Ambassadors program. While centered on student support, the Specialist collaborates extensively with faculty, staff, alumni, and community partners to ensure coordinated systems of care, effective referral pathways, and sustainable prevention and recovery infrastructure.

Essential Functions

Program Leadership & Student Support

• Leads the daily operations of UMass Recovery, including peer support meetings, community-building events, leadership development, and individual student support.
• Provides consultation, brief intervention, referral, and care coordination for students experiencing substance use concerns, recovery transitions, and co-occurring mental health challenges.
• Serves as a primary point of contact for students seeking substance use services, recovery pathways, or consultation.
• Initiates proactive outreach and serves as a trusted resource and referral agent for students navigating support and treatment options.
• Supports student leadership development, facilitation skills, and recovery-support competencies.
• Serves as an active member of the Substance Use Consultation Team.

Education, Prevention & Harm Reduction

• Designs, implements, and evaluates evidence-informed educational programs, workshops, social norms initiatives, outreach, and coaching addressing alcohol, cannabis, other drugs, harm reduction, recovery, and general wellbeing.
• Coordinates campuswide initiatives such as overdose prevention education, Narcan distribution, stigma-reduction campaigns, and general wellbeing.
• Delivers training for professional and para-professional staff (e.g., residence life, advisors, coaches) on prevention strategies, motivational approaches, harm reduction, recovery-supportive practices, and general wellbeing.
• Facilitates skills-based courses that teach students social emotional skills for coping and thriving.
• Applies ecological and public-health frameworks that address individual, interpersonal, community, and environmental influences on substance use and wellbeing.

Assessment, Strategy & Continuous Improvement

• Contributes to strategic planning, goal development, and measurable objectives for AOD prevention and recovery initiatives using theory-driven and evidence-based practices.
• Implements and analyzes assessments (e.g., surveys, screenings, program evaluations) to monitor trends, assesses impact, and informs continuous improvement.
• Collects and interprets qualitative and quantitative data to evaluate program effectiveness and emerging student needs.
• Collaborates with the Director of Substance Misuse Prevention Strategy to prepare reports and demonstrate outcomes and impact.

Supervision & Workforce Development

• Recruits, hires, trains, supervises, and evaluates student employees, peer educators, interns, and Harm Reduction Ambassadors.
• Fosters inclusive leadership development and professional growth among student staff.

Partnerships, Outreach & Consultation

• Collaborates with campus partners, community agencies, and treatment providers to strengthen coordinated systems of care and referral pathways.
• Serves on relevant committees and provides consultation on substance use trends, harm reduction practices, and recovery-inclusive policies to faculty, staff, families, and community partners.
• Works closely with colleagues across Student Affairs and Campus Life, academics, and other stakeholders to advance an integrated, multidisciplinary approach.

Communications, Operations & Sustainability

• In collaboration with SACL Communications, develops and maintains digital and print communications (e.g., social media, campaigns, marketing materials) to promote prevention, harm reduction, and recovery initiatives.
• Applies internal financial policies to ensure accurate processing of transactions and responsible stewardship of resources.
• Supports development of short- and long-term funding strategies to sustain and expand prevention and recovery programming.

Other Functions

• Performs related duties, as assigned, or required.
• Understands responsibilities with respect to Title IX, Clery, and other compliance requirements.
• Demonstrates capacity, skill, and willingness to engage students, and contribute to student success.
• Understands responsibilities, with respect to conflicts of interest, and behaves in ways consistent both with law and University policy.
• Contributes toward creating a positive and respectful workplace.
• Uses access to sensitive and/or not yet public University related information only in the performance of responsibilities of position and exercise care to prevent unnecessary disclosure to others.

Minimum Qualifications

• Master's degree.
• One (1) year of relevant experience related to recovery support services, health promotion, mental health, or work within a collegiate environment.
• Knowledge of evidence-based AOD prevention strategies, motivational approaches, recovery support frameworks, harm reduction principles, and population-level behavior change models.
• Demonstrated understanding recovery, addiction services and student development.
• Ability to work with student population in a compassionate and supportive manner.
• Knowledge of best practices in collegiate health promotion and public health.
• Excellent written and oral communications skills. Demonstrated skills in a variety of educational methods including presentations, workshops, trainings, individual behavior change sessions, and small group discussion/facilitation.
• Proficient in various word processing, presentation, and statistical analysis applications such as Google Suite, Microsoft Office Suite including Teams, Canvas, Zoom and other related platforms that announce/distribute information.

Preferred Qualifications

• Certified Addictions Recovery Coach (CARC), or other relevant professional credentials.
• Experience with collegiate recovery programs, peer-based support models, or substance use intervention tools (e.g., BASICS, SBIRT).
• Familiarity with social media and innovative technologies, especially those popular with college populations.

Additional Details

• Typical office environment with responsibilities around campus requiring inside and outside presence.
• Ability to lift, transport, and deliver materials and equipment.

Working Conditions

Work is primarily performed in an indoor university environment and involves lifting and transporting materials or equipment and general physical activity, including prolonged standing, walking, or assuming low postures.

Work Schedule and Work Arrangement

Monday-Friday 8:30am - 5:00pm
Weekend and evenings as needed.

Salary Information

Pay Grade: PSSAP Grade 28

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