Job Title: Community Outreach Peer Recovery Coach

REPORTS TO: On-Site Supervisor

Job Summary:

The Reverse the Cycle Community Outreach Peer Recovery Coach is an integral part of the care team designated to conduct outreach and engagement to survivors of an overdose or other high-risk patient populations after discharge and referral from the hospital. The Community Outreach Peer Recovery Coach provides a collaborative and strengths-based approach, with the goal of improving their health and well-being and reducing their risk of readmission as a result of their substance use. This individual provides non-clinical services intended to aid patients in reducing the risk associated with a subsequent overdose or other health-related problems because of ongoing substance use. The RTC Community Outreach Peer Recovery Coach will assist in completing referrals to recovery support and substance use treatment services as well as developing service plans to promote growth in the patient's recovery capital and successful linkage to referred services. Patients will receive intensive community outreach, harm reduction education, and access to naloxone. Services will primarily be provided in the community; however, the Specialist may meet patients in the hospital to develop rapport and ensure successful continuity of care.

SKILLS: The Community Outreach Peer Recovery Coach must demonstrate excellent interpersonal skills, the ability to relate to patients and health professionals, as well as the ability to develop professional working relationships with partner agencies. The candidate must possess excellent listening, verbal, and written communication skills, as well as good problem-solving skills. The incumbent must be able to read, interpret documents and write routine reports. Basic computer skills are required. Must be able to demonstrate patience and tact when dealing with patients, families, and other staff, to integrate Continuous Quality Improvement principles for service and organization work improvements. Ability to work with people of all social, economic, and cultural backgrounds; be flexible, open-minded, and adaptable to change. to develop collaborative relationships with physicians, families, patients, interdisciplinary teams, and other community agencies. In addition, the candidate must demonstrate a willingness to learn and an interest in acquiring new skills.

Primary Duties & Responsibilities:

1. Conducts outreach in the community to locate and engage with referred patients from the hospital for up to 3 months following discharge
2. Identifies patient's history of drug/alcohol use, treatment history, motivation to change behavior, improve health & wellness, and other needs for community support services
3. Identifies patient's readiness to change and uses motivational interviewing techniques and other communication skills to support a plan for improving health and wellness, which may include reducing the associated risk or eliminating harmful drug and/or alcohol use.
4. Provides education on risks of subsequent overdose, discusses harm reduction strategies, and assures that patient and family/social supports have naloxone and are trained to use it.
5. Assesses patient's readiness for change and recovery capital and uses motivational interviewing techniques and other communication skills to understand the patient's needs and goals related to the reduction of risk or elimination of drug and alcohol use as well as their overall health and wellness
6. Assists patients in setting personal recovery goals
7. Works with the patient and care team members to identify and connect to services and support to reduce the risk of subsequent overdose and improve overall health and wellness
8. Supports patients and families/social support to understand how to access community resources

Additional Duties:

1. Provides family members with recovery support materials
2. Maintains strong working knowledge of and relationships with representatives from community agencies and institutions to ensure access to services for clients, identify gaps in services and support quality improvement and program growth
3. Maintains knowledge of and relationships with representatives from community agencies and institutions to ensure access to services for clients, identify gaps in services and support quality improvement and program growth
4. Participates in multidisciplinary quality and service improvement teams as appropriate. Participates in meetings, serves on committees, and represents the department and hospital/facility in community outreach efforts as appropriate
5. Participates in training to continually gain new skills and meet certification requirements
6. Completes documentation and required reports accurately and in a timely manner

EDUCATION, EXPERIENCE:

• High school diploma or G.E.D. is required.
• The candidate must be actively engaged in his/her own recovery program with a minimum of three years of demonstrated personal recovery and sustained abstinence from alcohol and/or drug use.

LICENSE/CERTIFICATION/REGISTRATION:

• N/A