Peer Support Specialist

DeCoach Rehabilition Center•Xenia, OH

4d•Onsite

About The Position

DeCoach Recovery Centre is seeking a Peer Support Specialist for its Xenia, Ohio location, serving on the Ohio START (Sobriety, Treatment, and Reducing Trauma) team in partnership with Greene County Child Services. The specialist uses personal recovery and life experience to support families, help promote child safety, and connect parents with resources that support stability and long-term recovery. The role works collaboratively with Ohio START case workers and behavioral health providers to deliver intensive wrap-around services. The specialist supports families in navigating the child welfare system, building independence and self-advocacy, accessing community and natural supports, and addressing barriers to participation. The position also contributes to case planning, child safety, family meetings, and crisis stabilization.

Requirements

At least a GED.
Certified Peer Support Specialist certification in the state of Ohio.
An active Ohio driver’s license and a clean driving record.
Competence in peer support services.
At least two years of long-term recovery from a substance use disorder.
No ongoing criminal activity.
Lived experience with the child welfare system as a parent, with the case closed for at least one year, or indirect lived experience with the child welfare system.
For indirect lived experience: experience navigating a system such as mental health, substance use recovery, public benefits, or court, combined with at least one of the following: a relative who took informal or formal custody of the candidate’s child or children; understanding how the candidate’s substance use or recovery affected their own children; or raising the child of a relative or friend with a substance use disorder.
Knowledge of, or ability to attain knowledge of, alcohol and drugs (pharmacology), behaviors associated with addiction, court processes, diversity, family dynamics, Family Team Meetings, HIPAA, human behavior, and local resources and services.
Skills in advocacy, coaching, listening and other verbal and non-verbal communication, written communication, computers and technology, crisis intervention and de-escalation, cultural competency, and motivational interviewing.

Nice To Haves

Three years of long-term recovery from a substance use disorder is preferred.

Responsibilities

Participate as an active member of the Ohio START team.
Work collaboratively with the Ohio START case worker and behavioral health provider to support child safety and coordinate intensive wrap-around services for START families.
Participate in initial meetings, weekly status meetings, and Family Team Meetings to review family progress and child safety.
Continually explore families’ needs and empower families to take ownership of their long-term success and child safety.
Support parents in achieving personal independence.
Connect START families to community resources.
Teach families how to navigate the child welfare system effectively.
Help families identify and access natural support systems in the community.
Promote coordination and linkage among local community providers.
Coordinate access to crisis intervention services and assist with family stabilization.
Teach START families self-advocacy and empowerment skills.
Identify internal and external barriers to participation in community resources and develop strategies to overcome them.
Provide input on court forms as needed.
Provide input on case plan development and child safety.