Peer Recovery Support Specialist

A Peer Recovery Support Specialist (PRSS) provides non‑clinical, lived‑experience–based support to individuals navigating substance use, mental health, trauma, and recovery systems.

A PRSS builds trust, models recovery, supports goal‑setting, connects individuals to resources, documents services, advocates for client needs, and provides ongoing peer‑based coaching throughout all phases of recovery.

Essential Job Duties

• Build trust and engagement with individuals who may have had difficult experiences with treatment or systems of care.

• Provide one‑on‑one peer support, mentorship, and encouragement using lived experience to inspire hope and model recovery.

• Share lived experience appropriately to demonstrate that recovery is possible and to support mutuality and empowerment.

• Assist individuals in identifying strengths, needs, and personal recovery goals, using structured tools such as goal‑setting processes, WRAP, or recovery capital assessments.

• Support individuals in developing and following a person‑centered recovery plan, reviewing progress and adjusting goals as needed.

• Provide recovery education across all phases: pre‑recovery engagement, initiation, stabilization, and sustained recovery maintenance.

• Model healthy coping skills, boundaries, and relapse‑prevention strategies in SUD settings.

• Facilitate or co‑facilitate peer‑led groups, mutual‑help meetings, psychoeducation, or recovery workshops.

• Assist individuals in navigating systems such as healthcare, housing, benefits, employment, transportation, and social services.

• Accompany individuals to appointments (medical, legal, treatment) to reduce barriers and increase engagement.

• Support transitions such as discharge from inpatient care, reentry after incarceration, or stepping down from residential treatment.

• Provide crisis intervention, de‑escalation, and safety planning within scope, referring to clinical supports when needed.

• Actively identify and support linkages to community resources, including recovery communities, support groups, vocational programs, and spiritual or cultural supports.

• Promote self‑advocacy, helping individuals have their needs and goals centered in treatment and service planning.

• Participate in outreach, including community‑based engagement in shelters, EDs, jails, or public spaces.

• Maintain accurate documentation in logs, EHRs, and required reporting systems.

• Collaborate with multidisciplinary teams to support holistic care and coordinated service delivery.

• Adhere to ethical standards, confidentiality (HIPAA/42 CFR Part 2), and trauma‑informed, culturally humble practices.

Must have a valid PRSS certification