Peer Recovery Coach Intern

Bright Harbor Healthcare; Toms River (NJ); On-site; USD 24,796 - 30,307; Part time

Job summary

Bright Harbor Healthcare is seeking a Peer Recovery Coach/Peer Intern to engage and support individuals in active use or early recovery within a low-threshold framework. This per diem internship requires completing 500 supervised hours and mandatory supervision to qualify for state peer certification.

The role involves street outreach, harm-reduction activities, and warm handoffs to MAT, detox, housing, and other services, with a focus on trauma-informed, non-judgmental engagement.

Qualifications

• Lived experience with substance use and sustained recovery (1–2 years preferred).
• High School Diploma or GED required or equivalent.
• Completion of foundational Peer Recovery Coach training hours or willingness to complete immediately upon hire.

Responsibilities

• Attend mandatory supervision sessions to complete 500 experiential hours.
• Log hours meticulously for certification board submission.
• Apply supervisor feedback on ethics, boundaries and peer support strategies.
• Conduct street outreach in encampments and public spaces with harm-reduction activities.
• Distribute naloxone, fentanyl test strips, and safer-use kits.
• Engage highly vulnerable individuals using a non-judgmental approach.
• Partner with ERs, syringe service programs, and social services for outreach.
• Guide participants through healthcare and social service systems.
• Facilitate connections to MAT, detox, inpatient care, primary care, and housing resources.
• Help participants obtain identification, insurance, and food assistance.
• Provide staff support at emergency shelters during Code Red/Blue activations.
• De-escalate crises, provide emotional support, monitor safety of unhoused individuals.
• Connect shelter stays to long-term outreach services and care coordination.

Skills

Communication

Conflict de-escalation

Boundary setting

Harm reduction philosophy

Lived experience

Education

High School Diploma or GED

Job description

The Peer Recovery Coach/Peer Intern uses their lived experience with substance use recovery to engage, support, and advocate for individuals in active use or early recovery. This role operates within a low-threshold framework, meeting participants where they are without demanding abstinence. A core component of this internship position is completing the required500 hours of supervised work experienceand attending mandatory clinical and administrative supervision to qualify for official state peer certification.

Position Title: Peer Recovery Coach/Peer Intern
Position Type: Per Diem
Benefits Eligible: No
Location: Ocean County, NJ
Department: Young Adult Services

1. Certification Tracking & Supervision (Core Requirement)

• Attend Supervision:Actively participate in mandatory individual and group supervision sessions to complete the required 500 experiential hours.
• Log Hours:Maintain meticulous, accurate documentation of all direct and indirect service hours for certification board submission.
• Skill Development:Apply feedback from supervisors regarding ethics, boundaries, and evidence-based peer support strategies.

2. Low-Threshold Substance Use Outreach Unit

• Street Outreach:Conduct mobile and foot-based outreach in encampments, public spaces, and known community hot-spots.
• Harm Reduction:Distribute life-saving supplies, including naloxone, fentanyl test strips, and safer-use kits.
• Engagement:Build trust and rapport with highly vulnerable individuals who are actively using substances, utilizing a non-judgmental approach.

3. Targeted Outreach & Care Coordination

• Community Partnerships:Collaborate with local emergency rooms, syringe service programs, and social services to locate and engage disconnected individuals.
• Care Coordination:Guide participants through complex healthcare and social service systems.
• Warm Handoffs:Facilitate direct connections to Medication-Assisted Treatment (MAT), detox, inpatient care, primary medicine, and housing resources.
• Resource Advocacy:Help participants obtain identification, insurance, and food assistance to stabilize their lives.

4. Code Red & Code Blue Shelter Protocols

• Emergency Response:Provide critical staff support at emergency shelters during extreme weather activations (Code Red for extreme heat, Code Blue for extreme cold).
• Crisis Engagement:De-escalate tense situations, provide emotional support, and monitor the safety of unhoused individuals seeking refuge.
• Resource Connection:Use shelter stays as an opportunity to introduce participants to long-term outreach services and care coordination.

• Lived Experience:Personal, self-identified lived experience with substance use and a sustained period of stable recovery (typically 1–2 years preferred).
• Education:High School Diploma or GED equivalent.
• Certification Pathway:Completion of the foundational Peer Recovery Coach training hours (or willingness to complete them immediately upon hire) to begin tracking the 500-hour supervision requirement.
• Skills:Strong communication, conflict de-escalation, and boundary-setting skills. Knowledge of harm reduction philosophy is essential.
• Physical Demands:Ability to walk for extended periods during outdoor street outreach and work in varying weather conditions.