The Certified Peer Recovery Specialist (CPRS) plays a crucial role in Good News Home’s mission to support individuals struggling with addiction by providing education, guidance, and assistance in accessing treatment services. This position offers the opportunity to make a meaningful impact in the community and contribute to the well-being of those in need. The CPRS will serve as a role model, mentor, advocate, and motivator to recovering individuals to help prevent relapse and promote long-term recovery. The CPRS must demonstrate an ability to share personal recovery experiences and to develop authentic peer-to-peer relationships.ResponsibilitiesMaintain project logs, reports, and records in appropriate files and database(s).Provide recovery education to service recipients for every phase of the recovery journey from pre-recovery engagement, recovery initiation, recovery stabilization, and sustained recovery maintenance.Provide a model for both people in recovery and staff by demonstrating that recovery is possible.Assist recovering persons to identify their interests, goals, strengths and weaknesses regarding recovery. Assist/coach recovering persons to develop their plan for advancing their recovery; for “getting the life they want.” Recovery Planning -- facilitate (via personal coaching) the transition from a professionally directed service plan to a self-directed Recovery Plan. The goal should be to transition from professionally assisted recovery initiation to personally directed, community-supported recovery maintenance.Promote self-advocacy by assisting recovering persons to have their voices fully heard; their needs, goals and objectives established as the focal point of rehabilitation and clinical services. The CPRS will attend appointments (doctor, housing, court, etc.) to assist with advocacy for the client. Actively identify and support linkages to community resources (communities of recovery, educational, vocational, social, cultural, spiritual resources, mutual self-help groups, professional services, etc.) that support the recovering person’s goals and interests. This will involve a collaborative effort including the recovering person, agency staff, and other relevant stakeholders. Support connections to community-based, mutual self-help groups. Link individuals to appropriate professional resources when needed. Provide vision-driven hope and encouragement for opportunities at varying levels of involvement in community-based activities (e.g., work, school, relationships, physical activity, self-directed hobbies, etc.).Develop relationships with community groups/agencies in partnership with others in the agency.As the CPRS position evolves and knowledge increases, visit community resources with recovering persons to assist them in becoming familiar with potential opportunities. Identify barriers (internal and external) to full participation in community resources and develop strategies to overcome those barriers. Maintain contact by phone and/or e-mail with a recovering person after they leave the program to ensure their ongoing success and to provide re-engagement support in partnership with others in the agency if needed. Long-term engagement, support, and encouragement. Other duties as directed by the Executive Director.RequirementsHigh school diploma/GED, with a minimum of 2 years sobriety. Must have worked within the last 2 years with at least 12 months total of successful or part or full-time paid or voluntary work experience and have acquired or met the qualifications for certification as a CPRS. The individual must have an understanding of and respect for each individual’s unique path to recovery. The CPRS must have a working knowledge of the drug and alcohol treatment system and a demonstrated commitment to the recovery community.