Peer Recovery Specialist

City of Suffolk; Suffolk (VA); On-site; USD 36,000 - 54,000; Full time

Job summary

City of Suffolk is seeking a Peer Recovery Specialist to lead outreach, provide authentic peer support, and link individuals to recovery resources. The role emphasizes using lived experience to build trust with hard-to-reach populations and coordinating with internal and external partners.

Responsibilities include facilitating sessions, helping clients set recovery goals, and assisting with navigating programs and supports to improve housing, employment, and wellness outcomes.

Qualifications

• Minimum of a High School diploma or the equivalent.
• Personal, direct experience with a substance use disorder alongside a period of sustained recovery for a minimum of two years.
• Certification as a Peer Recovery Specialist preferred; ability to prepare for and become certified is required.
• Requires a valid driver’s license.

Responsibilities

• Build trusting relationships with community members and provide authentic peer support.
• Assist individuals in identifying personal recovery goals through individual and group sessions.
• Support community members in creating goals and recovery plans with strengths and resources.
• Teach recovery information and tools to develop individualized wellness plans.
• Collaborate with treatment teams and connect clients to resources.

Skills

Lived experience

Peer support

Interpersonal communication

Education

High School diploma or equivalent

Peer Recovery Specialist certification

Job description

Under general supervision, the Peer Recovery Specialist (PRS) leads community engagement and guides individuals toward recovery, housing, and support resources. In this role, the PRS uses their lived experience to build trust with hard-to-reach populations, coordinate field outreach activities, and connect clients with internal teams and external partners. This person supports direct peer-to-peer engagement in the field and supports overall collective impact strategies including the coordinating of administrative tracking, referrals, and program data. The PRS facilitates, coordinates, and provides assistance and support to individuals in need of basic physical, financial, personal, and recovery assistance. The PRS is responsible for identifying and linking individuals in need with appropriate community and agency resources; developing tracking and monitoring procedures to assist individuals, identifying needs, and ensuring progress.

To perform this job successfully, an individual must be able to perform the essential job functions satisfactorily. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the primary job functions herein described. Since every duty associated with this position may not be described herein, employees may be required to perform duties not specifically spelled out in the job description, but which may be reasonably considered to be incidental in the performing of their duties just as though they were actually written out in this job description.

• Build trusting relationships with community members and provide authentic peer support based on shared life experiences.
• Assist individuals in identifying personal recovery goals through the use of individual and group sessions.
• Support community members as they create goals; develop recovery plans with the skills, strengths, supports, and resources to aid them in achieving those goals.
• Teach/train recovery information and recovery tools in order to assist individuals in developing individualized wellness and recovery plans.
• Model personal responsibility, self-advocacy, and wellness via telling of their own recovery story.
• Support individuals’ vocational choices and assist them in choosing a job that matches their strengths, overcoming job-related anxiety by reviewing job applications, and providing interview tips and resume assistance.
• Assist individuals with obtaining services that meet their identified needs, desires, and recovery goals.
• Assist individuals with accessing community resources and identifying natural supports.
• Assist individuals in setting up and sustaining self-help (mutual support) groups, as well as means of locating and joining existing groups.
• Collaborate regularly with treatment team members, other services providers, and significant others as necessary.
• Interviews applicants, explaining scope of multiple benefit programs and determining eligibility for assistance. Secures and verifies financial, social and employment data from applicant. Assists applicant in completing required forms, as necessary.
• Evaluates information received from applicants for consistency, accuracy and completeness.
• Identifies needs of clients. Explains available programs, rights and responsibilities
• Explores other possible sources of income for applicants.
• Plan and execute street-based outreach, community events, or digital campaigns to reach target populations.
• Completes mathematical computations. Determines amount and type of assistance clients may be eligible or ineligible to receive.
• Maintains contact with clients, visiting clients' homes as necessary. Receives inquiries and provides information based on detailed knowledge of multiple benefit programs, or refers inquiries to appropriate personnel.
• Composes and types correspondence and forms. Assumes responsibility for correctness of spelling, punctuation, format and grammar.
• Plans and organizes caseload, establishing priorities and scheduling appointments.
• Utilizes numerous computer-driven data entry and file maintenance programs to retrieve files and other information required to determine eligibility for assistance. Performs various data entry duties.
• Maintains a variety of confidential records and files.
• Provides support to Behavioral Health Multi-Disciplinary Team and related bodies.
• Performs other related duties as required.
• Employee must be willing to work disaster related assignments, including emergency shelter duty, in the event of a natural disaster or emergency.

Minimum of a High School diploma or the equivalent. Personal, direct experience with a substance use disorder alongside a period of demonstrated sustained recovery for a minimum of two years.

Certification as a Peer Recovery Specialist preferred. Ability to prepare for and become certified is required. Requires a valid driver’s license.

Recovery and Wellness Support

• Knowledge: Understanding recovery concepts, hope, and wellness principles.
• Skills: Assisting clients in creating their own recovery and wellness plans.
• Abilities: Modeling stable recovery and sharing personal lived experiences appropriately to inspire confidence.

Mentoring and Education

• Knowledge: Recognizing basic coping skills, triggers, and local behavioral health resources.
• Skills: Active listening, motivational interviewing, and peer coaching.
• Abilities: Facilitating peer support groups and helping clients build problem-solving skills.

Advocacy

• Knowledge: Understanding client rights and community systems.
• Skills: Communicating on behalf of clients to reduce stigma and break down barriers.
• Abilities: Empowering individuals to advocate for their own needs within medical and social systems.

Ethical Responsibility

• Knowledge: Professional boundaries, confidentiality laws (such as HIPAA), and code of conduct.
• Skills: Navigating dual relationships and maintaining safe, respectful interactions.
• Abilities: Recognizing personal limitations and practicing effective self-care.
• Knowledge: Basic crisis de-escalation, safety planning, and harm reduction strategies.

Harm Reduction and Safety

• Skills: Identifying emergency warning signs and making appropriate referrals.
• Knowledge: Basic crisis de-escalation, safety planning, and harm reduction strategies.
• Abilities: Responding safely and calmly during urgent client crises.