Recovery Coach

Recovery Coach

Requirements

• Interest in and ability to work successfully in a fast-paced community environment where people have complex needs.
• Demonstrated ability to support people in recovery with flexibility and empathy, recognizing relapse is part of the recovery process, and supporting people no matter where they are in their recovery journey.
• Acceptance of and commitment to multiple pathways of recovery, accepting individuals’ choices of recovery practices without judgement.
• Comfortably engaging people across a diversity of races, ethnicities, experiences, identities, values, beliefs, and behaviors.
• Proven ability to apply motivational interviewing practices.
• Ability to successfully de-escalate behaviors and diffuse challenging situations.
• Knowledge of overdose prevention and response, including the use of naloxone (Narcan).
• Solid understanding of and practice with upholding professional boundaries.
• Flexibility in adapting to changing and/or unpredictable circumstances, and the ability to respond professionally and responsibly in the face of challenges.
• Self-directed ability to work independently as well as to proactively seek out collaboration as part of a team.
• Consistently effective communication skills—interpersonal and written.
• Basic understanding of and commitment to taking a person-centered, recovery-oriented, and trauma-informed approach.
• Comfort using common computer applications such as Outlook, Word, database records, and online tools.

Responsibilities

• Provide peer recovery coaching to RTG members, providing tools, resources, and support to help them achieve their recovery goals and foster long-term recovery.
• Act as an ally and role model. Build trust through words and deeds by being authentic, upholding ethical practices and maintaining solid professional boundaries.
• Seek out ways to engage members who may initially seem hard to reach.
• Collaborate with other RTG staff to ensure members get a range of social support, with special focus on emotional support (empathy, caring and concern) and instrumental support (concrete assistance to help others accomplish tasks).
• Use motivational interviewing techniques to guide people toward their identified recovery goals.
• Help members to create recovery plans, identifying and resolving personal and environmental obstacles.
• Connect members to recovery resources and facilitate access to treatment and other interventions as needed to support their recovery journeys.
• Accompany members to appointments and do warm handoffs to community service connections where possible.
• Facilitate recovery support groups.
• Keep records of work with members and in the Center, recording individual meeting notes in a timely way and completing incident reports and other required documentation.
• Actively participate in Center activities in support of individual and community recovery.
• Act responsively and responsibly in urgent situations or crises, including de-escalating challenging behaviors and using naloxone to respond to an overdose.
• Actively participate in weekly supervision, meetings, and trainings/professional development opportunities.
• Adhere to agency code of conduct.
• Perform other duties as assigned.

Preferred Qualifications

• Certified Addiction Recovery Coach (CARC) preferred. At minimum, candidate must have completed all CARC training requirements and be committed to achieving certification.
• Lived experience with homelessness preferred.
• Experience and knowledge of Boston-area substance use treatment and support providers preferred.
• Lived experience of homelessness a plus.
• Bilingual English/Spanish preferred.