Caring for Two Recovery Coach/Peer Recovery Support Specialist

Under general supervision, the Caring for Two (CFT) Recovery Coach is responsible to the Outreach and Care Coordinator/PPI Supervisor. The Recovery Coach/Peer Support Specialist provides outreach, education, peer support, and care coordination/navigation services for pregnant and postpartum women (with a child up to 18 months of age) who have a past history of substance use or who are at risk of future use and their families. This position requires extensive travel across the greater Austin area and surrounding counties, including occasional evening and weekend hours based on participant needs.

The CFT RC is responsible for engaging participants and ensuring services that support participants’ ability to enter into and sustain longer term recovery and wellness. RC assists participants to identify and meet recovery and wellness goals, identify and cultivate strengths and supports, overcome barriers and improve recovery capital in the areas of health, home, community and purpose including: recovery from substance use, physical and mental health, economic stability, employment, education and vocational goals, housing, transportation, life skills, parenting, family support, positive social connections and activities, community integration and peer leadership. The Recovery Coach must provide tracking data for sustainability of quality services.

Responsible for pre and post admission engagement and provision of recovery support services in individual and group settings for current and potential participants in the pre-admission/waitlist phase through admissions, formal treatment and community integration settings, including: face-to-face and telephone coaching, developing individualized recovery plans, coordinating resource referrals/linkages, conducting recovery support groups, and outreach and engagement.

Essential Duties and Responsibilities include the following. Other duties may be assigned.

· Provides outreach, education, peer support, navigation and care coordination services for families with a member who is pregnant or postpartum and who either has a past history of substance use or is at risk of future use

· Implements a process for participants that assesses their strengths, challenges, and goals – not just their substance abuse history, in multiple life domains.

· Implements a strengths-based assessment process for the participant to identify resources and goals across multiple life domains that are best suited for the participant.

· Utilizes person-centered planning principles with participants to develop strength-based recovery plans.

Develop recovery wellness plans with participants based on the wants, needs, and interests of the participant and engages with participant on a regular basis to identify progress and address any barriers. Conducts face-to-face contact to discuss recovery wellness planning.
· Provides ongoing mentoring/individualized recovery support assistance

· Facilitates recovery support/peer support groups, recovery wellness activities and family bonding activities.

· Serves as a liaison between participants and Children’s Protective Services (CPS) and the medical community, as well as other systems of care. Provides ongoing care coordination.

· Collaborates with other members of the treatment/care team, whether internal or external, including coordination of Plans of Safe Care

· Engages and retains participants and motivates them to adopt healthy behavioral changes, through a combination of sharing their own experience and hope and use of evidence-based practices such as Motivational Interviewing

· Provides Mommies Toolkit for Neonatal Abstinence Syndrome (NAS) curriculum to mothers as needed and assists opiate dependent women with accessing needed services.

· Provides services, referrals and care coordination activities

· Connects participant to community organizations that offer a wide array of community resources and community integration.

· Ensures participants are connected to local resource(s), by contacting resources, scheduling appointments, providing transportation, accompanying participant, etc.

· Collaborates with other recovery support/peer support groups, aftercare providers, churches, corporations, alumni, and volunteer organizations.

· Maintains a resource directory of recovery support services that includes current information on: location, contact information, services offered, days and hours of operation and eligibility criteria.

· Participates in street outreach, as needed.

· Provides overdose prevention and other harm reduction activities

· Coordinate pre-treatment and care coordination services for individuals in need of formal SUD treatment at pre-admission, admission, formal treatment and community integration periods

· Engage women on the wait list to receive treatment services to provide interim services and facilitate successful movement into treatment

Uses recovery language and service delivery that reflects recovery.
Ensures that staff and volunteers use recovery language in everyday conversations (e.g. hope, respect, high expectations, etc.) with participants, their families, and supportive allies.
Promotes engagement of family members in services as desired by participant
Implements recovery-oriented practices such as motivational interviewing.
Ensures participants have access to a diverse menu of recovery supports and services within the substance use treatment environment from which to select based upon their identified needs, goals and preferences.
Provides intervention and support to participants who are at risk of disengaging from services.
Provides flexible hours based on the needs of individuals seeking services. As needed, is available for after-hours urgent issues that arise with participants or referral partners.
Continues to engage with participants who have re-occurrence of use by identifying challenges to maintaining recovery and readjusting their recovery plan.
Conducts recovery checkups at 5 day and 3-, 6-, 9-, and 12-month intervals with participants who are in recovery, beyond the acute-care phase. Checkups can be by phone, face-to-face, or internet-based.
Works with staff and volunteers to shift from traditional hierarchical models of treatment to a collaborative partnership-based approach.
Participates in scheduled training and meetings.
· Documents specified activities and services in the Texas Department of State Health Services (DSHS) and Clinical Management for Behavioral Health Services (CMBHS) and other formats as required.

· Participates in program data collection and quality improvement initiatives, to meet project goals and promote program quality and sustainability.

· Maintains records and completes appropriate documentation

Maintains all documents that require participant or staff signature in the participants’ physical record for review.
Reports information fairly, professionally, and accurately when providing recovery services, documenting services and contacts, and when communicating with other professionals, HHSC and community-based organizations.
Recognizes importance of self care and in collaboration with supervisor, takes time to engage in relevant self care activities.
Education/Experience:

A high school diploma or General Equivalent Diploma (GED) required. Two years’ related experience and/or training working with women who are at risk of substance use or who have addiction or co-occurring disorders strongly preferred. One to three months’ experience with 500 hours and 250 supervised hours of directly related experience and/or training required. Previous experience working as a Peer Recovery Support Specialist/Recovery Coach, Community Health Worker or Patient Navigator strongly preferred. Solid knowledge of community resources and the recovery community. Familiar with how to document services according to licensure and funder standards. Knowledge of substance use and ethical standards required.

Certificates and Licenses:

Maintains a current Peer Recovery Coach/PRSS designation as required from Dept of State and Health Services following completion of state approved training course. Provides proof of recertification every two years or as required by state.

NOTE: Peer Recovery Support Specialists — must have certification with Texas Certification Board of Addiction Professionals (TCBAP) or equivalent.

Approval Requirements:

Position requires approval from Texas Department of Criminal Justice (TDCJ) to work in TDCJ-funded programs, if applicable. Must have at least one year of recovery lived experience as required by the Dept. of State and Health Services. Must currently be in a recovery support group/stable personal program of recovery.