Job Details
** Young Adult Recovery Support Specialist**
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Children's Behavioral Health
Springfield, MA ID: 777-379 Full-Time/Regular
**Young Adult Recovery Support Specialist**
The Gndara Center provides residential, mental health, substance abuse, and preventive services for children, adults, and families across the Pioneer Valley and eastern parts of Massachusetts. Founded in the Hispanic community, we value cultural diversity and strive to provide culturally competent, innovative services to a diverse community. The Mission of the Gndara Center is to promote the well-being of Hispanics, African-Americans, and other culturally diverse populations, through innovative, culturally competent behavioral health, prevention, and educational services.
We are in search of a **Young Adult Recovery Support Specialist** to help with the mission of the Youth Access/ Impact Center in Springfield, MA. The Recovery Support Specialist will possess a thorough understanding of SUD, the community culture, and barriers to successful recovery in order to provide appropriate referrals and linkages to community resources, recovery, and treatment options.
**Description of Duties and Responsibilities:**
* Engages with clients/guests identified with SUD, addressing barriers to successful recovery and serving as a role model, ally, and advocate
* Identifies resources and contacts in SUD services along the continuum within the Springfield MA catchment area and makes this available to staff as needed
* Conducts active outreach efforts to encourage attendance and participation in recovery-oriented, self-help, and pro-social groups
* Educates clients/guests about addiction and utilizes motivational enhancement techniques to explore ambiguity and tip the scales toward recovery
* Provides peer coaching and supports clients/guests in establishing recovery goals and achieving and maintaining recovery via multiple pathways
* Is available to provide support to clients/guests at immediate risk of relapse or for other time-sensitive matters during regular business hours
* Helps clients/guests navigate the healthcare system and social service system
* Assists with access to treatment for SUD and co-occurring conditions, creating systems and procedures to rapidly identify treatment needs and determine the appropriate level of care in concert with the team.
* Assists with data collection for quality assurance and program evaluation
* Serves as a liaison between the recovery community, the addiction treatment system, the medical treatment system, and the clients/guests community, family, and social context to facilitate connections across systems of care
* Negotiates and creates opportunities for access to treatment and social services for clients/guests; advocates on behalf of clients/guests to help decrease barriers to care
* May facilitate and/or co-facilitate weekly recovery support group(s)
* Ability to function independently or as a member of a team.
* Displays concern and initiative.
* Observe and support program policies.
* Cooperates and maintains good rapport with staff, clients/guests, and visitors.
* Ability to learn and adapt.
* Work collaboratively with all staff involved in client/guest service planning
**Required Skills**
**Competencies:**
* Strong interpersonal, facilitation, and leadership skills
* Interest and experience working with underserved populations
* Ability to work independently as well as part of a multidisciplinary team of psychologists, physicians, social workers, and nurses.
* Strong advocacy skills along with knowledge of community-based services, resources, and local recovery community.
* Comfort with multiple pathways to recovery from SUD and willingness to embrace a clients/guests-centered approach that recognizes an individuals preferences and autonomy (recovery by any means necessary).
* Knowledge of harm reduction strategies including opioid overdose prevention and response, safer injection techniques, or willingness to be trained to become an expert in these topics.
* Comfort in working in both medical and social service settings.
* Skills in motivational enhancement strategies are preferred.
* Ability to provide accurate feedback without judgment or discomfort.
* Flexibility to adapt to unforeseen needs or circumstances.
* Excels at problem-solving and multi-tasking; organized, efficient, and goal-directed.
* Ability to maintain effective working relationships with clients/guests/families and staff.
* Excellent interpersonal, written, and verbal communication skills.
* Effective use of the Internet and Microsoft Office programs such as Word and Outlook.
* Effective use of Microsoft Excel and PowerPoint is a plus.
* Ability to handle confidential information
**Required Experience**
**Qualifications/ Requirements**
* High school diploma required
* Recovery Coach Academy graduate preferred or willing to complete RCA within 6 months of hire required.
* Recovery coach CARC certification is required within the first 12 months of employment
* **Bilingual, Bicultural candidates encouraged to apply**
**Personal Qualities**
* Willingness to share lived experience with purpose and intent: good listening skills: nonjudgmental ability to foster self-sufficiency; the desire to work in a natural family and youth setting; ability to establish trusting relationships through compassion, embracing of diversity and empathy and insight with TAYA.
**Amount of Travel and any Other Special Conditions or Requirements:**
* Frequent local travel around the city, occasional in-state travel (1-2 times per month), and infrequent national travel to conferences (1-2 per year)
**Employment Type:** Full time; 40 hrs. per week
**Scheduled Hours/Days:** TBD; must be flexible
**Benefits:**
* Retirement Plan 403(b)
* Health, Dental, Vision, and Life Insurance
* Paid vacations
* Paid Holidays
* 8 discretionary days a year
*The Gandara Mental Health Center provides equal employment opportunities to all employees and applicants for employment and prohibits discrimination and harassment of any type without regard to race, color, religion, age, sex, national origin, disability status, genetics, protected veteran status, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, or any other characteristic protected by federal, state or local laws. This policy applies to all terms and conditions of employment, including recruiting, hiring, placement, promotion, termination, layoff, recall, transfer, leaves of absence, compensation, and training.*