ED Peer Recovery Coach

Position Objective:

The Peer Recovery Coach provides non-clinical services intended to aid patients in establishing recovery from high risk alcohol and drug use problems.  The Peer Recovery Coach will work as part of the hospital team to provide peer support and motivation to encourage patients to change their substance use behavior.  This includes direct interventions with patients while in the hospital or in the community to help access treatment and other recovery support services. The Peer Recovery Coach will see patients in the emergency department, on other assigned hospital units as well as conduct outreach and engagement in the community for patients following hospital discharge.  Peer Recovery Coaches will develop service plans to promote successful linkage to referred services.

Essential Job Duties:

Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions. 

1. Conducts brief interventions for patients that screen positive for risky alcohol and/or drug use.
2. Identifies patient’s history of drug/alcohol use, treatment history, motivation to change behavior 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 reducing or eliminating harmful drug and/or alcohol use.
4. Works with hospital team members to identify community support services aligned with patient plan
5. Works with other health providers and community resources collaboratively to support patient needs.
6. Assists patient and family with understanding how to utilize community services.
7. Reduces barriers for patients to access care including coordination of services such as securing appointments and transportation.
8. Acts as a peer support throughout the hospitalization and post-discharge, as appropriate to facilitate attainment of goals.
9. Provides family members with recovery support materials.
10. Provides telephone and face to face community outreach and engagement with patients to assist with treatment and resource linkages and continued peer support.
11. Conducts street outreach to locate and engage patients from hospital.
12. Assists patients in setting personal recovery goals.
13. Provides education on risks of overdose and assures that patient and significant others have naloxone and are trained to use.
14. Models coping techniques and self-help strategies.
15. Demonstrates ability to meet the productivity requirements set in accordance with program goals.
16. Participates in trainings to continually gain new skills.
17. Attends required staff and other meetings.
18. Completes required documentation and other reports.
19. Acts as a resource to other clinical team members on recovery support.
20. Consults with hospital staff, social work as requested, even if patient does not screen positive.
21. Notifies patient’s nurse before visiting the patient.
22. Telephones treatment providers to verify patient showed up for appointment; and follow-up with any patient that misses an appointment.
23. Demonstrates competencies for position within the first 90 days of employment.
24. Satisfactorily meets requirements of position during periodic and annual evaluations.

Educational/Experience Requirements:

Required Minimum Education:

• High school diploma or G.E.D. is required

Required Minimum Experience:

• The candidate must be actively engaged in his/her own recovery program with a minimum of two years demonstrated personal recovery and sustained abstinence from alcohol and/or drug use.

Required License/Certification:

• The Peer Recovery Coach will have a valid driver license and vehicle to complete the community outreach.

Knowledge, Skills, Abilities:

• The Peer Recovery Coach must demonstrate excellent interpersonal skills, the ability to relate to patients and health professionals, as well as an 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 team and other community agencies. In addition, the candidate must demonstrate a willingness to learn and an interest in acquiring new skills. 

Working Conditions, Equipment, Physical Demands:There is reasonable expectation that employees in this position will be exposed to blood-borne pathogens.

Light work. Exerting up to 20 pounds of force occasionally, and/or up to 10 pounds of force frequently, and/or a negligible amount of force constantly to move objects. If the use of arm and/or leg controls requires exertion of forces greater than that for sedentary work and the worker sits most of the time, the job is rated for light work.

The above is intended to describe the general content of and requirements for the performance of this job. It is not to be construed as an exhaustive statement of duties, responsibilities or requirements.