Director of Recovery

5280 High School•Denver, CO

12d

About The Position

The Director of Recovery is a senior leadership role responsible for leading, strengthening, and continuously advancing the recovery program at 5280 Recovery High School. The recovery program supports students navigating substance use, eating disorders, and other mental health challenges within a clinically informed, peer-supported educational environment. The Director of Recovery works in close partnership with the School Director to design, implement, and oversee all recovery programming and services. This role provides direct supervision to the recovery team, including Recovery Coaches and a Licensed Addictions Counselor, and ensures alignment between recovery supports, academic programming, and schoolwide culture. This position requires a balance of independent leadership and deep collaboration with instructional staff, school leadership, families, and community partners. As an established recovery high school, 5280 strives to continuously refine and strengthen its recovery model rather than engage in initial program development. Accordingly, the Director of Recovery focuses on program sustainability, quality improvement, and long-term impact, including strengthening community partnerships, expanding referral pipelines, supporting enrollment and outreach efforts, ensuring regulatory and Medicaid compliance, and using data and student voice to guide ongoing program development. The Director of Recovery plays a critical role in shaping school culture, maintaining fidelity to recovery principles, and ensuring that every student feels seen, supported, and empowered to thrive.

Requirements

Demonstrated commitment to the mission and values of 5280 Recovery High School and to supporting both academic success and recovery journeys of students.
CPFS credential through a COPA-approved pathway or an equivalent behavioral health or clinical professional license.
Experience supporting adolescents or young adults in recovery, including case management and coordinated care.
Proven leadership experience supervising and developing multidisciplinary teams.
Strong interpersonal, communication, and relationship-building skills with students, families, staff, and community partners.
Ability to work collaboratively within a leadership team while also exercising independent judgment and initiative.
Strong organizational, problem-solving, and prioritization skills in a fast-paced, emotionally complex environment.
Lived experience with substance use recovery that informs professional practice and leadership (shared voluntarily and treated confidentially).
Ability to pass a Colorado fingerprint-based criminal background check.
High School Diploma (minimum)

Nice To Haves

Certified Addiction Specialist License
Prior experience in a recovery high school or therapeutic/alternative educational setting.
Existing relationships within the Denver-area recovery and behavioral health community.
Experience leading or supervising recovery-focused or clinical teams.
Bachelor’s degree or higher in a related field.

Responsibilities

Lead, coach, and supervise the recovery team, including Recovery Coaches and the Licensed Addictions Counselor, fostering a cohesive, trauma-informed, and student-centered culture.
Provide ongoing professional development, performance feedback, and reflective supervision aligned to 5280’s core values: hope, grace, resilience, purpose, belonging, and love.
Lead staff-wide professional learning related to recovery-responsive practices, trauma-informed care, student wellness, boundaries, and crisis response.
Support recovery staff in effective case management, documentation, family communication, and service coordination.
Meet supervision requirements for Colorado Peer and Family Specialist (CPFS) staff, including maintaining required supervision hours and documentation, where applicable.
Hold and maintain a CPFS credential through a COPA-approved pathway (or equivalent behavioral health or clinical license).
Oversee Medicaid billing practices for recovery services, ensuring accuracy, compliance, and documentation integrity.
Serve as the primary liaison with the school’s Medicaid billing provider, supporting audits, workflow alignment, and compliance requirements.
Ensure accurate reporting and adherence to all funding and regulatory requirements related to recovery services.
Oversee recovery programming systems, including recovery groups, individual check-ins, relapse response protocols, whole-school recovery meetings, and individualized recovery planning.
Support student intake, onboarding, retention, transition planning, and reintegration following setbacks.
Serve as a secondary point of contact for families regarding recovery supports, collaborating closely with recovery staff.
Utilize data, student voice, and outcome measures to assess effectiveness and guide continuous improvement.
Maintain fidelity to recovery principles while adapting programming to evolving student needs.
Partner closely with the School Director and leadership team to align recovery supports with academic programming.
Collaborate with instructional staff to embed recovery-responsive practices into classroom instruction and schoolwide professional learning.
Strengthen partnerships with community providers, including treatment centers, therapists, probation/parole officers, caseworkers, and healthcare systems.
Support outreach and referral efforts to sustain enrollment and community awareness of 5280’s model.
Represent 5280 Recovery High School at community outreach events, professional networks, panels, and forums.
Provide leadership for the school’s participation in the annual Rally for Recovery, including planning and coordination.
Serve as a visible leader and advocate for recovery-focused education in community and professional spaces.