Peer Recovery Specialist (Contract)

UPMC Health Plan and Strategic Consulting Partners have an exciting opportunity for a full-time Peer Recovery Specialist based in Pittsburgh, PA! 

If you have personal experience in recovery and want to give back to your community, this is the perfect position for you! Join the community services team and the neighborhood center for this exciting new opportunity to build out a substance use disorder (SUD) recovery intervention program from the ground up.  Your input will be invaluable to the process of creating this new program while still having the opportunity to directly help others at various stages of the recovery process. 

The Peer Recovery Specialist (PRS) will be part of a partnership with UPMC Health Plan and Strategic Consulting Partners and will work directly with individuals receiving substance abuse services (and may be receiving mental health services), family members, providers, and other stakeholders, at the direction of a supervisor.  The candidate will be able to work remotely but is expected to also be out in the community visiting members’ homes, doctors’ offices, social service agencies, and other community-based locations.

This position requires the candidate has direct, firsthand experience using addiction services.  This position will be a resource to individuals receiving services, families, and other stakeholders related to recovery initiatives.  We recognize fundamental services are needed to support recovery, such as access and choice in housing, work, leisure, spirituality, and relationships to name a few.  To fill this position, we will recruit a seasoned person in recovery who has expertise in issues such as housing, transportation, peer support, career training, recovery supports, and possibly psychiatric rehabilitation programs or other recovery supports within the substance abuse serving community.  This position will entail training and education of providers, stakeholders, and people in recovery.  This position will also include telephonic and face to face contact with individuals receiving services, family members and other stakeholders to engage in problem solving and referral strategies that will ensure people have access to recovery tools; education concerning recovery; community-based service; resources for housing and resources available to members to promote recovery.   This person will also educate individuals and family members on the domains of recovery.  The Peer Recovery Specialist represents the organization to the public, families, stakeholder groups and individuals in, and seeking, recovery.

The Health Plan Community Services Team is a multidisciplinary team that goes out into the community to address any physical or behavioral health conditions and/or social determinants of health needs that might be negatively impacting the health and well-being of their members. The Community Services team is composed of several smaller specialized teams that provide intense case management and mobile interventions to best serve the communities in which they live and work. 

Strategic Consulting Partners (SCP) is an award-winning, woman-owned, minority, small business. As a member of the SCP organization you will work as a contractor for UPMC to improve the health and well-being of the UPMC Health Plan members in our communities.

Benefits Available through SCP include:

Medical insurance

Vision insurance

Dental insurance

Disability insurance

401(k)

Paid Time Away from Work: 11 Holidays and 2 weeks PTO your first year

Responsibilities:

•  Promotes principles of recovery with members, providers, and stakeholders.
• Collaborate with UPMC care management staff, as needed, for interventions.
• Provide recovery coaching: Assisting in recovery management, identification of personal strengths/assets, development of a strength-based recovery plan/recovery goals, and strategies to meet goals.
• Assist in identifying or re-connecting to natural supports including but not limited to peer recovery supports and self-help groups in the community.
•  Assist in scheduling appointments as needed.
• Assist members with accessing and navigating the substance abuse service system.  Participate in treatment team meetings, continuing care (aftercare) meetings, as requested by the member.
• Flexibility in schedule to meet members need.
• Advocate for the member’s community, medical, and behavioral health needs
•  Obtain or maintain certification as a recovery specialist.
• Utilize motivational interviewing to effectively identify the member’s strengths, needs, motivation, triggers, and goals in managing life circumstances.
• Identifying challenges, a member faces in the Eight Stages of Wellness and Recovery
• Bridge the gap between the physical health care and behavioral health treatment.
•  Connect the member to community-based treatment and recovery supports.
• Work in the community setting at least 80% of the time, to have direct contact with members, support teams, treatment providers and recovery supports.
• Provides telephonic assistance to members and family members concerning recovery tools and resources.
• Empower the member to self-advocate and follow through with treatment (making and attending scheduled appointments, setting goals, and community networking)
•  Travel throughout the region
• Has own vehicle for reliable transportation.
•  Performs in accordance with system-wide competencies/behaviors.
• Performs other duties as assigned.