Institute for Health·Massachusetts
The Peer Recovery Specialist uses lived experience to support pregnant and parenting people in recovery from substance use disorders. They collaborate with a multidisciplinary team to help clients access care, build recovery plans, and navigate support services.
Job title: Peer recovery specialist
The Salary range varies and will be determined during the offer process based on education, licensure, and skills (e.g., bachelor’s, master’s, unlicensed, independent license, bilingual language capacity.
Program/Department: Family Engagement Program
Position Type: Non-Exempt, Full-Time 40 hours/ week – Hybrid Position (remote and on-site)
Location: North Shore
Reports to: Clinical Supervisor
The Institute for Health and Recovery (IHR) is a statewide service, research, policy, program development and capacity building agency. IHR designs its services based on an understanding of the impact of trauma. IHR’s CARF accredited treatment programs provide holistic interventions for hard to reach and high-risk individuals and families. IHR’s mission, since our founding in 1990, has been to develop and support a comprehensive continuum of care for families, individuals, youth, and pregnant and parenting people affected by alcohol, tobacco, and other drug use, violence/trauma, mental health challenges and other health issues, while advancing principles of health equity and social justice. Our work is focused on addressing and eradicating inequities in our health care, economic, and justice systems, especially as they disproportionately affect women and people of color. We are committed to providing services and creating communities that mitigate the effects of substance use, mental illness, and trauma.
The Peer Recovery Specialist is a person with lived experience of parenting in recovery from a substance use disorder (SUD). Working as part of a multidisciplinary team, the Peer Recovery Specialist supports pregnant and parenting people impacted by substance use, trauma, and mental health needs. Using their own lived experience and professional training, the Peer Recovery Specialist assists people with accessing care, identifying and building on their strengths, learning about recovery, and navigating supports and services for themselves and their families. The Peer Recovery Specialist will work closely with an interdisciplinary team on all family activities.
Work collaboratively with clinical staff and partners to identify and engage pregnant and parenting people in services;
Provide recovery-oriented, trauma-informed services in homes and community settings;
Support families in developing and maintaining recovery support plans, and in identifying goals for attaining and maintaining recovery, including cultivating a recovery support network;
Work with parents to develop self-worth and skills that build connection with their children, using Relational-Cultural Theory;
Build rapport with parents to supportively challenge negative beliefs and promote positive change, using Motivational Interviewing Techniques;
Facilitate or co-facilitate groups;
Engage in weekly supervision and maintain all required documentation;
Participate in collecting evaluation data for further assessment and/or services as needed;
Collaborate with team members on an ongoing basis to discuss and coordinate client care and treatment.
Solicit feedback from participants about satisfaction and service delivery improvements and share with team.
Participate in BSAS Recovery Coach Academy and related training if not already certified as a Recovery Coach.
Participate in required training and become knowledgeable in relevant evidence-based practices, such as Seeking Safety, the Nurturing Program, and Trauma Informed Care.
Maintain timely records of all services providers in EHR system in accordance with state and federal confidentiality laws.
Use cloud-based systems for communication with IHR’s site office, including shared calendars, timesheets, and supervisor check-ins.
Attend team and agency staff meetings.
(Reimbursable; required within one month of start of job).
The physical demands of this position include talking, hearing, sitting, standing, walking, lifting, and using hands for activities such as grasping, handling, and reaching. These physical and mental demands are essential for the successful execution of job responsibilities. Reasonable accommodation will be made for qualified individuals with disabilities.
IHR seeks to create welcoming, inclusive and accessible environments for our staff and the people we serve. We welcome and celebrate the diverse social identities of our staff. We recognize the importance of having staff who reflect the identities of the diverse communities that we serve, and we make efforts to hire from within these communities. We are proud to offer an inclusive, recovery friendly, and supportive work environment, and we welcome, and value lived experience of recovery.
Market context
In Massachusetts, behavioral health employers often look for licensed or license-eligible clinicians with experience supporting at-risk youth and families, so demand tends to stay steady for candidates who can work across settings and age groups. These roles can be competitive because employers usually want a master’s degree, a clear licensure path, and practical experience; review the summarized requirements and benefits here, which are AI-summarized from the original job description to save research time, then confirm your licensure status and tailor your application to youth and family work.
