Peer Support Specialist

South Dakota Board of Regents; Sioux Falls (SD); On-site; USD 38,000 - 54,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Health insurance

Retirement plan with 6% matching

Paid holidays

Annual leave

Sick leave

Job summary

The University of South Dakota is hiring a Peer Support Specialist in the Department of Addiction Counseling and Prevention. This grant-funded position supports participants in court-related and community settings, linking them to resources and ensuring understanding of court requirements.

The role requires an associate or technical degree in a helping profession and certification or willingness to become certified as a Peer Support Specialist, Addiction Counselor, or Prevention Specialist.

Qualifications

• Associate’s or technical school degree in a helping profession.
• Certified, or willing to become certified, as a Peer Support Specialist, Addiction Counselor, or Prevention Specialist.

Responsibilities

• Connect participants to court-related and non-court related resources.
• Support participants navigating resources and transportation needs.
• Ensure participants understand Drug/DUI Court requirements.
• Collect and report data as required.
• Attend court hearings, team meetings, and case reviews as needed.
• Participate in community outreach efforts.
• Work with courts, legal professionals, probation/parole officers, and other stakeholders.

Skills

Interpersonal skills

Communication skills

Education

Associate’s or technical school degree in a helping profession

Tools

Case management software

Job description

The Department of Addiction Counseling and Prevention at the University of South Dakota is hiring a Peer Support Specialist.

Responsibilities

• Connecting participants to court related and non-court related resources
• Supporting participants navigating resources and finding/utilizing transportation
• Ensuring participants understand requirements of the Drug/DUI Court
• Collecting and reporting data as required
• Attending court hearings, team meetings, and case reviews as needed
• Participating in community outreach efforts
• Working with the courts, legal professionals, probation/parole officers, and other key stakeholders

Required Qualifications

• Associate’s or technical school degree in a helping profession (social work, psychology, nursing, criminal justice, etc.)
• Certified, or willing to become certified, as a Peer Support Specialist, Addiction Counselor, or Prevention Specialist

Preferred Qualifications

• Personal and/or work experience in the Treatment Courts
• Familiarity with recovery processes, substance use disorder treatment, harm reduction, and criminal justice system protocols, particularly treatment courts
• Basic computer skills for case documentation and reporting; familiarity with case management software is an advantage
• Strong interpersonal, listening, and verbal communication skills; ability to build rapport and trust with participants
• Prior work experience where confidentiality and discretion were important
• Ability to work independently

The Peer Support Specialist is a grant‑funded position. The anticipated end date of the grant is 9/30/2029.

Benefits: State health insurance and benefits, including a retirement plan with 6% matching, 10 hours of annual leave each month, 9.34 hours of sick leave each month, and 11 paid holidays.

Must be authorized to work in the U.S. Sponsorship is not available for this position.