Community Support Team (CST) Certified Recovery Support Specialist

Metropolitan Family Services • Merrionette Park, IL

5d

About The Position

Metropolitan Family Services is hiring a Community Support Team (CST) Certified Recovery Support Specialist at its Merrionette Park office. The role supports clients and their families with mental health and substance use recovery, wellness, treatment access, and community resources. The position builds on the specialist’s personal recovery experience and works collaboratively with clinical and community partners to help clients define and pursue their care goals. The average starting salary is $43,000–$48,000 annually; placement within the range depends on skill and experience, and final salary is based on years of experience, licensure level, and relevant credentials.

The specialist provides peer mentoring, system navigation, recovery planning, advocacy, outreach, crisis support, and documentation. They assist clients and, with appropriate consent, identified supports in understanding mental health issues and symptoms and achieving the best possible outcomes. They work with an interdisciplinary team across mental health, substance use, physical health, case management, and social determinants of health; co-facilitate groups as requested; provide medication monitoring or training; and support illness self-management, skill building, natural supports, and use of community resources. The role also includes outreach and engagement, symptom-checklist support, care transitions, participation in team meetings and huddles, and consultation or training for agency staff and the community as needed.

The position requires some evening, weekend, and on-call work. Driving for work, including transporting clients in a personally owned vehicle, is preferred. Candidates must have a high school diploma, GED, or above; personal experience with mental health and/or substance use recovery; and hold or be eligible to obtain the CRSS or CPRS credential from the Illinois Certification Board within 12 months of hire. Satisfactory completion of relevant screening and criminal background checks is required.

Requirements

• High school diploma, GED, or above.
• Personal experience with mental health and/or substance use recovery.
• Must hold or be eligible to obtain the Certified Recovery Support Specialist (CRSS) or Certified Peer Recovery Specialist (CPRS) credential from the Illinois Certification Board (ICB) within 12 months of hire.
• Must satisfactorily pass all relevant screening and criminal background checks.

Nice To Haves

• Driving for work and transporting clients in a personally owned vehicle is preferred.

Responsibilities

• Build trusting, mutual relationships with clients through appropriate self-disclosure of the specialist’s recovery journey.
• Help clients access services within the CCBHC and externally.
• Help clients develop Wellness Recovery Action Plans (WRAP) and identify personal strengths to guide treatment.
• Provide clients and family members information about mental illness, recovery and wellness, treatment options, and resources.
• Advocate for clients and serve as a bridge between clients and the clinical team, ensuring client choices guide care.
• Partner with local community-based organizations to educate the community about CCBHC services and facilitate warm hand-offs into care.
• Use de-escalation techniques and trauma-informed support during mental health crises.
• Maintain accurate, HIPAA-compliant records of peer interactions in the Electronic Health Record (EHR) system.
• Support clients and, with appropriate consent, their identified supports in understanding the impact of mental health issues and symptoms and achieving the best possible outcomes.
• Work collaboratively with a team providing mental health, substance use/abuse, physical health, case management, and other social determinants of health support.
• Co-facilitate groups as requested.
• Provide medication monitoring and/or training to clients.
• Lead community support interventions that facilitate illness self-management, skill building, identification and use of natural supports, and use of community resources.
• Review client assessment and screening results and symptom checklists, and support clients in completing symptom checklists when needed.
• Conduct outreach and engagement for clients who may not be engaged in care.
• Participate in team meetings and huddles.
• Support clients transitioning to another level of care.
• Maintain awareness of community resources and help ensure service delivery maximizes available MFS and community resources and services, as appropriate.
• Prioritize activities with the supervisor to optimize client service delivery and meet performance expectations.
• Recognize when to ask for help to maintain the specialist’s own wellness plan.
• Expand knowledge and skills and use techniques learned.
• Provide consultation to agency staff and the community as needed, including training, seminars, and special projects.
• May serve on agency-wide or community committees and work groups with approval from the supervisor and agency leadership.
• Work some evenings, weekends, and on-call.
• Perform other duties as assigned.

Benefits

• Medical coverage.
• Dental coverage.
• Vision coverage.
• Metropolitan Family Services contributions of $2,000 to individual and $4,000 to family Health Savings Accounts, prorated to benefits start date.
• Free general medicine and behavioral health Teladoc services for all team members.
• Ascensus 401(k) plan with a 4% employer match, vested at 100% on the first day of eligibility.
• Additional benefits are available; applicability of some benefits to part-time and temporary workers may vary.

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Education Level: High school or GED